If you’ve ever seen a play by local playwright Paul Calandrino, you won’t want to miss his latest, The Fifth Hypothesis. In its world premiere at Oregon Contemporary Theatre, this warmhearted comedy, astutely directed by Kirk Boyd and performed by a stellar cast, is both hilarious and thought-provoking.
From start to finish, it’s chock-full of mind-boggling surprises. At the beginning, we meet Astrid, an ecologist and sasquatch researcher who lives in a single-wide trailer in remote California mountains. In a splendid, deeply nuanced portrayal by Inga Wilson, Astrid is positive that a sasquatch family lives nearby.
Her brother Max, whom she hasn’t seen in years, arrives one day with pressing news. Their aunt’s first husband has died and left them $12 million in his will, but there’s a catch. According to Max, before Astrid can receive her half of the money, she has to prove to him that she is not crazy by terminating and denouncing her sasquatch studies.
But how can she? She believes the fifth hypothesis. So do her two young assistants, Decker and Jeffra (played by Chago Gause and Liv Tavernier, both of them engaging). According to a book by Dr. John Bindernagel, which lists the various hypotheses that explain the bigfoot phenomenon, the first four hypotheses are: myth, hallucination, misidentified bear and hoax.
The fifth hypothesis is that bigfoot is a real creature. Even Jane Goodall believed in the possibility of sasquatch and speculated that the fifth hypothesis was correct.
Max is certain that he is a non-believer, far more intelligent than anyone who does believe. As played by the hyper-talented William Hulings, he is somewhat slimy, probably owes back taxes, and hopes to keep the entire inheritance for himself. With his excellent comic timing, Hulings always gives you your money’s worth. After all, besides being funny, he’s also a fine singer and dancer. Because he is almost always busy with a variety of local companies, this is his first performance at OCT since 2018. He needs to be lured back more often!
In the meantime, two other outstanding actors enter the plot: Max and Astrid’s mom, Gladys, played by the wonderful Rebecca Nachison, and Dr. Sonderbugel, an elderly sasquatch expert, played by another fine actor, Dan Pegoda. When Gladys learns that Max is visiting Astrid and probably up to no good, she makes an unexpected visit. She knows about the inheritance and wants to make sure Astrid gets her share. Gladys is a nurse, which comes in handy. She is strong, non-plussed and open to romance, especially when Dr. Sonderbugel appears and begins to have a medical problem. Naturally, he and Gladys discover instant chemistry.
In the second act, the focus enlarges to include family issues from long ago. Comedy takes a back seat for a while and the play becomes a mystery, with some of the family history as mysterious as the hazy information about the existence of sasquatch families.
Scenic design is by Steen Mitchell, lighting design by Janet Rose, costumes by Abby Weinman, sound by Darian Soderquist and properties by Teiya Beyer.
With a little fine tuning, I can imagine this crowd-pleaser entertaining audiences on a national level.
The Fifth Hypothesis is playing at Oregon Contemporary Theatre through March 15, including Sunday matinees at 2 pm on March 8 and 15. Call 541-465-1506, or visit OCTheatre.org for tickets and information.
This story has been updated.