A few folks who're not familiar with this classic comedy may be a little confused if they read HCT's printed program, which prefaces the synopsis of scenes by saying "the time is in the present" - only to hear 15-year-old Corliss Archer exclaiming about Tyron Power's dreamy eyes, father Harry mentioning President Roosevelt and the entire production underscored by jitterbug music from the '40s.
Turns out that "the time is the present" was taken directly from F. Hugh Herbert's script itself - which was just dandy . . . in 1943 when the legendary George Abbott directed it on Broadway.Once you get past this minor typographical problem, you can settle back and enjoy the comings and goings in the Archer household.
Mary Parker Williams, who has a deft touch for comedy both on and off the stage, has a more-than-competent cast.
One character who's constantly in the thick of things is Corliss.
Some things just never change. Teenage daughters will always be . . . teenage daughters. Flighty, impetuous, quick-tempered. You find them in Shakespeare and Neil Simon and everywhere else.
Juliana Johnson, a freshman at Grantsville High, is perfectly cast as the young girl who keeps the Archers (not to mention most of the neighborhood) in a dither.
The rest of the cast is just fine, too, including Gardner Gee as the exasperated Dexter Franklin; Cindy Woodruff and John Paulk as Janet and Harry, Corliss' parents; Yuri Tucker as Pvt. Jimmy Earhart, a soldier invited into the Corliss home for a visit (never suspecting the romantic turmoil that's about to commence); Sue Jarrard in a hilarious performance as Dorothy Pringle, whose daughter, Mildred, has not one, but two best friends in the Archer family; Aaron Doussett, a terrific HCT newcomer from California, as Lenny Archer, who is head-over-heels in love with . . . Mildred Pringle, played by Sabra Gertsch.
Kris Mathews is quite wonderful as the Archer family's cook, Louise. (Just how many middle-class families do you know who employ full-time cooks these days? It probably wasn't all that "realistic" in 1943, either - but Louise does add her own bit of comedy.)
Lyle Hereth and Shauna Gee have brief but humorous roles as Dexter's parents. The cast is bookended by Sterling Brimley, who has a brief appearance during the opening scene as Willard, a painter (the color he's applying to the ceiling on the back porch ranges from "aaahh" to "yuck" - depending on who's editorializing), and by John Williams, who pops in near the end as Uncle George.
One key performer who isn't listed in the cast of characters, but who certainly deserves special mention, is Ty Williams. The program says he's in charge of "special effects" - but he's really backstage during the entire show . . . barking on cue as the Archer family dog.
"Kiss and Tell" is one nifty way of easing into the new year. It's typical of the kind of family comedy that came out during World War II, and the Hale Center Theater handles it in its usual fine form.
The costumes (another obvious giveaway that this is really 1943, not 1996) were put together by Scott Michelson and his crew.