“Kimberly Akimbo ”

By David Lindsay-Abaire
Directed by Sue Trigg
Playing: January 15 - February 6, 2010

Role Players presents a daring, zany black comedy Kimberly Akimbo & Sweet 16 will never seem the same

Theatre goers will not want to miss Kimberly Akimbo, a shrewd and very funny satire by award-winning playwright David Lindsay-Abaire.

Linsday-Abaire grew up in a working class family of five in South Boston. However, as a talented student, he received a six year scholarship to Milton Academy a prestigious New England boarding school where he first became interested in writing plays. Perhaps it is this blend of working class sensibilities and the opportunity to study theatre in a privileged environment that brought him to view the world through a marvelously, skewed lens with some admittedly dark facets. Lindsay-Abaire said of his work “My plays tend to be peopled with outsiders in search of clarity” - and Kimberly Akimbo, which won Abaire a 2000 Tony Award for best play, is no exception! His other works include; Rabbit Hole, Fuddy Meers and Three One Acts.

Sue Trigg, RPE’s Artistic Director, is at the helm for this the second show of their season. “With Kimberly Akimbo, this young and very talented playwright has managed to write a darkly comic and haunting masterpiece that touches the heart” said Sue. “When I read this play, I was bowled over by the well crafted yet zany characters and story line, and knew I had to put it in our season.” Kimberly Akimbo has certainly attracted some amazing local talent. In particular, veteran actress Claudine Jones has fully embraced the challenging role of Kimberly a 16 year old who because of a rare disease ages four and a half times faster than normal and played by an actress in her 60’s. Claudine has performed all over the Bay Area, including; Altarena Playhouse, Stage 1 Repertory, Town Hall Theatre and Lamplighters. It is an acting challenge that Claudine has been eager to take on after seeing the RPE audition notice posted over 9 months ago.

However, to quote the New York Times review, this is not a “disease of the-week movie” and Abaire has written a moving piece with enough weight to capture the emotion of audiences as well as make them laugh. Other members of Kimberly’s rather dysfunctional family are her beer swilling blue collar dad Buddy, played by Chris Ratti, who many audience members will remember as the hard loving cowboy Beau in RPE’s Shellie award winning version of Bus Stop. Kimberly’s mom is Pattie, a self absorbed hypochondriac, nine months pregnant and immobilized with bandaged hands from recent carpel tunnel surgery. She is played by a talented newcomer, Didi Seddick, a pediatrician and resident of Danville’s Black Hawk Community. To add to the melee is Debra, Pattie’s sister a homeless ex-con who hatches money making schemes to escape the hum drum. Debra is played Holly Kosel, a newcomer to RPE and a Hayward resident who is a regular performer at Chanticleers. Finally there is Jeff, an awkward, nerdy16 year old and self proclaimed master of the “puzzleistic arts” who, like Kimberly, is an outcast at school. Jeff is portrayed by Nick Brunner who recently appeared as Ronnie, the bomb making AWOL GI come altar boy, in RPE’s The House of Blue Leaves. Please note, Kimberly Akimbo is rated PG 13 for adult language.

Danville website: Town of Danville and Role Players Ensemble