I love workshopping new plays and musicals. While I admit you often need to have your patient pants on as the company works out kinks and issues, it’s fun to see the potential in a new piece and be part of creatives trying something new. I wish more Broadway shows did their tryout in Utah. We have such a wonderful, seasoned group of theatre fans here that much like Shucked we could give a lot of helpful feedback for new shows. One venue that often hosts material being workshopped is the Hive Collaborative in Provo. I recently saw experimental piece on death there called Paperweight and this week I had the chance to see the farcical family comedy The Fork. While it is far from perfect, the bones are there for an entertaining comedy if they keep working on it.

If anyone knows me they know I love an old-school slapstick comedy. The broader the better. In play form there are some classics like See How They Run and the more modern The Play That Goes Wrong. There are times that writers Ken and Dennis Agle tap into that tradition in their script for The Fork. I particularly enjoyed the back and forth with a supposed dead body that has to be moved around in ridiculous fashion. I think they could have leaned into that spirit even more and gone wild with the antics (ala Lucky Stiff if they wanted musical inspiration.)

The story for The Fork centers around 2 brothers who are hoping to get a good review from a famed food critic (Ioane Camacho) who goes by the title of ‘The Fork’. When things go wrong for the critic the brothers scheme on how they can still get their good review and chaos results. Jacob Baird and Adam Hartshorn play the 2 brothers, and they have the feeling of a classic comedic duo that’s needed for material like this. I also enjoyed Esther Slaeker as The Fork’s assistant Eva. She gets the best song of the night entitled “The Woman Behind the Man.” Sydney Olsen is also funny as a business-card dispensing “life coach” named Janey.

I was also impressed with the set the Agle Brothers are able to create (Ken directing, Dennis tech director and props master.) It has the feel of a little Italian restaurant with a believable cooler door in the kitchen and even a Mama’s Boys sign greeting you as you enter the theater. The only complaint I have with the space is that it was very warm the night I attended which can add to a sense of fatigue in the slower portions.

I hate to say it but my advice for the show would be to seriously analyze whether it needs to be a musical at all. There are long stretches without songs and that’s when the comedy could build momentum to its full effect. Not every story needs to be a musical and I really wonder if this one does? There is a plot element to the story involving Puccini and his singing but you could always be a play with music and have just a couple songs without being a full-on musical. Plus, I don t think the music aspect of the story was a core part of the farce that is so effective.

Even so, The Fork is a fun time at the theater if you like broad comedy. It is playing through July 11th and tickets can be purchased here. Use code FORK50 t get 50% off. Take a risk and see something new!

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