Comedy of Criminal Proportions

Want to know how to produce your own show? Asking Chris Bucci, whose 'Oscar' debuts tonight, would be smart.

by Doug Rieder
Staff writer

When Chris Bucci decides to write and produce his own play, he does it up right. Go to the Web site www.erieoscar.com, and you'll find a two-page synopsis of the show, a page about the script, two pages about the show's Hollywood connection, a page about Bucci's stage adaptation, four pages on who's who in the cast, three pages on the characters, the show's full-color flyer, information on how to become a sponsor, and a guest book where you can sign in and drop him a line.

As you might guess from all this information of bountiful proportions, Bucci's a little excited about the opening of "Oscar: A Comedy of Criminal Proportions." It debuts tonight at 7:30 p.m. at North East High School auditorium for a 12-show run.

"Oscar" started out as a French play that was first filmed in 1967. But the version that inspired Bucci is the 1991 movie directed by John Landis ("Animal House,""The Blues Brothers") and starring Sylvester Stallone, Chazz Palminteri, Tim Curry, Eddie Bracken, and Harry Shearer.

In it, Stallone drops the "Yo, Adrian" bit long enough to play it for laughs as Angelo "Snaps" Provolone, a 1930s gangster who's trying to please his dying father (Kirk Douglas) by promising he'll go straight, even though everything seems to conspire against his best efforts.

"I saw the movie in high school," Bucci said. "I felt like it would really play great on stage --the characters are all nuts, and the action is very funny.

"You don't see this kind of fast-paced, line-jumping comedy too often. It's the kind of show that once it starts, it plows through the audience like a freight train."

Bucci then started his own one-man letter-writing campaign aimed at Hollywood -- i.e., anyone who had anything to do with the movie. Amazingly enough, director Landis not only replied, but gave permission to Bucci to produce a nonprofit stage version of "Oscar."

Which was fine with Bucci. Proceeds from the show will benefit the Erie County Historical Society.

"I just wanted to do it, rather than make money from it," he said.

Bucci also heard from composer Elmer Bernstein, who wrote scores for "The Man with the Golden Arm,""Thoroughly Modern Millie,""The Magnificent Seven,"and hundreds of other movies. Bernstein, too, cooperated with Bucci, giving him permission to use selections from his original "Oscar" score for intermission and scene changes. Bernstein died last summer as Bucci was still trying to make "Oscar" a reality.

So you get permission from Landis and Bernstein -- now what do you do? If you're Bucci, you take your laserdisc copy of "Oscar"and transcribe it word for word from the disc. Then you cut a lot and write about 25 percent new material.

"Scenes were re-arranged, characters were cut, segments were shortened," he said. "Most of this was done in order to keep the entire show within one location on stage." Another problem was where "Oscar" would appear. The action takes place in a mansion and requires five different entrances and exits. No stage that Bucci knew of had offered enough space -- until he found North East High School's auditorium.

"People crisscross so damn much in the show we needed a lot of room," he said. "But this stage is way more than we need."

Appearing in the large cast are Bucci as Snaps Provolone, Patrick Devlin as Snaps' father, Jimi Mehs as Aldo, Nick Iacobucci as Connie, Beth Ann Bohun as Nora, Shannon Solo as Anthony Rosano, Jackie Jircitano as Lisa Provolone, David DiCola as Luigi Finucci, and Terry Smith as Guido Finucci. Also appearing are Betsy Butoryak, James Canfield, Dan Pruyn, Judy Stow, Craig Schneider, Clinton Young, and Jamie Pryber, who also directs.

"It's the epitome of community theater," Bucci said. "We plucked people from everywhere -- Directors Circle, Playhouse, Roadhouse. "This has been a pet project for two and a half years. I got lucky because I got people surrounding the show who are wonderful. They're as excited and dedicated to this show as I am."

'Oscar: A Comedy of Criminal Proportions' is directed by Jamie Pryber, with Chris Bucci, Shannon Solo, Jackie Jircitano, Nick Iacobucci, Jimi Mehs. It's playing Oct. 13-16, 20-23, 27-30 at North East High School auditorium, 1901 Freeport Road, in North East. Show times are Thu / Fri / Sat at 7:30 p.m., Sun at 2 p.m. Tickets are $8, $6 for students and seniors, and are available at 898-2457 and at the door. For details, visit online at www.erieoscar.com.