REVIEW: Princeton Triangle Club has best show in years with ‘Family Feudalism’

BY STUART DUNCAN

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

N.J. THEATER REVIEW

For 120 years The Princeton Triangle Club has staged a student-written production. Professional director and help with choreography, sure, but the script, lyrics and songs — from the students themselves. In past years (up to 1969 when girls were first admitted to the University) all of the roles were played by males. Now, of course, there are girls on stage (although a huge "hit" is the appearance somewhere in the second act of the celebrated kick line — a throwback to the hairy-legs days of yore.)

This year's show is titled "Family Feudalism" and, like most of the Triangle's creative efforts, is a revue (23 scenes spread over two acts and about two and a half hours.) The theme is explained in the very first song in the opening skit — castles. And then the theme is examined, sometimes lovingly, often with angst. The titles of the various scenes tell the tale: "Drawbridge Over Troubled Waters;" "Long Day's Journey Into Knight." Or, "No Time Like The Peasant;" "Tender is the Knight."

But the exciting part of this show is that not only are the titles witty and clever, but so are the skits themselves — one after another, varying in tone and pace (naturally enough, different writers,) all clever, often very funny and, more surprising, clean and not at all sophomoric. This, without any doubt, is the best Triangle show in years.

In days of yore, the show opened just before the Christmas break, then climbed aboard railroad cars for a holiday tour, mostly of the Midwest. In fact there was considerable competition as to which city would get New Year's Eve. The current tour comes in late January during what is now termed "Term break." The travel is by bus and truck (the truck takes the costumes and scenery.) And mostly heads south (this year, for example, to Tampa Bay, Miami, West Palm Beach, Atlanta, Charlotte and Washington, D.C.). A rough schedule. Especially with receptions and parties at every stop. Then the show is entirely re-booted for Reunions in late May. By then about a half hour may well have been cut to fit the usual format for two-shows-a-night that weekend.

Now that gives you a difficult choice: head to Washington, or Atlanta in January, or be prepared to book now for the rowdy (and often thrilling Reunion shows.) This year it's worth it.