For the first time in over 20 years, students and faculty of Santa Rosa Junior College Theatre Arts have staged the extremely popular “All in the Timing,” a collection of one-act shows featuring the clever writing of David Ives. The production excels in its ability to inspire contemplative existential quandaries through genuinely funny satire and writing that fills audiences with a fascination toward language rather than with dread.
“All in the Timing” is split into six one-act shows, all with their own characters, rules and quirks. Each act is 10 to 18 minutes, which allows for character development without letting the gags overstay their welcome.
The set consisted of a moderately sized semicircle, reminiscent of a stand-up comedy stage. In the back was a wall with an actual door, a window and another door carved out of the wall. The rest of the set consisted of props that were cycled in and out for each act.
From the chalkboard, chairs, desk and poster meant to paint the picture of a classroom in “The Universal Language,” to the table with chairs and the typical ketchup and mustard bottles representing a restaurant in “The Philadelphia,” each set of props effectively established the intended scene.
Each show also came with its own distinct existential question.
“Sure Thing” opened the performance on an incredibly high note. Taking place in a cafe where Betty, played by Maya Tuchband, and Bill, played by AJ Correia, make small talk in an attempt to start a romantic relationship. Whenever one of the two says something that turns the other off, a chime sounds, prompting them to try again with a different tact.
This piece answers the impossibility of having infinite attempts to get things right. “Sure Thing” thoroughly and hilariously explored how language, word choice and delivery can drastically affect subsequent events.
This dynamic played wonderfully into the comedy. Sometimes it only took a single word for the conversation to reset, while in others the thoughts, opinions and lives of the two would be completely different.
The comedic capabilities of both Tuchband and Correia were immaculate. Both actors were able to alter the characterization of the part they were playing in ways that not only added to the comedy but were hilarious in their own right.
Correia in particular, stood out with a wide range of facial expressions to suit the moment. Tuchband, meanwhile, had a variety of expressions as well, but lacked the intricacies that Correia perfected.
With all that said, “Sure Thing” was the best piece out of the six, not to say any of the others were bad. It left a glowing first impression that the other acts weren’t able to live up to, despite “The Philadelphia” and “Time Flies” coming remarkably close.
The acting all across the board was phenomenal. Every actor brought so much life to their roles, and when they spoke with a different accent or other vocal modification it was perfectly consistent.
Furthermore, all of the acts were hilarious, with each having its own brand of humor heavily tied into the form of existential commentary it focused on.
Given the subjectivity of humor and the personalized nature of literary interpretations, not all audiences will say the same thing about which ones are better than the others. That might just be the production’s greatest strength.
For that reason, SRJC Theatre Arts’s production of “All in the Timing” is very much worth going to see.
There’s something for everyone, and while the kind of humor or the subject matter across each piece might not resonate the same with all audiences, every act was full of fantastic acting and stellar comedic timing all brought out by intricately clever dialogue. Given the title, that’s probably the most important thing.
