There is no doubt that Bess Wohl’s comedy “Continuity,” about a film crew making a movie about the climate crisis, is funny. Actually, it’s very funny. It also, however, tries to be serious about the climate crisis, and that part is confusing. Although I could tell, in general, that the script was trying to make some serious points about climate change, they simply flew past me in the general chaos. This was somewhat irritating, but not enough to destroy my pleasure in the comedy.
It is clear that Wohl knows her way around a film set. She’s got the jargon, she’s got the characters, she’s got the mood, and she’s got the chops to tie it all together with a variety of funny lines, physical gags, over-the-top characterizations, and rapid pacing. Maria (Rezan Asfaw) is directing her first major studio film, but things are not going as well as she would like. The setting is supposed to be a rapidly melting northern ice shelf (climate crisis, remember?), but the temperature is rising on location in New Mexico and the actors are sweating. Take after take is interrupted with a variety of crises, many precipitated by an actress who seems to be in well over her head. Meanwhile, the scriptwriter is making constant adjustments, the set is falling apart, the crew is increasingly irritable, and to top it all off, her former partner, a successful director, has shown up on the set to supposedly offer an assist, but probably to take over her job. Her film (like the climate?) appears to be headed for inevitable collapse. Maria’s efforts to get on with it are further complicated by the presence of a pedantic scientist who insists that all the scientific details be precisely correct. More rewriting.
The laughs (and they are plentiful) arise from the desperation of these characters, each of them played with gusto as exaggerated stereotypes (think of “Gilligan’s Island”). The actors know how to work the silliness, and a good time is had by all. All the performances are funny, but Matt Standley, always exceptional, pretty much deserves the prize for comic excellence. His portrayal of a Production Assistant whose frustration is building at a slow burn is hilarious and true to life.
The story is a bit confusing, and many points seem to be lost in the chaos, but the comic skill of the actors overrides all difficulties to deliver two hours of hearty laughter. That is enough to make for a good time.
“Continuity” continues playing at the Ashby Stage in Berkeley through June 21st. For further information, click here.
Rating: *** (For an explanation of TheatreStorm’s rating system, click here.)
“Continuity” by Bess Wohl. Produced by Shotgun Players. Director: Emilie Whelan. Scenic Designer: Randy Wong-Westbrooke. Lighting Designer: Spense Maturang. Costume Designer: Alice Ruiz. Sound Designer: Ray Archie.
Cast:
Maria: Rezan Asfaw. First AD/The Grip/Others: Adam Mendez Jr. David Castori: Benoît Monin. Eve/Nicole: Regina Morones. Larry: Malcolm Rodgers. George/Jake: Nicholas René Rodriguez. The PA: Matt Standley. Anna/Lily: Ije Success.
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