In February of 2020, Many Hats Theatre Co. finished off a successful 15-performance, four-week run of the David French drama Of the Fields Lately.
The company's next production was scheduled to begin in April. Then another in July, then September. That's the way it works at Many Hats -- a new play ever couple of months.
Instead, COVID. And the final performance of Of the Fields turned out to be the very last time Many Hats would perform in front of a live audience.
Until now.
At 8pm April 7th, Many Hats makes its return to the stage after a two-year absence with its laugh-out-loud take on the acclaimed Norm Foster comedy Hilda's Yard.
It couldn’t come a moment too soon. Hilda's Yard is a compelling work with snappy, funny dialogue and a veteran Many Hats cast that does it justice. It's a great combination in the midst of trying times.
Set in the late 1950s but written in the late 2010s, the play capably captures the seeming backwardness and even the innocence of this very different time from a knowing perspective that's used to maximum comedic effect.
Hilda and Sam Fluck (played by Jane Pilkey and Vance Potter) are 50-somethings living fairly happily in 1956 suburbia. The couple has raised two children -- Gary and Janey (Jason Lane, Diana Zumpano) -- who've recently moved out on their own, a development that’s made their parents quite happy.
Now, mom and dad have freedom. They can finally live life to the max.
They can take trips, even if just to North Carolina because Florida's too expensive. They can "go all the way" any time of day. And they can buy one of those newfangled televisions everyone's talking about.
Indeed, that's precisely what Sam is headed out to do as the play opens. Yet no sooner has he left the stage -- effectively the Fluck's back yard -- when a duffel bag comes flying over the fence. Following the bag is son Gary, who, as it turns out, is having some rather serious issues living on his own.
That's not the only time the Fluck's fence is breached. Likewise, Gary's not the only child to reappear back home. Soon Janey's there too. And then other folks. And suddenly life for Hilda and Sam doesn’t seem so fancy-free.
What ensues is funny and familial. In our short time at rehearsal, the exchanges between mom (Pilkey) and son (Lane) struck us as particularly funny. But no matter who was up there, we couldn’t stop smiling or watching.
Later, we asked director and Many Hats co-founder Ed Schneider if he was nervous being back at it after all this time away. And he readily admitted he was.
"Yes, I am," he said. "Of course, I'm nervous for every performance. But this time there's an edge to it. Let's face it. We're a little rusty. So yes, a little extra edge to it.
"We're not having any problems we don’t normally have. It's just that it's been so long since we've done it, they seem like they're new problems. We have to make sure we're going strong out of the gate."
According to Schneider, tickets are moving quickly for the new show. Two of the 15 total performances are already sold out, and that bodes well for a future that looked much murkier several months ago.
"We were afraid of what might happen (during the shutdown)," he said. "The thing that kept us going was that federal rent subsidy. It was a life-saver. We would be dead without it."
But this isn’t the first time the Many Hats crew is gearing up to perform Hilda's Yard. They were rehearsing like mad back in September too and just a couple weeks from opening night when pandemic regulations brought everything crashing down. Same again in November.
"It was heartbreaking," said Schneider. "When we finally got the word, we were almost in tears."
Like their director, both Pilkey and Potter feel a little extra nervous due to the long layoff. But both are raring to go.
"It's been a long, long time," said Pilkey. "She (Hilda) was ready to go in September. It was frustrating and it was aggravating. But I'm excited now."
Potter called the postponements "disappointing," but looks at the scenario pragmatically.
"In light of what was going on," he said, "maybe this was a good thing that we weren't going to have the theatre full and have an outbreak of COVID."
"But it's exciting. It's been a long haul, and it's great to finally get on stage and to have a full house. It’s just going to be tremendous."
As has become customary, Many Hats latest production will have dual opening nights. The first, April 7, features wine from Play Estate Winery and munchies from the Nest restaurant. The second, April 8, features brews from Cannery Brewing and more Nest munchies.
To purchase tickets or simply for more information, head to the Many Hats website here.
