Mills Players Continue to Keep the Drama Alive with Their Latest Sketch Comedy Show All in the Timing

The Mills Players, a student-led theater company established just last year, opened their most recent show All in the Timing in Lisser Hall, Thursday, March 3.

The script is full of words quite difficult to pronounce. Words like “doobly and “da osolomenito.” Huh? This was quite an ambitious challenge for the cast to tackle, and luckily, the Players masterfully conquered it.

The five act sketch comedy show, by David Ives, is about love. And the love stories are much smarter and more absurd than what I would have been watching had the O.C. been all new that night.

Each sketch illustrates the relationship between two (or sometimes three) people who are meant to be together, at least at some point in time, whether they know it or not.

I’ve always been one to think that if the timing of my life was off by just a minute, I could be a whole different person. This show speaks to that.

Ever wonder how different things may have been if you said “yes” instead of “no” to something?

Or what if you actually told the truth when someone asked how work was?

These are the possibilities that Ives plays with in my favorite of all the scenes: seniors Erika Rickard and Mary Morales as Bill and Betty, who meet in a coffee shop. When their conversation goes awry, one of them rings a bell and they start over from the last good point.

Congratulations are due to Leah Albin and Kathryn Peck as Dawn and Don. Con man Don teaches stuttering Dawn the new universal language Unamunda.

Although Albin was sick, her commitment to the piece – despite a fear of losing her voice – was obvious. She did an excellent job in her role and helped her character find her own voice. The results: she was able to make Don an honest man.

After the show, co-director Winifred Wallace pointed out and thanked Provost Mary Ann Milford. Milford’s office played a significant role in the production of the show by providing the necessary financial support.

Milford said she was impressed and happy to support the event along with the President’s Office.

“I love the theater and I think it’s really important, particularly for women, to get up and express themselves…and they did it with such strength and confidence,” said Milford.

Wallace joked that “the Provost bought us all free shoes,” referring to the excellent costuming decision for each scenes’ players to wear different brightly colored Converse sneakers.

Milford, the show’s cast, and audience members all praised the directing done by Wallace and co-director Sara Laufer.

“[Wallace and Rickard] are really great at bringing everything together in the face of [how] difficult it’s been lately,” said Milford.

After the show, as they took off their makeup and sat down to reflect in their dressing room, the cast was excited and proud of their success.

The cast said the entire process was a great experience for all involved and it showed in their performance.

“This is the most stress free production I’ve ever been a part of,” said Morales.

Rickard said the bonds that the cast developed during the many weeks of production were amazing.

“This is great – we still love each other,” she said.

Albin said, “We all have a great chemistry and we’ve worked really hard, and I think it all paid off.”

So if you missed All in the Timing, you missed out. But there’s no need to worry, there will be another show later this spring.

Until then, stay tuned for Confessions of Women from East LA, directed by Mary Morales and running April 21 through 23.