There is still time this weekend to catch BOOM Theatre's sixth season opener, "The Objection Pact."
Written and directed by Samantha Allen, Fallston High School Class of 2007, the play focuses on the reactions of friends of Rose, the bride-to-be, as her wedding approaches. The friends, all millennials, are not filled with bubbly excitement. In fact, they agree to object at the wedding when the minister asks if anyone has any reason why the bride and groom should not marry.
During intermission, the audience gets to vote on whether the wedding goes on without objection or, if an objection is to be made, which member of the cast should make it.
"The Objection Pact" runs Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalists of Fallston, 1127 Old Fallston Road. Tickets, $15 for adults and $12 for seniors and students, are available online at www.boomtheatre.com or at the door. All-access season passes, available for $70 and $50, include three more main stage productions, "Dark Plays, or Stories for Boys" by Carlos Murillo, "V-Day Bel Air 2017" by Eve Ensler, and "Hedda Gabler" by Henrik Ibsen, as well as the 24 Hour Playfest (where writers spend 24 hours together to produce a play) and Brave New Works Theatre Festival (where five original short works by local writers are performed).
Allen has acted in a number of shows since she joined the BOOM Theatre Company five years ago. This is her second stint as a director. She said she began writing when she was 8 years old.
"My grandmother [June Allen] was the first person to encourage me to write. One day she took me up to her attic and gave me my dad's old typewriter and sheets of paper. She told me, 'Write what you know and write what you love,'" recalled Allen.
"The inspiration for this play came from the drama surrounding the wedding of a friend of mine. I started writing to get the frustration out, and once the frustration was out, I thought it might be a good show," she said.
"It's been awesome for me to see the cast bring these characters to life. Some looked exactly as I saw them in my head when I pictured a specific character," Allen said.
Because the audience is so close to the actors, watching the show is an intimate experience. A word of caution, however: if you go, don't sit on the sides or you may miss some of the dialogue.
The actors are all believable: Ashley Harris as Gwen, the bride's cousin, who hates the bridesmaid's outfit, and Victoria Scott as Jo, Rose's best friend, bitter at being left out of the bridal party. Newcomers to BOOM are Bryan McGee, delectable as the gay and blasé Aiden; and Zoe DiGiorgio, the fresh-faced wedding planner. Brandon Beatty excels in several bit parts – father of the bride, a waiter with a sharp eye on his tip, a boyfriend and the minister.