Slow beginning hinders 'Wells'

Trelawny of the 'Wells'" is a play worth seeing, but only if you can make it through the first act. I sat bored stiff through act one, wondering what I had gotten myself into. With no apparent plot until act two, and a complete lack of comedic relief from the bland dialogue, I began to wonder, "So what's the point?" But like I said, if you can make it through the first act, it's worth seeing. \nThe contents of the performance itself were excellent, with a hilarious cast and visually interesting sets; the main criticism can only be found in a weak story line and script. Through no fault of the IU theater, the play dragged on with a monotonous pace. The actors, set designers and director did their best with a play that is lacking.\nAllison Batty did a fantastic job portraying the main character, Rose Trelawny, as the beautiful, blonde, immature actress who is not yet ready to settle down in life. Her love interest, Arthur Gower, played superbly by Darby Cicci, is her serious, gentle, highbred fiance whose life does not hold enough excitement to keep Rose's interest. The sparks between the two main characters provided the most drama and emotion throughout the play. \nComedic relief came from the three stooges trio of Augustus Colpoys, played by Brian Levin, Ferdinand Gadd, played by Josh Gaboian, and Avonia Bunn, played by Coryell Barlow. The trio did a hysterical job keeping the audience on their toes through funny imitations and being overly dramatic. Their comedic stylings gave "Trelawny" an injection of much needed comic relief. \nOverall, I would rate this play a six out of ten, and recommend going if you a have a few spare hours to kill. Trust me, it's worth it; just don't hold your breath through act one.\n"Trelawney of the 'Wells'" will be playing at the IU Ruth N. Halls Theatre on Nov. 11-16 at 8 p.m. Tickets are available at the box office, and are $15, $12 with valid IUB ID.