THE MAN WITH THE POINTED TOES; Hale Center Theater Orem, 225 W. 400 North, Orem; through Feb. 17; 225-2569; Running time: 2 hours 30 minutes with one 15-minute intermission.
OREM — Add a dash of "My Fair Lady" (with a twist) to, say, an episode of "Bonanza" and remember that this play was originally presented on the television series "Matinee Theater" in 1958, and you have the romantic comedy "The Man With The Pointed Shoes."
Randall Wright arrives at the Snake Eyes ranch in Texas to lease Tom Coterel's oil wells. His daughter Pamela comes along with dollar signs in her eyes and shamelessly flirts with Tom. Her "New York ways" intimidate Tom, and upon the advice of his foreman, Link, a tutor is hired to get Tom cultured before he goes to visit Pamela in New York.
Wearing glasses, of course, and with her hair in a tidy twist, the schoolteacher Florence is delighted to have a summer job. (I think you can see where this is going.)
Nevertheless, director Jayne Luke and a capable cast have pulled this period piece into a fun evening's entertainment. Though it is almost cartoony and totally predictable, the Saturday full house thoroughly enjoyed watching the inevitable unfold.
Writers Lynn and Helen Root have provided appealing characters, a pinch of temporarily unrequited love and a good measure of humorous lines as well as plenty of well-timed "funny business."
The able cast includes some favorite and familiar Hale Center Theater Orem actors like Cody Swenson, who plays Tom Coterel, and Cody Hale, who plays Link Hanson, the foreman for the Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday performances. The Hale Theater management, of course, double casts the plays.
The Saturday performance also included April Fossen as Florence Rains, the tutor, Larson Holyoak as the crusty holdout Hank Stover, Cameron Asay as the youthful Lem Reed, Paul Hill as the cook and Jose Gonzales who miraculously learns English in the course of the play and manages, with both bulk and grace, to liven up almost every scene change.
Ben Wake plays the businessman Randall Wright, and Holly Anderson plays his gold-digger daughter, Pamela.
The Monday-Wednesday-Friday cast includes Cody's brother Bobby as Tom, Brittni Bills as Florence, Justin Bruse as Link, and Larson Holyoak as Hank again. Jeffrey L. Simpson plays Lem Reed, and Paul Hill is back as Jose with Ben Wake as Randall Wright and Carly Johnston as Pamela.
This play is the kind of family fun fare that the Hale Theater is known for.
Jean Marshall is a former newspaper arts editor and drama critic with a master's degree in English Literature from Brigham Young University. Contact her at: babettesfeast@hotmail.com.