"All in the Timing" offers a variety of jokes from witty to slapstick humor and provides a wonderful evening of laugh-out-loud comedy.
The collection of seven one-act plays touches on a range of topics from relationships to bad luck.
The show begins with the play, "Variations on the Death of Trotsky." The comedy revolves around the Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky and how he might have reacted upon finding a mountain climber's ax in his head.
Kevin Burnham, who plays Trotsky, masters the calm and unconcerned aura, which is essential to make the show amusing - although it takes a few moments to understand exactly what is happening.
Up next is "Singular Kinda Guy," which leaves the audience questioning the sanity of the character. The skit is a monologue, presented by Jeff English, in which the character is either a sapient typewriter or a man who thinks he is a typewriter.
Although amusing, the humor used in "Singular Kinda Guy" is definitely an acquired taste. And even though English does an excellent job performing this piece, the skit as a whole leaves the audience with a feeling of confusion.
The comedy "Sure Thing" follows with an odd format for a play. Throughout the show, a bell rings, and the actors return to an earlier part of the conversation. Each time, their discussion takes a different turn depending on how they change their actions and opinions.
This delightful skit shows how differently people can get along depending on what thoughts they decide to verbalize. The reactions of the two actors, Jennifer McCloy and Burnham, are delightfully funny.
"Mere Mortals" portrays three construction workers and presents an amusing combination of everyday life duties with outrageous fantasies - such as being the Lindbergh baby.
Although Act 1 is amusing, the three skits of Act 2 surpass it.
Act 2 starts with "Time Flies," which follows two mayflies who discover they will expire in a few hours and that their only purpose in life is to "meet, mate and die."
Actors Gini Larsen and Bill Cecil are superb and remain completely involved in their mayfly characters. Their lack of self-consciousness allows them to embrace the crazy actions of the mayflies.
The next skit, "The Philadelphia," involves a man who has had a string of bad luck. His friend informs him that he is simply stuck in a "Philadelphia" - a black hole in reality where a person always gets the opposite of what they want.
The solution - to always ask for the opposite of what he wants - is wonderfully amusing to watch, and despite being in a Philadelphia, Cecil's character learns to make the world work for him.
The final skit, "The Mystery at Twicknam Vicarage," is a delightful spoof on British murder mysteries.
"The Mystery at Twicknam Vicarage" was an excellent choice for the final skit because it leaves the audience feeling relaxed, amused and satisfied with the end.
Overall, "All in the Timing," is a delightful exploration of the humorous side to life's issues and quirks with excellent acting and atmosphere.
"All in the Timing" plays at Creole Gallery, 1218 Turner St. in Lansing at 8 p.m. Friday-Sunday. Tickets are $12.
