Beau Jest, the first play of VPA’s season, premiers Friday

WASILLA— The first play of Valley Performing Art ’s 43rd season is premiering tonight at 7 p.m. Mathew Firmin is directing a small cast of sox in the Mat-Su Valley’s rendition of “Beau Jest”, describing it as a “good old fashioned romantic comedy”.

“Beau Jest” follows a comedically-complicated family story of a young lady, Sarah, played by Lesley Hoffman. Sarah hires an actor, Bob, to play her doctor/Jewish boyfriend to impress her Jewish parents.

“It starts with one big lie and the comedy ensues,” Firmin said.

The entire play takes place on a single set, single bedroom apartment. One actor dropped out last week so Firmin had to step in and take on the role of Joel, Sarah’s brother. He’s familiar with just about every element of the VPA theater, on and off the stage. He’s acted in scores of VPA productions and this is his third time as a director there.

“Directing is more of a whole picture whereas the acting is pieces of the whole picture,” Firmin said.

He’s been a part of VPA for about 15 years, “off and on.” Why? For the: “Sense of family, and friendship and all that sentimental stuff.”

He directed Peter Pan over 10 years ago and that was the biggest VPA play he’s done.

This is Nathan Nall’s first show ever, with no prior acting experience, save elementary school choir concerts. He's playing as role, Bob.

“He just came in off the street and I went ooh, I’ll take good care of you. You come back don’t be a stranger,” he laughed.

The Beau Jest cast has been rehearsing for over two months. Save the last minute drop, Firmin said there hasn’t been any hang ups and the cast was getting along swimmingly.

“I think a small cast is an added benefit because it’s easier to work around a smaller cast,” Firmin said. “You can give a little more individualized attention.”

VPA always holds a preview night for the cast and crew’s friends and family and usually serves as a trial run, a day before for the opening night.

Oliver Holmstron’s character, Chris, Sarah’s actual boyfriend who loudly protested the charade from the beginning. Holmstron will pop in and out of the set, often with a comedic bang. He said that he felt free to explore the confines of his supporting role, adding a certain zest to his scenes. Until he hit the age of 12, he was more of a quiet and reclusive child on Kodiak Island.

He began acting in a local rendition for Bound for Broadway. The primary segment he was in was a snippet of Oliver, “ironically enough.” He played the “Artful Dodger.”

“It was essentially at that point that, I guess you could call it the dichotomy of who I am, came to the forefront during this play,” Holmstron said. “Well that’s the beauty of the theater, it allows you to express who you really are in an environment that people both expect it and both completely taken aback by it.”

I’ve come to walk a path in life where I’m expecting that people, once they get to know me, they either love me or hate they hate me and that’s usually because my personality seems to be so sporadic,” he laughed, before riffing to a grab bag of accents, characters and impersonations, much like an Alaskan Jonathan Winters or Robin Williams.

“Because--” he said with a Shaun Connery-eques accent. “If the situation calls for it, I can be as professional and clear minded and as forthright as anybody.

Then, his voice changed into what can only be described as a crazed, Irishmen on a lot of caffeine.

“But you know at the same time,” his face twitched with a mad look in his eye. “Sometimes you’ve got to let the other guy come out and have his fun.”

While Holmstron and Firmin were sitting at Vagabond Blues in downtown Palmer, Holmstron immediately likened to the script and started spewing out as many accents as he could to, trying to make him laugh.

“Three people I idolized growing up, Robin Williams, Jim Carey and Dick Van Dyke- not necessarily in that order.”

On Wednesday, Sept. 5, two days before opening night, at the VPA’s mainstage, Holmstron’s pinball like personality echoed in the room and was met with the kind of sarcasm you see around a family get together, when a goofball relative is up to his usual shenanigans.

This sort of relatable, family-inspired humor opens tonight at 7 p.m. and runs through Sept. 30; Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Admission is $19 for general and $17 for students and seniors.