My overall impression
Magnum Opus Players Present The Yearbook is just flipping glorious! A sharp, crisp, clever production with comic actors at the top of their game. The staging is bare bones but inventive and clean as they accommodate the numerous sets of a screenplay on a black box stage seamlessly with no loss of comedic momentum.
The cast is uniformly fantastic. The delightfully droll narrator, Thuston Eberhard Hillsboro-Smythe, pitch perfectly played by Brandon Clark is a delicious counterpoint to the manic lunacy taking center stage. Monica Greene’s intense and troubled Vanessa was killing me. Heather Klinke’s sweet nerdy Leslie capped a deep well of suppressed rage that bubbled up to fine effect. Mike Lanahan’s Ethan was just so perfect it hurt.
Buy a ticket while you can (this show sells out for very good reason) unless you absolutely hate laughing. Grab a drink in the lobby and be prepared to laugh yourself hoarse.
