Posted on: Saturday, November 6, 2004
Cataluna's 'Half Dozen' comedy not in full bloom
By Joseph T. Rozmiarek
Advertiser Drama Critic
People who "say it with flowers" usually choose roses — at least a dozen and sometimes more.
Advertiser library photo • 2004 Sending just half a dozen shows sincerity.
The search for honesty and sincerity is easily the central theme and the motivation beneath the character action. But action is precisely what is missing most from the play's first act. Once the characters are established, there's not much plot to hang on to.
It could be that Mrs. Fujiuchi (played by Charlotte Dias) is understandably jaded about the flower business because her half interest in the shop is all that's left behind by a philandering ex-husband. Now that he's recently passed away, his new widow Roslyn (Karen Hironaga) has her own ideas about adding Mylar balloons and teddy bears to punch up the merchandise.
Kumu Kahua Theatre
8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays (no show on Thanksgiving Day) and 2 p.m. Sundays, through Dec. 5
$5-$16
536-4441 The only outsider is Bertram (Aito Steele), a self-proclaimed lady-killer who drops in regularly to buy flowers for his pretend sweethearts and to keep an eye on Nornette.
What the shop seems to lack and what the play seems to need are more customers.
Cataluna, a columnist for The Advertiser, ably proved her ability to create strong and recognizable personalities by packing dozens of them into her "Folks You Meet In Longs." We're not suggesting she duplicate that for this play, but a little more off-the-street traffic would add variety and give the small cast someone beside each other to talk to.
Action picks up in Act Two as the pretense of Nornette's wedding becomes more elaborate. Among all the pretending, character truth is revealed — the ex-wives share a bad marriage in common, Romell's lack of real talent is admitted, and Bertram and Nornette begin to discover real feelings for each other.
Between scenes, radio commercials and snatches of love songs add counterpoint humor to the plot. Director R. Kevin Doyle adds the playful touch of having each character imitate the sound of the shop bell as they enter and exit, with the tone varying to exactly match their emotional state.
"Half Dozen Long Stem" is a good first cut on a workable premise but would benefit from more development and fleshing out.
But according to Mrs. Fujiuchi, the hard-bitten proprietor of a small flower and lei shop in Lee Cataluna's new play, "Half Dozen Long Stem," most of those flower senders are liars and cheats. "They rush in here five minutes before closing and pretend they remembered. They buy a wilted bunch on discount and then blame the poor quality on me."
Charlotte Dias, front center, plays Mrs. Fujiuchi, a neurotic flower shop owner in Kumu Kahua Theatre's production of Lee Cataluna's new comedy, "Half Dozen Long Stem." Others in the cast include, from left, Karen Hironaga, Aito Steele, Norman Muņoz, Ron Encarnacion and Danel Verdugo. The show runs through Dec. 5.
Mrs. Fujiuchi threatens to sell the shop until her shy assistant, Nornette (Danel Verdugo), convinces her to keep the business open long enough to do her wedding flowers. Because Nornette escapes reality with long weeping sessions in the cooler, the ruse needs lots of help from the shop's two other employees. Romell (Norman Muņoz) is a flamboyant floral designer and delivery driver, while Bully (Ron Encarnacion) uses a fake back injury to avoid as much work as possible.
'Half Dozen Long Stem'
