by Annie Claire Hudson
Conundrum Theatre Company’s production of Zanna Don’t is fun, heartwarming and hilarious! This LGBTQIA+ show flips the script on what is ‘typical’ and opens the audience’s eyes to the gay experience. I could really feel the love in the audience, this was a moment to remember.
This show, at its core, is about love. Zanna, a magical matchmaker, helps his friends and classmates find love. Every guy has their guy and every girl has their girl, but Zanna is too focused on his love duties to pursue a relationship of his own. Just as everyone seems happy in their relationships, the drama club decides to do an original show about how heterosexuals should be allowed in the military. Quickly a showmance develops between the leads, and in turn chaos takes over the school.
Small but mighty, this 8 person cast was dynamite! Zanna, Played by Jonathan Blake Flemings, is an absolute star. He had the audience mesmerized from the moment he appeared on stage, receiving a full applause before he even spoke. It’s clear he is an excellent dancer, ending one number in the splits at the front of the stage. Jonathan also really impressed me with his performance of “Someday You Might Love Me”, so pure with emotion, I was in tears by the end.
Another stand out performer was Cassandra Caruso as Roberta. This girl is a vocal powerhouse. She is incredibly charming and funny on stage. Especially paired with best friend Mike, played by Danny Holmberg, this duo had me laughing all night. They shared emotional highs and lows, giving us Sharpay and Ryan… and also twinkies!
Kate (Jaq Shannon) and Steve (Blake Rhiner), where the couple caught in too many love circles. Their roles in “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” took the audience from uncontrollable laughter to a feeling of quiet hopefulness, rooting for them.
Candi (Aliza Berger), Arvin (Aaron Lempert), and Tank (Kit Deloit) also played many other characters! This trio had me laughing all night long. My favorite scene was at the top of act 2, in the bar, drinking Ovaltine to commiserate their woes. All 3 worked together, with perfect comedic timing.
Zanna Don’t has 2 more performances. You Zanna DON’T want to miss this one!
photo credit: Erika Mireya Cruz
