Lucy must be quite a handful. At the age of four, she has a scary imaginary friend - one who snorts cocaine and is a workaholic who is addicted to porn. But it’s not really her fault, and the comedy Mr. Marmalade by Noah Haidle explains why.
Lucy has been raised in front of a television set and she has reached her twisted conclusions about life based on what she’s seen on daytime television. Even though the play is about a 4-year-old, it’s definitely not for children.
The AASU Masquers production is directed by Sage Tipton, a theater major at Armstrong.
“It’s a comedy but there are some pretty hefty dramatic moments,” Tipton says. “Megan Meadows plays Lucy. She’s a really good actress and is coming along great with it. Mr. Marmalade is bipolar all over the place. He’s kind of a mirror image of what Lucy sees as her father. He has a drug abuse problem, and he doesn’t treat Lucy with the kind of respect she deserves.”
It’s an unusual play. “It’s really nice to see a new fresh play in Savannah as opposed to the usual well-known Thornton Wilder or Oscar Wilde,” Tipton says. “We have a dynamic cast.”
Meadows isn’t playing Lucy as a toddler. “I don’t want to play her as too childlike,” Meadows says. “She’s very mature for her age and very aware what’s going on around her.”
But Lucy isn’t sure how things really work in the adult world. “It’s funny because she is seeing things adults take for granted through a child’s eye,” Meadows says. “She turns things around. There are a lot of little jokes in there.”
A theater major, Meadows is from Athens and moved to Savannah to attend AASU. “Armstrong has a really good drama department that seems to be up and coming,” she says. “They do edgy stuff. Armstrong is really willing to work with you and be there for you, plus Savannah is close to the beach.”
A born performer, Meadows has always wanted to act. “In high school, my motto was, ‘I have rehearsal,’” she says. “I love it. I was very excited to get this role.”
Alfred Pierce plays Mr. Marmalade, and says while his character is funny, what Mr. Marmalade represents is very serious and his scenes are often dramatic. “He’s a very businesslike person,” Pierce says. “He’s always out of time, yet he really cares about Lucy. As time goes on, he realizes what went wrong. This is something people can relate to.”
Pierce, a theater major, is from Savannah. “I’ve always been a clown,” he says. “I played football for Beach High School. I was kind of goofing off, and someone told me I should try acting. “I said, ‘Okay, I’ll give it a shot.’ And it worked out okay.”
“Maybe by the time I graduate, I’ll have a few connections,” he says. “I’d like to go to either Atlanta or Orlando where the cost of living isn’t too high so I can pursue acting instead of just paying bills.”
Pierce says people who see the show will enjoy it. “It’s about an imaginary friend, so don’t take everything too seriously,” he says. “Don’t look at it as a grown up thing, look at it as a 4-year-old would.”
What: Mr. Marmalade. When: May 1, 2 and 3 at 7:30 p.m. and May 4 at 3 p.m. Where: Masquers Chinese Theater, located in the Armstrong Center, 13040 Abercorn St. Cost: $10. Info: 927-5381 weekdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
