Prepare yourself to meet Diva, Lillian, and Tink -- the three guys in the title -- whose bargains are worse than their bite. The "ladies" are having a yard sale, and anything goes! Edward Crosby Wells has crafted an often hilarious, occasionally hammy ode to female impersonators and flea markets. Under the direction of Frank Calo, the results were side-splitting, to say the least.
Diva (Anthony Valbiro) is trying to scrape up enough cash to afford a Faberge egg for her dead husband's ashes. Lillian (David Dotterer) is the put-upon best friend of Diva who spices things up during the sale with an alcoholic mixture that sends Diva flying. Tink (Myles Cohen) occasionally wakes up to make an incomprehensible request or an insightful comment from her wheelchair. There is a fourth castmate who garners one of the biggest guffaws of the evening, but suffice to say that she is a bit wrapped up during most of the proceedings.
Between dishes and rumors, the gals attempt to pawn their unique items (including a deflated doll, a crazy clock, and a diabolical dildo) on their unseen customers. But mostly they talk about their lives, their loves, their relatives, and their relationships. A nasty car crash and a gunshot exchange add a little excitement to the day's events, but the real fireworks come from the carping among the trio.
Wells's script is silly but structured, and sprinkled with sensitive moments that further endear his characters to audience members. Calo staged the psychotic sisters with plenty of farcical physical humor and wicked wit. Together with their stellar cast -- vibrant vamp Valbiro, demure debutante Dotterer, and combustible cohort Cohen -- they brought this comic character concoction to a constant boil.
Stage manager Bill Halliburton chimed in with an authoritative police-officer voiceover. Costumes by Calo and Valbiro were spectacular, to say the least, and got many laughs on their own. Valbiro handled choreographic chores with panache and flair. Sets and props by Sue Marticek and Tommy Barz were perfectly picked and placed.
Writing: 2
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Copyright 2002 Elias Stimac