Theater group takes its revenge with Shue comedy 'The Nerd'

By Rosemary Metz

Daily Arts Writer

There are no really clear definitions for the word "nerd." The word has negative and positive connotations, depending on in reference to whom, when or how it is used.

Yet another connotation will be spun from the word when the curtain rises on the Larry Shue comedy, "The Nerd," this weekend at the Mendelsohn Theatre. Rude Mechanicals, a student-run theatrical group, is staging this contemporary work, which mirrors those nerd-y qualities that affect daily life, but can remain so indefinable.

Terre Haute, Ind., a rustic, homey little town south of the Michigan border is the locale for the sudden arrival of "The Nerd," Rick. Rick arrives for a visit with his old Army buddy, Willem, an architect who is determined to move up the corporate ladder. Willem leads a very quiet existence, enjoying his fox trot recordings. Politically conservative, Willem reflects the Reagan years, since the play is of 1982 vintage.

Rick's descent into the life and times of Willem, with the chaos that ensues, forms the center of the story and laughter that follows. Music Theatre junior and "Nerd" director Aral Gribble describes Rick as the "most annoying person the world," and that Rick turns the quiet town of Terre Haute "upside down."

To further complicate the plot, Willem's boss and his boss' wife are invited to a swanky dinner party at his apartment. The invitation was issued before Rick's arrival, so all rules are broken at this event. LSA junior and producer Gabe Burnstein describes the actor portraying Rick, L. Blake Lynch, as possessing a "Jim Carrey-style of acting."

Gribble wanted to direct the show due to its humor. He admits to "loving comedy." "The Nerd" features sight gags as well as verbal jokes, as the sudden lifestyle-sharing turns into mass confusion.

Gribble said it takes the complete self-discipline of the actors to restrain themselves from laughing during these raucous scenes. "We enter their world, but they cannot enter ours," he said.

Rude Mechanicals derives its name from the group of bumbling actors in Shakespeare's "Midsummer Night's Dream," since the group performs one of Shakespeare's shows every year. The name is both a challenge and an act of defiance for this group. The polished, comedic performance of "The Nerd" will give The Bard of Avon plenty of new ideas regarding Rude Mechanicals.