The Nut Factory an entertaining confection
Line between sanity, insanity wittily trod
Hold on to your fake beard, because Austin O’Brien High School’s production of The Nut Factory is one wild ride. There’s more hidden under the broken floorboards than just hundreds of years of secrets.
Written by Jay Christopher, The Nut Factory was published in 1974. It centres on the McNutt Halfway House for emotionally disturbed adolescents, which is in terrible danger when its psychiatrist-inresidence mysteriously disappears. The three sisters of the McNutt family scramble to find a replacement before the fateful bank inspection, and desperate times call for desperate measures.
All it takes is a fake beard and a spiffy outfit for Christine McNutt’s jock boyfriend to pose as the missing psychiatrist, but that’s when things take a turn for the worse.
Ruth Moore boldly portrayed Christine McNutt with a daring confidence that went well beyond just witty comebacks and impersonations. Passion and a strong sense of devotion to her character shone through her performance.
Christine’s boyfriend, Barry, was depicted by Wyatt Marchuk, who had the audience in laughter throughout the performance with his over-the-top blend of ignorance and shenanigans, delivered mainly in an Austrian accent.
It’s not every day you see a young boy take on the challenges of a full pink dress, high heels, blond wig and makeup and still manage to give a compelling performance. Jacob Kleszyk as Mrs. Cromwell captivated the audience with his hysterical but consistent feminine portrayal. A performance by Steven Rebelo as the lovestruck Claude Dawes tugged at the heartstrings.
Along with captivating performances, AOB students created an original song-and-dance number, which began and ended the show. We’re All a Little Nuts, written collaboratively by pit band members Gus Butcher, Allison Morin, Marc Sellers and David Skubleny, and performed by the full cast, was innovative and highly alluring.
Intriguing, mysterious sound effects, such as the clinking of a dropped ring or knocking from under the floorboards, created by Austin Lohouse, Katie Molzan and Alex Molzan, truly brought the story to life. A few microphone issues made it difficult for the actors to be heard at points, but considering the unconventional theatre space, these were quickly overcome. A video trailer promoting the cast and its quirky characters, created by Meenal Parshotam, was engrossing.
The Nut Factory is far more than just a farce — it sends a strong message concerning mental illness, questioning the fine line between sanity and insanity. Rarely does a comedy accomplish what the students of Austin O’Brien have done.
Aren’t we all a little nuts, whether it’s diagnosed or not? Who’s to say what’s normal anyway?