‘America (Abridged)’ a fun romp New Bar Harbor Theatre opens with promise of solid acting

About halfway through Bar Harbor Theatre’s “The Complete History of America (Abridged),” it’s smilingly clear that this overview of 500 years of manifest destiny was developed in conjunction with such primary sources as “Star Trek,” “Gilligan’s Island,” “The Wizard of Oz” and the Bee Gees. Though perhaps cynical, the use of TV as a springboard for explaining the past is not such a far-fetched approach given the role TV has played in American households.

But make no mistake. The writers of this mockumentary theater piece, Adam Long, Reed Martin and Austen Tichenor – all of The Reduced Shakespeare Company in San Francisco – are smartly up on the facts, and this foray into the American past is every bit as intellectual and irreverent as “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)” and “The Bible – The Complete Word of God (Abridged).” The sight gags, puns and parodies of “America (Abridged)” are less frenzied and charming than in the other works but they are every bit as loony.

Larry Bull, Paul Cortez and Michael Dorval make up the three-man cast, playing a whirl of characters beginning with the patriotic entrance they make in militia fashion while singing an off-beat (literally) “Star Spangled Banner.” Compatriots from the get-go, the men march through a two-hour vaudevillian-style version that spans from the lives of American Indians to the political slaughter of Bill Clinton by Whitewater. There are short stops along the way for highlights of the American Revolution, the Civil War, World Wars I and II, McCarthyism, Vietnam, Watergate and Monica Lewinsky’s blue dress. And the National Anthem isn’t their only musical offering: Watch for a semidrag version of the Andrews Sisters doing “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy.” You might want to watch out, too, for the water guns.

Under the direction of Rebecca Cook, the actors get off to a slow start, and the high-school stage and low-budget set don’t contribute any spark to the imagination, but there’s a whole lot of talent spinning around up there, and it gets tapped about 30 minutes into the evening. The performers finally and capably prove one underlying tenet of the play: It’s not the length of your history but what you’ve done with it.

Larry Bull, a native of Old Town whose work has been seen nationally, is the most versatile of the actors. He jumps in and out of history as if he were giving firsthand accounts of the events. His running bit as a hard-boiled detective during the second act shows off his strong skill for wry humor and character developing. He is, without a doubt, the real thing.

When it comes to humor, however, Michael Dorval is the reigning king of this production. A born as well as actual comic (in Boston), Dorval is at home with the goofy shenanigans of this play. When he grabs his paper-towel roll microphone and steps into the audience for a talk show Q and A session, he is a pro working the room. Audience participation usually makes theatergoers nervous, but don’t hesitate to join in with this guy. Not only is Dorval harmless; he’s friendly and damn funny. In fact, be a sport and go prepared with a question from American history. You won’t be disappointed.

Paul Cortez’ style of acting is far more studied and physical, which adds a collegiate vigor to the show.

As Bar Harbor Theatre’s inaugural production, “America (Abridged)” may show some hokey tendencies, which is always a danger for low-budget companies – as well as for a script as slapstick as this one. But the promise of solid acting is there entirely, and there’s no better response to this new theater on the block than: Welcome.

Bar Harbor Theatre will present “The Complete History of America (Abridged)” at 8 p.m. through July 14 at the Bar Harbor Municipal Building on Cottage Street in Bar Harbor. For information, call 356-5987.