‘Magic Surfer’ hearkens back to island’s glory days
There was a time, not too long ago, when the vibe on St. George Island was much different than it is today.
The island was populated for the most part by people who were there year round, who could afford to live in their homes without renting them out for weeks or even months at a time.
Beers were cheap, crowds were sparse except for maybe chili cookoff weekend and during the height of the summer season, and you actually knew your friends and neighbors because you shopped in their stores, or grilled burgers together at fundraisers for an ailing relative of theirs.
As we all know, though, that was before the island came to be a “tourist destination,” where a growing number of second homebuyers and investment companies purchased properties for the returns they could accrue. The island transformed into a haven of short-term rentals, where families came from elsewhere for a cherished week or two vacation and then returned to their real homes.
The demographics changed considerably and with that came a winnowing down of the less well-heeled and a pulling apart of their howdy neighbor ties.
It’s that bygone era that was summoned in the Panhandle Players’ latest production, “Magic Surfer,” a new play by local playwright and longtime St. George Island resident John Spohrer, Jr., that the troupe performed at the Chapman Auditorium last weekend.
The plot spoke to the time when the marketing of the island was just hitting its stride, when locals were learning, somewhat reluctantly, to serve the demands of what would soon become a flourishing rental market. Pristine Properties, led by its smarmy and cash-strapped owner Mr. Earl (David Stedman) has gotten a call from a mysterious pair of investors, Father Jerry (Royce Rolstad) and Sister Agnes (Debra Olds) who want to come up from South Florida to check out where they are planning to shell out millions to buy the company.
Thanks to meticulous direction by Mishelle McPherson, and her assistant Tim Phillips, and the energy and talent of the cast of locals who have to accommodate Mr. Earl’s plans, the play moves along well although a bit too sluggishly at the outset, squandering valuable stage time on the reiteration of a fairly clear-cut premise.
Once Rolstad and Olds enter the scene, the play takes off like a zany caper. Olds, as a tough broad who moves between feigned demureness and arm-bending slapstick with ease, and Rolstad, a small-time gangster who moves smoothly between petulant outrage and slick falsity, are a superb duo.
The rest of the cast are equally strong, led by Surfer Dan (Scott Davis), an epitome of local testosterone-fueled charm sporting a ridiculous mullet wig, and by Maggie (Lisa Sparling), a newcomer to the troupe who brings out the Steel Magnolia spirit of the all-too-earthy small town Southern belle.
Another newcomer, highschooler Christopher Creek as Tater, infuses his role with the goofy youthful energy that the troupe needs to round out its many plays to come.
The other four veterans, Josh Hall as the obnoxious, cheapskate Wurmer; Robbie Johnson as the gullible and lovestruck Carl; Jo Branch as the overly emotional Clover; and Renee Valentine as the commonsensical Bobbie, bring to life what makes Panhandle shows consistently entertaining, a crew of capable and talented character actors who serve the ensemble.
A special hats off has to go to McPherson and Phillips for their set design, and the smooth manner in which they transform the scenery from business office to condo unit with the help of some masterful mechanical work.
It’s a further sign the Players are continuing to evolve into a theatre company that makes the most of and brings to life the stage they have been entrusted with by a wise and generous county commission.
Meet the Editor
David Adlerstein, The Apalachicola Times’ digital editor, started with the news outlet in January 2002 as a reporter.
Prior to then, David Adlerstein began as a newspaperman with a small Boston weekly, after graduating magna cum laude from Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. He later edited the weekly Bellville Times, and as business reporter for the daily Marion Star, both not far from his hometown of Columbus, Ohio.
In 1995, he moved to South Florida, and worked as a business reporter and editor of Medical Business newspaper. In Jan. 2002, he began with the Apalachicola Times, first as reporter and later as editor, and in Oct. 2020, also began editing the Port St. Joe Star.