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Listen to our review of Cedar Lane Stages’ production of Mr. Pim Passes By [MP3 3:15 1.5MB].

Mike: This is the ShowBizRadio.net review of Cedar Lane Stage‘s production of Mr. Pim Passes By in Bethesda, Maryland. I saw the show on Thursday night, October 11, 2007.

This wasn’t a laugh out loud comedy, but it was pretty amusing. I definitely had a grin on my face. Some of the situations that these characters got themselves into were pretty amusing. I liked that it seemed pretty believable that this could actually happen. I also did feel like at times that this was an I Love Lucy episode. This show preceded that by several decades.

Mr. Pim Passes By is a play by A. A. Milne, who is best known as the author of the Winnie the Pooh series of stories. Set in the drawing room of an English country home. Mr. Pim Passes By focuses on the Marden household. Mr. Pim, a businessman from Australia, drops in to get a reference. In so doing he mentions that he accidentally met someone who turns out to be Ms. Marden’s first husband who was thought to be dead. The question arises is he dead or is he not? If he is not dead, then she is a bigamist. From there the family gets more and more concerned about what they should do and how this will effect their standing in the community.

I did enjoy the show. George Marden was played by Stephen Cox. He was the head of the household. It was his job and his duty to keep everything prim and proper and to avoid all kinds of controversy. Including the fact that his wife may be married to someone else. That does not sit well with him.

His wife, Olivia, was played by Carol Brown. She had a very nice air about her. She wasn’t prim, but she was very proper and I liked the affections that she showed towards her niece, Dinah, played by Bridget Garwood. Dinah announced her engagement early on to Brian Strange, played by David Dieudonne. That relationship seemed very realistic. I liked their arguments that they were making that love can conquer all and he can support them. Then George didn’t think he could since he was only an artist. Olivia was endorsing the engagement and trying to work her wiles on George.

Then Mr. Pim, played by Stuart Fischer, comes by and drops this bombshell on them that Olivia’s first husband is still alive and visiting Europe. That really threw them all off into a tizzy. I liked how they handled all the scenes. There was not a lot of histrionics. It was simply talking it through. It seemed very realistic how they talked with each other and said things about how they talked with the servant and sent him out to find Mr. Pim and get more information. Owen, the servant, was played by Cory Atwood.

Lady Marden, George’s Aunt was played by Sheilah Crossley-Cox. She was a little more upright with keeping things on the level, keeping things steady. She was no nonsense that was for sure. You put them all together and it was a very believable family. You could see the affection and the love they had for each other. The show was not a laugh out loud show, but it was amusing and you will enjoy it.

The show runs about two hours long with one intermission. It plays Friday and Saturday at 8 pm and Sunday at 2 pm at the Cedar Lane Unitarian Church in Bethesda, Maryland.

And now, on with the show.

Cast

• George Marden, J.P: Stephen Cox
• Olivia (his wife): Carol Brown
• Lady Marden (his Aunt): Sheilah Crossley-Cox
• Brian Strange (Dinah’s suitor): David Dieudonne
• Owen (servant): Cory Atwood
• Dinah (his Niece): Bridget Garwood
• Carraway Pim: Stuart Fisher

Crew

• Producer: Dick Messalle
• Director: Steve LaRocque
• Assistant Director: Kathie Mack
• Lights, Set: Rita Scheeler
• Props: Anna Britton
• Technical: Frank Adler
• Costumes: Sandy Eggleston
• Photography: Jayme Morrison
• House: Sharon Adler
• Publicity: Kathie Mack, Dick Messalle
• Opening Night Party: Leah Mazade
• Construction/Painting/Load-in: Rita Scheeler, Anna Britton, Frank Adler, Sharon Adler, Lou Pangaro