For Josh Lisiecki, It All Comes Back to Love

Joshua Lisiecki as Evan Wyler is tempted by femme fatale Alexa Vere de Vere (Hosanna Phillips)
PHOTO: Jan Cartwright

As Bees in Honey Drown is not your typical boy-meets-girl, boy-loses-girl, boy-gets-girl-back love story.  And it’s not your typical teenager-to-adult coming-of-age story.  Come to think of it, Bees is not typical at all!  It’s a social satire that breaks the mold of traditional comedies, focusing on the price of fame and just how far people will go to achieve their own version of success.

In the Farmington Players production (February 8 – 23 at the Barn Theater), Joshua Lisiecki plays protagonist Eric Wollenstein, a writer whose pen name is Evan Wyler. Evan has just published his first big hit book, which took him nine years to write.  As Josh says, “Evan is very confident in his abilities and has a vision of what his life should look like. After meeting Alexa Vere de Vere, fame incarnate, he is swept into the life he always knew he deserved to have. Fame, money, and things on the surface seem to drive him. However, underneath this shell, everything seems to come back to love for Evan. As the film Before Sunrise sums it up: ‘Isn’t everything we do in life a way to be loved a little more?’"

Josh sees Bees as a “coming of age story for Evan: the transformation of an idealistic fresh-out-of-college ideal, to a realization of what truly matters in life. When we are just out of college we are hungry for success. You have a need to truly be the best, make the most money, and be financially successful.”  However, that drive to succeed sometimes runs smack into an existential crisis as young adults begin to wonder "why am I here and what is my purpose."   Josh answers the “purpose” question as follows:  “I think when it comes down to it, everything comes back to love. Whether it be finding love, sharing, or even just expressing love. There is something magical about love in a relationship, with family and friends, or in a religious environment. There is a purpose in love. It is love that keeps your smile going in good times and bad.”  Josh observes that Evan finally figures out what truly makes him happy: “It is the connection to others. That is a feeling we can all relate to and that is why I connect so strongly to him has a character.”

Josh knows that audiences will enjoy Bees “because it keeps you on your toes. This is a fast paced show, there are quite a few twists and turns throughout, and you get to see growth from multiple characters. I always feel that a good show gets the audience truly invested in its characters and As Bees in Honey Drown does just that.”

Josh grew up in Warren, Michigan and went to college near Boston at The College of the Holy Cross.  He works as a chemical engineer for Ford, and counts acting, board games, running, disc golf among his hobbies. He now lives in Ferndale with his love, Sarah Mertz, a fellow actor. This is Josh’s first experience at the Barn, and he finds his fellow cast members and crew to be “nothing short of amazing. People are so organized, care, and everyone really wants to put on a good show. This has been everything I hoped for and more. Director Mike Smith has been the director that I was waiting for. He came in with a vision and shared it with us day 1. He and A.D. Phil Hadley have been very flexible yet driven through this process. They come prepared and expect their actors to do the same, which is so hard to find. I cannot say how great they have made this experience for me as a first time Barn participant.” 

As Bees in Honey Drown has nine performances at the Farmington Players Barn Theater from February 8 – 23.  The show is proudly sponsored by Ameritax Plus.  Tickets are available online at farmingtonplayers.org or by emailing boxoffice@farmingtonplayers.org or calling the Barn box office at 248-553-2955.

Bonnie Fitch Ponders Price of Fame in Barn's "Bees"

Bonnie Fitch (far right) as one of her many crazy characters in "Bees"
PHOTO by Jan Cartwright

What is the price of fame?  In As Bees in Honey Drown, glamorous con artist Alexa Vere de Vere lures her many “marks” by appealing to their greed for fame, glamour and the good life.   But she does so with such flair and style, it’s hard to know whether to despise or admire her. 

In the Farmington Players production (February 8 – 23 at the Barn Theater), Bonnie Fitch plays several supporting roles, including two of Alexa’s victims, Denise and Illya:  Denise is Alexa’s new mark.  Bonnie sees Denise as “a bit naive and totally enthralled by Alexa’s charismatic tales of fame and fortune that she promises for Denise.”  Illya is one of Alexa’s former marks, who is “quite a successful dancer and has Alexa to thank for it even though she was ‘taken’ by Alexa.” Bonnie thinks Bees is about “the absurdity of Hollywood and the ‘price’, literally, people will pay for the chance at stardom.  The funny thing is, that in real life, we all strive in our careers or life for a chance to be recognized or accomplished.  And perhaps we all need a little ‘Alexa’ in our lives.” 

Bonnie describes her other characters: Waiter who is “very interested in the conversation at the table she is waiting on;” Backup Singer whose character is “fun to play in a wacky classic rock and roll costume;” Carla, a producer or agent type who “knows of Alexa’s reputation as a con artist, but knows her marks usually have successful careers after falling for Alexa’s shenanigans;” Newsstand Woman, who is “quite bothered by having to actually look for a magazine for Evan;” and Muse, who is “a variation of Alexa conning her marks.”

With so many roles to play, Bonnie relies on costumes, wigs, and different voices and mannerisms to develop her different characters.  As she says, “I have played multiple roles before in other shows, but this show is one of the more difficult I have played, especially Illya.  Her dialogue is not conversational and she isn’t really reacting to others on stage with her.  It is as if she is part of a ‘Greek Chorus’.”  Bonnie considers Bees “a sophisticated comedy that is a little different than your usual run of the mill comedy.  The audience is in for quite a treat if we do it right.  The con artist sets up a successful con upon a new mark like she has done many times before.  But this time the ‘conned’ writer tries to get back at her.  And the old adage ‘there is no such thing as bad publicity’ comes to light.”

Bonnie grew up in Southfield, and now works as a municipal city attorney for the City of Southfield.  As Bees in Honey Drown has nine performances at the Farmington Players Barn Theater from February 8 – 23.  The show is proudly sponsored by Ameritax Plus.  Tickets are available online at farmingtonplayers.org or by emailing boxoffice@farmingtonplayers.org or calling the Barn box office at 248-553-2955.

Multi-Faceted Kimme Suchyta Sparkles in Bees

You talkin' to me?  Kimme Suchyta (far left) plays multiple roles in this crazy cast of characters.
PHOTO by Jan Cartwright

In the fast-paced caper As Bees in Honey Drown, modern society’s thirst for fame is in the spotlight.  As a reviewer of the original 1997 Off-Broadway production wrote in Variety, Bees is a “smart and very funny vivisection of the greed for fame, glamour and the good life (or at least a new life)…. [The] ultramodern morality tale charts the rise and fall of first-time novelist Evan Wyler, the literary world’s latest up-and-comer,” who gets duped by the glamorous Alexa Vere de Vere.  Alexa promises to make him famous if he’ll write her life story, and whisks him away to observe her outrageous lifestyle. But when Evan realizes that he’s been had, he rounds up Alexa’s many victims to execute the ultimate revenge.

In the Farmington Players production (February 8 – 23 at the Barn Theater), Kimme Suchyta plays five distinct characters, including Amber, Secretary, Bethany Vance, Ginny, and a singer.  Kimme believes that “only 10% of communication is verbal, and the same can be said for acting.” She distinguishes her characters in a number of ways: “from the way you walk on stage, carry yourself, to speaking your lines. My favorite character is the spacey, air-headed, ditzy 'dancer,' Amber in the very first scene, which sets the tone for the entire show.”

Kimme describes her Secretary character as “the patriarchal southern-transplanted secretary and right hand woman of the high-powered executive Morris Kaden. The Secretary delivers the difficult news to Evan Wyler about his financial misfortune brought on by Alexa.”

Kimme calls Bethany Vance “a street-wise New Yorker; the most intense character I play in the show.  Bethany is alluded to be one Alexa's first marks and has a few interesting hobbies.”   Kimme also enjoys playing Ginny, “the innocent up and coming violinist,” and a back-up singer for “one of Alexa's (unknowing) marks, ready to party straight from London.”

Bees raises some interesting questions:  What is the price of distraction in modern society? How many scams could be prevented if people just paid more attention?  As Kimme observes, “plays are written to convey a story, enhance understanding and communicate themes to an audience. The theme I relate to is communication and its importance in life. Perhaps with more engaging listening and clear communication, individuals like Evan Wyler would be less common.”   Alexa takes advantage of her marks’ penchant for passive listening.  As Kimme says, “although Alexa is a gifted con-artist constantly spinning a new story to catch new prey in her web of lies, I believe a few of these discrepancies can be attributed to passively acknowledging and barely getting to know a person.”

Kimme says that being a part of this “unique production truly excited me.  Although not a traditional comedy, there is plenty to make you smile and even more to make you think about.”  Kimme is geologist who lives in downtown Detroit. She returns to the Barn stage after making her debut as a Laker Girl in Monty Python’s Spamalot.

As Bees in Honey Drown has nine performances at the Farmington Players Barn Theater from February 8 – 23.  The show is proudly sponsored by Ameritax Plus.  Tickets are available online at farmingtonplayers.org or by emailing boxoffice@farmingtonplayers.org or calling the Barn box office at 248-553-2955.