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Regional Reviews: Florida - West Coast Other People's MoneyFlorida Studio Theatre Also see Bill's review of Rockin' Down Fairytale Lane
The cast features several company regulars and is strong from top to bottom. Sam Mossler contributes his second excellent performance this season (after his turn as Chef George in How to Use a Knife last winter) as Lawrence (Larry "the Liquidator") Garfinkle. He is charming in an oily kind of way, just the way the character needs to register with the audience. Colin Lane as Andrew Jorgenson, president of New England Wire & Cable, the company in Garfinkle's sights for take over, is caring and compassionate toward all the people who will be affected by the outcome of this battle, but not completely at ease in a business world that has passed him by to an extent. Joe Ditmyer is his right-hand man, Bill Coles, who runs for cover to protect himself when he thinks Garfinkle may be winning. The audience's feeling toward him runs hot and cold, exactly right for the character. Perri Gaffney plays Bea Sullivan, Andrew's administrative assistant and lover in a warm performance. Nehassaiu deGannes plays Kate Sullivan, up and coming corporate lawyer and Bea's daughter. Kate is the head to head adversary doing battle with Garfinkle. She is strong portraying youth, learning as she goes. Director Jason Cannon keeps the story in focus and he gets solid performances from his cast. Isabel and Moriah Curley Clay contribute another excellent scenic design, allowing the action to flow seamlessly between offices of New England Wire & Cable and the New York digs of Garfinkle. Costumes by Susan Angermann are attractive, but seem to set the play a decade later than the mid 1980s the action would suggest. Michael Foster's lighting design and Thom Korp's sound design are both effective. FST gives Other People's Money a darn fine production, but the play just doesn't hold up. The powers that be at Florida Studio Theatre had an interesting idea, to try and offer the audience a look-see at the struggle between basic goodness and corporate greed and the need for profits. This might have been a very interesting topic, but Other People's Money doesn't prove to age well enough to serve as a conduit for this. Other People's Money, through August 19, 2018, at the Gompertz Theater 1241 N. Palm Avenue, Sarasota FL. For tickets and performance information, please call the box office at 941-366-9000 or visit www.floridastudiotheatre.org. Cast: Kate Sullivan: Nehassaiu deGannes*
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