Patience taps into Oberlin angst

Gilbert and Sullivan's operetta Patience is possibly the operetta the dynamic duo wrote specifically to be played here at Oberlin College: the entire cast, and the show itself, is filled with angst.

Basically, every member of the cast pursues some other member or members of the cast and is rejected, which is the source of all this angst. Each character, particularly the rapturous maiden, is miserable - foolish, flaky and miserable - and the effect is brilliant. Patience is the perfect OGASP presentation; it mixes the good old Oberlin angst with the wonderful ridiculousness of Gilbert and Sullivan, and director and college sophomore Alison Gent and her talented cast excel at the absurdity of it all.

The show opens as the chorus of rapturous maidens makes its entrance, weeping and fainting and generally showing themselves to be, as they describe themselves in song, "twenty lovesick maidens." The object of their love is Reginald Bunthorne, the local poet, played perfectly by conservatory sophomore Marc Callahan, who is wonderful in his pompousness and his angst-laden love for Patience, the village milkmaid, played by golden-throated soprano conservatory sophomore Dea Lunsford. However, she does not understand this phenomenon called love, which appears to her to be indigestion.

Patience is the innocent young milkmaid who despairs at the fact that she has never loved anyone; the fact that she does not swoon for the exquisite Bunthorne is cause enough for the rapturous maidens to find her "most deplorable." "But it is not indigestion! It is aesthetic transfiguration," as the aging Lady Jane, leader of the chorus of maiden played by sensitive actress Jennifer Spitulnik, explains it.

This show could be called Narcissus almost as easily as it is called Patience; both Bunthorne and his rival Archibald Grosvenor, the "Apostle of Simplicity" as portrayed by Peter Tantsits, a conservatory first-year, are swaggering, self-important, exaggerated peacocks of poets.

Musically, this cast is astounding. The blend of voices in the chorus numbers is fantastic, and the soloists are great singers and fairly good actors. Second-year double-degree student Jonathan Stinson is enjoyable as Colonel Calverly, and especially in a trio in Act II with the Duke of Dunstable and Major Murgatroyd, conservatory freshman Kevin Moreno, who is one of the funniest and most talented members of the cast, and college first-year Dan Carmichael, respectively. The most hilarious part of the evening, though, is the maidens' change of heart in the shocking surprise ending.

It is unfortunate that the Thursday night performance had to take to the rain space. The hope is that the weekend clears up enough to allow these talented performers to play in the intended outdoor space. Rain or shine, the show is worth it.

Patience is showing tonight and Saturday at 8 p.m. in the Asia House Courtyard; rainspace is First Church Fellowship Hall. Tickets are $3.

And what is love?: Patience tells the story of an innocent young milkmaid whose sister maids have her confusing love with indegestion. While Gilbert and Sullivan may be corny at times, this one's a definitely crowd-pleaser. The musical goes up in Asia House Courtyard tonight and Saturday; rain space is in First Church's Fellowship Hall. (photo by Matt Green)