The WTF Winter's Tale

Now we explain why you will want to see this play performed by Theatre@First in the basement of a Davis Square church. For starters, you'll be supporting local arts. In just six years, Theatre@First has become Somerville's largest adult community theater group. This is their first production at the Unity of God Church, which is an intimate (read: tiny) space where you may be uncomfortably close to your fellow audience members but always just close enough to the actors. With tickets costing only $12, it's a recession-friendly way to be a patron of the arts.

Add to that the fact that the acting talent is great. If you've never given community theater a chance, forget Waiting for Guffman. Many of these actors turn in wonderful performances, with a few real stand-outs. You should be aware that there is a kid in the play (Mamillius, played by Isaac Richman), and he's perfectly adorable without being annoying. On opening night, he nailed all his lines, allowing the entire audience to breathe a sigh of relief. Nobody wants to see a kid that cute fail. Unless it's on YouTube.

Other standouts included Johanna Winer, who takes over the stage as Paulina, a headstrong woman who generates the appropriate amount of outrage toward the king who suddenly goes a few crackers short of a snack box. In the more comedic second half, Ari Herbstman shows that he deserves his own sitcom. He's hilarious as a wandering con artist who sings, picks pockets, and charms the rubes. Joshua Nicholson (who is, admittedly, a friend of this Bostonist) is also amusing, channeling his inner Jeeves as the devoted (and slightly homoerotic) servant Camillo.

So there you have it: ridiculous story, cheap tickets, great actors, and 100 ways to call someone a slut. What more could you want?

The show runs through this Saturday, May 2. Tickets available online.

Photo of Herbstman from Flickr