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Over the River and back to Cortland

By Bryan VanCampen

Over the river, and through the wood, To Grandfather’s house we go; e horse know the way to carry the sleigh rough the white and dri ed snow anksgiving poem by Lydia Marie Child

One thing I learned a long time ago: the more speci c something is, the more it rings as universally true.

At the Gianelli home in Hoboken, New Jersey, nobody stands on ceremony. In fact, they just barge right in without knocking, but as this is family custom, no one nds this incongruous. at’s the setting for Cortland Repertory eater’s production of Joe DiPietro’s wistful yet hilarious family comedy “Over the River and rough the Woods”. e play was produced by CRT in 2005, and proved so popular with audiences that they’ve brought it back as part of their 50th anniversary season. It’s not hard to see why.

We’re in the Gianelli home, speci cally Aida Gianelli (Catherine Ga ney), her husband Frank (Richard Daniel), and Nunzio Cristano (Bill Coughlin) and his wife Emma (Cara D’Emanuele), the maternal grandparents of our narrator, grandson Nick (John Cavaseno). It’s a modest but cozy home with lots of photos and knick-knacks, and the kinds of signage you’d buy at Target or Hobby Lobby. is is where Nick has had Sunday dinners with both sets of grandparents for his entire life. ese folks believe that the right choice of cheese or the right danish can be considered lifestyle choices.

As the play opens, Nick is nervously trying to get up the nerve to tell his family some big news; easier said than done, since all four relatives get distracted if a car drives by or the wind blows. Nick’s big news is that he’s been o ered a promotion that will require him to move to Seattle. e news doesn’t go over well, and the next week, his grandparents invite him to Sunday dinner, having xed him up on a blind date with Caitlin O’Hare (Alice K. Johnson). An embarrassed Nick makes snide comments throughout the meal, and when he asks Caitlin to go to dinner, she dresses him down for being so rude, and calls him a jerk. (Okay, she calls him a stronger word.)

Deena Conley directs this able six-hander with lots of love and subtle human behavior. Every single member of the cast gets a scene to shine within; each character has some quirk that de nes them, whether it’s Emma and Nunzio’s endless enthusiasm for any topic, Aida’s need to prepare food and Frank’s mandolin playing. e rst act has a set piece dinner scene and the second act stages a Trivial Pursuit game with the whole family that are delights to experience. In many ways, Emma’s emotional risibility becomes the signature for the two sets of grandparents, and Cara D-Emanuele is so good at ghting back powerful emotions that she must see through; in the interest of full disclosure, I worked with her on two plays, but that doesn’t change my mind about how funny and sweet she is here.

Bill Coughlin is a great foil here; his boisterous nature is hiding real pain and illness. Catherine Ga ney’s Aida is always sweeping in and out of the kitchen with food as a universal cure-all while Richard Daniel’s Frank strums his mandolin and complains about not being able to drive anymore. When the lights shi and Nick talks to us from a place of memory, John Caveseno has a curious habit of squinting, but he soon settles into a rhythm with the other actors, and he’s a wonderful listener. e play would seem to hinge on Nick getting together with Caitlin and staying in Hoboken. Well, it does and it doesn’t. Without giving too much away, it’s refreshing that Caitlin is seen as something more than a romantic cure for Nick’s lifestyle blues. Even in this breezy comedy, there are no easy answers, just the ongoing ow of family.

L-R: Cara D’Emanuele as Emma, John Cavaseno as Nick, Catherine Gaffney as Aida, Bill Coughlin as Nunzio and Richard Daniel as Frank in Cortland Repertory Theatre’s production of Joe DiPietro’s “Over the River and Through the Woods”, running June 22 - July 1.

“Over the River and Through the Woods”

Cortland Repertory Theatre Through July 2 Little York Lake Theatre & Pavillion 6799 Little York Lake Road, Preble, NY

by Joe DiPietro. Directed by Dr. Deena Conley scenic design by Jacob Brown, costume design by Emily Liberatorie, lighting design by Connor Beattie, sound design by Lex Allenbaugh.