The show: “Duck Hunter Shoots Angel,” at Theatre Downtown, 3004 4th Ave. South, through Nov. 17. Mitch Albom’s play is about two bumbling Alabama duck hunters pursued by a tabloid writer and his photographer after they allegedly shoot an angel.
The cast: Chuck Duck as Sandy, Lesli Johnson as Lenny, Jonathan Goldstein as Lester, Penny Thomas as Duane, Isaiah Nicholas Pierce as Duwell, Chelsea Knight as Woman, Sophie Grace Bell as Kansas, Debbie Smith as Voice and Jarod Brumley as Phil.
The crew: Directed by Mike Cunliffe and Jesse Byron, stage managed by Alex Jenkins and Sara James.
The highlights: Some wonderful performances, led by Duck, who continues to impress with his range in various productions. As the tabloid writer Sandy, he’s funny, touching and vulnerable, and Lesli Johnson adds fine support as his photographer sidekick Lenny. Pierce and Thomas are a dynamic duo as the befuddled Southern brothers who think they’ve shot a heavenly being. Thomas is a treasure, with wonderful comic timing and facial expressions that exude humor and genuineness, not an easy combination to attain. In smaller roles, Smith and Goldstein are top notch.
Needs some work: Knight and Bell have some good moments, but they both are a bit soft-spoken and hard to hear sometimes. That might be due to the folks at Theatre Downtown still learning the acoustics of their new space.
Speaking of the new space: The new theater is comfortable and attractive, a great place for Theatre Downtown to have landed after five years with no home.
Bottom line: Albom’s charming little play is a fitting production to open Theatre Downtown’s new space.
“Duck Hunter Shoots Angel,” at Theatre Downtown, 3004 4th Ave. South, through Nov. 17.
