THEATER:’Moon’ shines brightest at Playhouse in 2006

Among the half-dozen productions staged by the Huntington Beach Playhouse during 2006, there were plenty of laughs to go around.

The theater placed a heavy emphasis on comedy during the season, with nary a serious drama in sight.

And while there were a plethora of smiles, chuckles and outright guffaws on all counts, the show that reaped the most — and also proved to be the most accomplished — was Ken Ludwig’s backstage farce “Moon Over Buffalo.”

“When both script and interpretation are hitting on all cylinders, audiences are in for a treat — one example being the Huntington Beach Playhouse’s current production of ‘Moon Over Buffalo,’ ” was the way this column put it at the time.

“The Huntington Beach production, gleefully and meticulously directed by Earl Byers, is nearly as exhausting an experience for the audience as it is for the industrious actors.”

Runner-up in this year-end assessment would be the revival of a certified oldie but goodie “You Can’t Take It With You,” by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart.

It was directed by Avis Rueweler, who, as we put it, “has fashioned a robust and vibrant production out of this exceedingly familiar exercise.”

Placing third was “a zippy, bullet-paced production calculated to touch the heart, as well as the funnybone.” That would be “Alone Together,” a comedy about empty nests refilling, skillfully directed by Marla Gam-Hudson.

Impressive individual performances were present in abundance during 2006, with four thespians particularly standing out.

For best actor of the season on the Huntington Beach Playhouse stage, the award must go to Robert Purcell in “Moon Over Buffalo.” Purcell, as noted in this column, “thrusts himself into the assignment with elevated, and exhausting, gusto.”

Tree Henson, the beleaguered mom in “Alone Together,” merits best actress honors. As it was recorded at the time, “Henson virtually tears up the stage with her raging responses to each succeeding crisis, all the while keeping her emotions in bounds and out of acting’s treacherous left field.”

Tops in the supporting actor field was Jonathan Motil, “most commanding as the passionate ballet instructor Kolenkov.” He also doubled as the uptight IRS agent early in the proceedings.

Most character actresses would commit mayhem to land the role of Agnes Gooch in “Auntie Mame.” At the Huntington Beach Playhouse, Norma Jean Riddick proved to be “an absolute howl as she undergoes a ‘My Fair Lady’ transformation in five minutes.”

Other performers worthy of mention from the Huntington Beach Playhouse’s season were Karl Kaecke and Tiffany Berg (“Alone Together”); Rose London (“Moon Over Buffalo” and “Auntie Mame”); Leslie Joyce, Rick Hardgrove, Kelly Yarborough and James James (“You Can’t Take It With You”); Stephanie Schulz and Daniel Grzeskowiak (“Cash on Delivery”) and Dawn Vasco (“Auntie Mame”).

Next Thursday, the spotlight swings over to Golden West College and the Academy for the Performing Arts at Huntington Beach High School, both of which enjoyed productive years in 2006.