By Joseph Szalinski
Diss tracks have experienced a resurgence of sorts in 2024. While these poetic beefs seem confined to hip-hop, or at least more modern music, they are but the most recent iteration of an age-old tradition. Art has always been used to comment on itself, whether that be on a canvas, on a stage, or even in a weird-yet-well written review. In that spirit, The Pittsburgh Savoyards have resurrected Gilbert & Sullivan’s classic operatic critique of the aesthetic movement, Patience, as part of their 87th season, and they’ve brought it to The Greater Pittsburgh Masonic Center in Ross Township, with stage direction by Patrick Daniels.
Reginald Bunthorne (Corey Nile Wingard) is a poet—ewww—who’s desired by all the ladies in town. He spends his days hanging around his estate, that he somehow can afford writing poetry; scribbling cheesy verse in a book; and being utterly infatuated with the local milkmaid, Patience (Kate Manuel), who he has like a 2% chance of getting with. The other women have a cow and become curious as to why Bunthorne desires someone common and potentially LECHErous, which ultimately does little to advance their own standing. But just as things start going smoothly, they quickly get spoiled by the arrival of, Archibald Grosvenor (Jordan Speranzo), a fellow poet—yuck—who can’t wait to start a life with Patience.
Patience is a production rife with fantastic performances, one of the most notable being by the live orchestra. Conducted by Guy Russo (who also serves as the show’s musical director) this group of musicians expertly soundtracks the songs and scenes throughout the story—using music to introduce the audience to the world being brought to life, all the way until the final notes are played. As far as the cast is concerned, every member is invaluable. The Chorus of Rapturous Maidens and the Chorus of Dragoon Guards are both heavily utilized, with many of the memorable moments coming from the teeming masses of talent.
Supporting characters like Colonel Calverly (Andrew Mours), Lieut. The Duke of Dunstable (Zhen Yu Ding), and Major Murgatroyd (Don Gudenburr) are a delightful trio. Between ridiculous dialogue, silly physicality, and great chemistry as a group, these three bring ample amounts of comedy. Moving along, the main characters are brilliantly portrayed by their real life counterparts. Corey Nile Wingard is a phenomenal Bunthorne, getting totally immersed in the absurdity of the poet’s manufactured persona. Kate Manuel delivers a great performance as Patience, masterfully showcasing her struggle to figure out what she wants out of life while being an object of affection for two lovesick scribes. Jordan Speranzo rounds out the principal players with his amazing turn as Archibald Grosvenor.
The technical aspects of this show are executed by a superb production staff. Robert Hockenberry’s costuming is complemented by his extraordinary set design, the latter of which is a stunning castle and courtyard that hosts this show’s shenanigans. Lighting, helmed by Garth Schafer, is used to humorously heighten certain asides by casting performers in a red light that, infuses the horror with hilarity. A very interesting elements is the usage of screens to make the play more accessible to everyone, as well as a unique way for audience members to follow along.
What would a production of this size be without a proper stage? And what a stage it is! The Greater Pittsburgh Masonic Center boasts an impressive theater, complete with sprawling hardwood and plenty of comfy seats. The rest of the space is interesting to explore during intermission, as there’s plenty of memorabilia and the like to look at. It’s great venue, and just one of the three The Pittsburgh Savoyards make use of to continue carrying on their legacy as a staple in local theatre. As they mount more productions and move beyond traditional shows with improv comedy nights and staged readings, they demonstrate why they’re on their 87th season.
-JS
“Patience” continues its run October 11-13th at the Greater Pittsburgh Masonic Center in Ross Township. For additional details, please click here.
