Hell In A Handbag: Scary Town Review
Colin Callahan, Danne W. Taylor, Sophia Dennis and Stevie Love
Hell in a Handbag Productions Presents SCARY TOWN Review - Just Between Us Bunnies, Who’s My Real Dad?
TLDR: A smaller scale production for Hell in a Handbag, Scary Town parodies Busy, Busy Town but with adult twists and turns in a definitely not child-friendly, coming of age story. With signature David Cerda comedy and theatrical drag, this original work would be good for a fun afternoon out.
Colin Callahan, Al Duffy and Jerod Turner
A Coming of Age Story at Hell in a Handbag
It’s a beautiful day in Richard Scarry’s Busytown David Cerda’s Scary Town! The animal citizens take to the stage - an aardvark policeman, a teacher that’s a water buffalo, and stay at home bunny - to sing the traditional Welcome to Merry Town theme song! They’re all happy and smiling because it's always a beautiful day in Merry Town. There’s no conflict, everyone’s happy, and their lives have absolutely no problems whatsoever, right?
Wrong. Like anything that seems like it’s too good to be true, there’s always some secrets lurking beneath the surface. In this case, literally. Down we go, deep underground to the Bunny’s burrow, and we find out what is going to cause quite a stir in this picturesque town. On the eve of his 13th birthday while blasting death metal and all up in his teenage angst self, Deven Bunny is starting to question why he’s the only brown bunny in his otherwise all white bunny family.
To solve this mystery Deven and his friends follow clues that lead them to an adult’s only club located far away across the hills in the seedy city of “Big Town.” So while Scary Town is a parody of a children’s book, as we dig deeper into Deven’s parentage and unravel his mom’s past, it is anything but kid friendly!
Stevie Love, Colin Callahan and Danne W. Taylor
Switching Scenes at The Flip of a Page
Playing in Hell in a Handbag’s rehearsal space, it’s a smaller theater fit for this production of Scary Town. We’ve got a few rows of seats for the audiences and one main platform stage with black curtains surrounding it.
The cast moves a few pieces of furniture on and off the stage as we switch scene locations. When Betty Bunny (Stevie Love) and Wanda Water Buffalo (Ed Jones) need to go after their kids, how else are they going to travel but in the iconic apple car complete with fruit flies and rotating leaf, helicopter action. Love and Jones remiscene about their wild times back in the day and blast their signature 80s pop anthem ready to bring their kids home!
But the piece de resistance for the set is a giant children’s book sitting center stage reminiscent of the original Busy, Busy Town book. The cast flips the pages of this larger than life book as we move from the town square, to the burrow, to the Bunny Hutch.
While Scary Town is a smaller production for Hell in a Handbag, it is still full of Cerda’s signature dry humor and sharp digs. Danne W. Taylor as Granny Bunny blends being a loving and caring grandmother to her grandchildren while making sure to put her daughter in check with a well placed read or two. Not to mention some truly foul mouthed puppets also prepared to give you a good verbal smackdown.
Stevie Love and Ed Jones
The After Party Thoughts
Scary Town had the crowd laughing at all the campiness and over the top dramatics that this cast brings. From the trio of friends played by Colin Callahan, Al Duffy, and Jerod Turner as they bumble through puberty together, to Ed Jones and his signature wide-eyed naivete humor, the cast revels in each of the animal puns and delivers a dramatic story.
For those that are usual fans of Hell in a Handbag productions, Scary Town would most likely be another one that you’d enjoy because it has the company’s signature style. And for those that are looking for a parody comedy that has the over-the-topness of a telenovela, this would be a good fit for you.
RECOMMENDED
Al Duffy, Jerod Turner and Colin Callahan
When
Now through May 11, 2025
Where
The Clutch
4335 N. Western Ave.
Chicago, IL 60618
Runtime: 2hrs, including intermission
Tickets
$35+
Tickets can be purchased through the Hell in a Handbag website
Photos
Rick Aguilar Studios
Find Allie and The After Party featured on Theatre in Chicago
Stevie Love and Grant Drager
CAST
Colin Callahan (Deven Bunny)
Sophia Dennis (Betsy Bunny, Trixie Bunny)
Grant Drager (Mrs. Fox, Benny Bunny)
Al Duffy (Penelope Porcupine)
Ed Jones (Mrs. Wanda Water Buffalo)
Stevie Love (Mrs. Betty Bunny)
Scott Sawa (Officer Aardvark, Uncle Brian Bunny)
Danne W. Taylor (Granny Bunny)
Jerod Turner (Willie Worm)
Understudies: Kelly Anchors, Wendy Hayne, Brandon Nelson, TJ O'Brien, Jack Oleg and Kaleigh Stohler
CREATIVE
David Cerda (Playwright)
Cheryl Snodgrass (Director)
Marcus Klein (Scenic Designer)
Rachel M. Sypniewski (Costume Designer)
Liz Cooper (Lighting Designer)
DJ Douglass (Sound Designer)
Maggie O'Brien (Props Designer)
Jabberwocky Marionettes (Puppet Designer)
Syd Genco (Makeup Design)
Keith Ryan (Wig Designer)
Stevie Love (Choreographer)
Tom Daniel (Technical Director)
Michael S. Miller (Graphic Designer)
Veronica Kostka (Stage Manager)