Tally's Folly

Tally’s Folly was a great show. I haven’t been as entertained while watching a live performance as I was during Tally’s Folly in a long time. For a independent theatre, I think Independent Actors Theatre hit this show out of the park. With a strong cast, strong direction and strong set, Tally’s Folly is an enjoyable 96 minutes that are not to be missed.

            One of the things that really impressed me with the show was the acting. With a strong performance by Matt Fotis, who coincidentally played the character Matt Friedman, as well as a amazing job by the other lead actress Ashton Botts, who played Sally Talley, there was never a dull moment in the play. What impressed me most about the acting was the ability of the two actors to really assume and deeply engage in their roles. For example, both actors dawned an accent that seemed nothing less than legitimate; Fotis with his Eastern European accent, and Botts with her charming country twang.  There was not a moment where I felt that these accents were faked or forced at all. What sealed the deal for me on the acting, however, was Fotis’ ability to do near-perfect impersonations. For example, during one scene Fotis’ character starts to make fun of Sally’s family by impersonating her brother and then her high school sweetheart. Fotis’ adaption of a country accent was not only hilarious, but left me in stitches because I was laughing so hard. What really made the impression hilarious was his use of hand gestures and facial expressions to convey an image that I can only describe as “bubba.” 

            Another aspect of the show that impressed me was the direction of the play. Director Emily A. Rollie, a doctoral student at the University Of Missouri, really showed her excellent ability to direct with this show. What I mean by this is that her use of blocking and directing where the characters are to be during each scene was near perfect. Even though the set was rather small (something I’ll discuss in the next paragraph) Rollie did a great job making sure the actors were in near perfect positions for each scene. For example, when Sally gets increasingly mad at Matt and theatrens to leave, she moves towards the edge of the stage and opens the door to the deck (the venue was a small photography studio and the door lead directly to the outside) and speaks a couple lines while halfway out the door. This really impressed me because It gave a great impression of what was going on in Sally’s mind, as well as how distraught she was with Matt. It also took the scene to the next level and I applaud Rollie for that.

            Finally, I was extremely impressed with how the set was created and how IAT really managed to make great use of the venue which they were in. The play, which took place in a small photography studio, really was a perfect setting for the show. While the stage was relatively small, it seemed fitting for an independent theatre and a show with only two actors in it. The set was lightly garnished with a couple oars and a few wooden boxes to accent the idea that the show takes place in an old Victorian boathouse, and while it wasn’t the most intricate set I have seen, really left a lot to the imagination, and felt just right for a production that IAT would put on. What impressed me most about the set was the ability for the actors to really conform to the space, Rollie really used the space to the best of her ability, having the actors interact with the doors, windows and objects that were already in place at the studio. This use of setting and space was one that took the production from just happening to be staged in a photography studio, to really being “perfect” for the show.