Steadstyle Chicago
	April 2008 Theatre Review by Ruth Smerling
	Looking for a Ticket Broker? Check out the hottest broadway tickets from Gotickets.com You Never Can Tell Critical Evaluation: **** out of ****   'You Never Can Tell' at Village Players Performing Arts Center.  Photos by David Turner. Adrienne Cury has a way with comedy.  Very few of us can actually lift an audience out of its seats laughing.  Not does she know how to get maximum laughs, but she knows how to get the most humor out of a work done in another century far, far removed from the time we live in now.  Her latest work, George Bernard Shaw’s "You Never Can Tell" at the beautiful Oak Park Village Players Performing Arts Center is cracking audiences up and leaving people weak with laughter.  The play is largely a comedy of errors set in, judging by Melania Lancy’s scenic work, a run down, seedy English resort.  Nevertheless, costume designer Gintare Jaloveckaite spares no expense decking out the cast.  Karen Lanfrey Bronson is Mrs. Clandon.  She and her three children, Dolly (Jennifer Dymit), Phillip (Scott Graham) and Gloria (Calliope Tsoukalas), an elegant bunch, who have been living in Madeira and despite an English mother and maybe an English father, they are foreign to Britannia.  The children have no idea who their father is and are always on the lookout for a would be dad.  This a small town and people are friendly and inadvertently, they wind up inviting dad (Robert Dean) to lunch.  They also invite the town dentist, Mr. Valentine (Steve Peebles) who falls head over heels for Gloria, Mrs. Clandon’s oldest daughter, a stunning beauty.  And oh is he barking up the wrong tree.  As much as he’s smitten, and wants to cherish her and take care of her, is how much Gloria wants no part of marriage and a home.  She wants to be a free spirit take care of herself.   The ensemble is never at rest and the jokes and gags keep mounting.  "You Never Can Tell"  is a zany comedy of manners, misunderstandings, vivid language and lightning sharp performances.  "You Never Can Tell" runs through April 27, 2008 at the Oak Park Village Players Center for the Performing Arts, 1006 W. Madison Street, Oak Park, IL.  Phone the box office at 866-764-1010 for tickets and information and visit www.village-players.org for a look at the exciting upcoming season.       About Ruth Smerling Ruth Smerling began work as an entertainment writer while attending the prestigious University of Illinois School of Communications.  She persuaded the school paper to assign her to review the film "Get Shorty," starring John Travolta.  Unfortunately her work was a little too brutal for the UIC paper and that was also her last assignment.  Nevertheless, the need to write and communicate could not be extinguished and fortunately her reviews received a warm welcome by the Editor-In-Chief of College News, Daphne Robinson who named her the Reel Goddess from 1993 to 2003.  Ruth covered film festivals all over the North America and interviewed countless movie stars, directors and authors.  Meeting the French Director Bertrand Tavernier at the Chicago Film Festival was the turning point in her movie reviewing experience.  He presented a brilliant film called "It All Starts Today".  He explained that she loved his films so much because American films are enjoyable, but must sell as much popcorn and Coca-Cola as they do tickets.  Since 2003 Ruth has been submitting controversial and thought provoking reviews to Theatreworld Internet Magazine and is pleased to report that people around the world send her e-mails inquiring about Chicago theatre, actors, directors and productions underway.  Ruth is delighted to be part of the Steadstyle website and looks forward to a long and happy association.