The intimate setting of Victory Gardens Theater is perfect for Jeffrey Sweet's play Flyovers.  On the surface, it's a look at what happens when a succcessful movie critic runs into his former nemesis at his high school reunion, but there are undercurrents touching on everything from the economy to desperation to regret for lost opportunities. 

The play is  funny and deeply dramatic at the same time, and the actors play off each other with 
perfect timing--all of them. 

Gary's character is Ted, the high school bully,  who, 25 years later, meets up again with his favorite victim, now a famous movie critic ala Siskel and Ebert. What's really interesting about Gary's protrayal is the multiple levels he gives Ted--although he's sharp and sarcastic and still has a mean streak, he's also very solicitous and tender with his troubled wife. And you can see the glint of desperation that the economic conditions in the town have brought on just from the way he delivers certain lines.  He hits all the right notes, both comedic and dramatic.

Gary's real wife, Teddi, is also quite talented. Her comic timing is perfect!  Her character, Iris, had been a wild teenager 25 years earlier. She's matured and changed, but her youthful actions have impacted her life forever.  She was able to bring out both sides of her beautifully. A lot of her best work is when she has no lines at all--just her expressions and body language speak volumes. 

Their co-stars, Marc Vann and Linda Reiter, were excellent as well.  The ensemble's work was seamless--you could tell they enjoy working together. 

We saw some audience members in tears--and yet, at the same time, the hall was filled with laughter. It takes both a talented playwright and talented actors to successfully bring us to both laughter and tears in the space of a few moments--and Flyovers does just that.