The perfect entertainment for 4/20

A new rendition of Kevin Murphy and Dan Studney's "Reefer Madness," a joint production of Theatre Intime and Princeton University Players, could be described as shocking, scandalous and even reprehensible. And by that, of course, I mean hilarious, entertaining and outrageous. Director Amanda Bestor-Siegal '12 brings to life the notoriously risque satire, while spotlighting the considerable comedic talents of its 15-person cast, which comprises primarily freshmen and sophomores.

"Reefer Madness" is a satirical and musical interpretation of a 1936 film written to inform parents and their innocent babes about the dangers and consequences of marijuana use. In the play, a young, upstanding student named Jimmy Harper (Joey Barnett '12, who is also a columnist for The Daily Princetonian) is lured to drug use by the slick, shady drug dealer Jack (Dan Yawitz '12) and his posse of addicts. Things quickly get out of hand when Jimmy, accompanied by stoner-seductress Sally (Julia Rose '12), steals a car and accidentally drives over an old man. The expected chaos ensues as Jimmy runs away and Jack tries to retrieve him (dead or alive), while Jimmy's prim and proper girlfriend Mary Lane (Holly Linneman '13) searches for him too.

The leading actors give performances as ridiculous and entertaining as the story requires, pushing their caricatured personas to the limit. Barnett does a believable job as Jimmy, but by far the highlights of the show are the performances of the lecturer, James Mears '11, and the supporting characters Sally (Julia Rose '12), Jack and Mae (Catherine Cohen '13). Mears's smug portrayal of the moralistic narrator is simply hysterical, and it is accented by his frequent reappearances as a slew of peripheral characters. Cohen's belting vocals also shine in her solo piece, "The Stuff," and the wildly exaggerated portrayal of her abusive relationship with her dealer is brilliantly staged.

Much of the humor, however, can also be attributed to the nature of the show itself, especially in its ironically low production values. From its scenes involving chainsawing stuffed animals, cardboard cars and vocalizing sound effects ("Slap!" "Punch!"), "Reefer Madness" takes much pleasure in signaling its artifice. Most of the time, this tongue-in-cheek aesthetic pays off, cleverly riffing off the preachy nature of the original show. Occasionally, though, the self-consciousness can come off as a campy gimmick.

Of course, certain standout pieces within the show - such as an orgy scene around a giant phallic volcano, a solo featuring Gary Fox '13 playing an oversized abandoned baby, and one of the funniest death scenes I've ever seen - are just so outrageous, you can't help but laugh.

But despite hitting the mark most of the time, the show fumbles with the details of its delivery. Ironic or not, there's no denying that the set is visually disappointing, adorned only with a series of cutout circles with painted marijuana leaves in the background. Furthermore, the choreography tends to be messy, particularly in the group dance sequences. Blemishes like this give the impression that certain pieces have not been adequately rehearsed. Moreover, though the acting of the main cast was enthralling, the vocals were at times difficult to hear over the pit. These details, though largely masked by the cast's enthusiastic delivery, deprived the show of a satisfying sense of polish.

Overall, "Reefer Madness" is one of PUP's most entertaining productions of the year. Evidently, "crazy" is one role that this cast enjoys playing. Not only are the performances hilarious, but all actors seem like they are genuinely having fun on stage. The difficulty of the play, however, is that it must strike a balance between the deliberate amateur quality of the lampooned film-within-a-play and its ability to shine as a clever, skillfully pieced-together production itself. Drawing the line between parody and just plain bad is no easy task.

4 paws