When You're Here, Your Famiglia: “Over the River & Through the Woods,” at the Richmond Hill Barn Theatre through August 27

Author Joe DiPietro's Over The River & Through the Woods is the Richmond Hill Barn Theatre's newest offering, an easy-to-watch comedy full of heart and Italian charm.

Set in Hoboken, New Jersey, the show follows Nick Cristano (Tyler Henning) and his two pairs of Italian grandparents – Nunzio and Emma Cristano (Jim Harris and Jackie Skiles), and Frank and Aida Gianelli (Kevin Babbitt and Jackie Patterson) – as Nick breaks the news that he landed a job in promotion and is moving away from their hometown to Seattle. Heartbroken at this news, his grandparents deal with the pains of a family member moving away from home, and find reasons for him to stay – one of them being a blind-date setup with one of their friends, Caitlin O’Hare (Elizabeth Shaffer).

Director Jennifer Kingry, who also contributed to this production as lighting and sound designer, created a fast-paced, light comedy with just the right amount of weight. DiPietro's script is very dialogue heavy, but the direction and pace of Saturday's performance flowed nicely, and Kingry led her cast with liveliness and bright energy; there wasn’t a single weak link in the show. Admittedly and regrettably, I arrived 10 minutes late to the performance, but the simple, clear plot and talented actors allowed me to pick up quickly.

Henning’s Nick was grounded, realistic, and affectionate. As a contrast to his grandparents, in many instances, he played the anchor to the show’s conflict. Nick’s arguments, hesitations, and warm moments were all engaging, and Over the River's quartet of grandparents were on top of it the entire time – they talked over each other, talked too much, and loved food much to Nick’s annoyance. Just as importantly, their performances felt real and from a place of family care and heart, with a lovely Italian flair.

Harris and Skiles gave enlivened, loud, and, at key moments, touching performances as the Cristano grandparents. Their interactions with each other, the Gianelli grandparents, and Nick all kept the show flowing easily forward. A lot of their dialogue was witty – Skiles’ over-enthusiasm and sudden outbursts during a game of Trivia Pursuit were particularly entertaining. But there was also this especially adorable moment in which the Gianellis sang and slow, dancing to a song while Frank played the ukulele. It was a different, slower moment in Kingry's production, and such a tender one. Another touching bit between these two, and one of this comedy's heavier moments, came near the end, and gave Nick a more important reason to stay in Hoboken.

Harris' and Skiles' abilitty to keep the energy light and charming throughout the piece, while still making it feel real and human, was commendable, and Babbitt and Patterson were equally wonderful as the Gianellis. While all of Nick's grandparents are Italian, Frank was the show's only first-generation character; consequently, his Italian accent and dialect were much thicker, and delivered quite believably. Additionally, Babbitt had some great one-on-one conversations with Henning in which his strong stage instincts were apparent. Patterson’s Aida Gianelli, the main cook of this incredible Italian-grandparent quartet, sweetly shared her love through food and company, and the performer's mannerisms were soft, with she and Henning sharing a beautiful scene at the play's end.

While not on stage as much as the others, Shaffer’s Catitlin was an integral part of the production. There was fun interaction during her and Nick's blind-date dinner that wound up involving Over the River's entire cast of characters, with Caitlin turning down Aida’s food because she’s vegetarian – a refusal that led to the grandparents not taking no for an answer. (They also misunderstood the word “vegetarian,” and mistakenly called her an animal doctor.) The quips and copious amounts of funny remarks and interactions between the family was already comedic, But it was a different kind of comedy with the inclusion of Cailtin, and Shaffer and Henning had some great, honest moments in their few one-on-one scenes.

I enjoyed DiPietro's script, and Saturday's patrons seemed to love it. However, I was a bit irritated with some of the laugh lines. Sure, the play is set in the 1980s (and was first published in 1998), and the grandparents have a different worldview from ones commonly shared now. But there were a few jokes bordering on racist and transphobic that I did not appreciate, and that weren't necessary to the show's plot or overall wit. Granted, copywright laws, in regard to omitting lines, is a tough situation. But as a minor critique with the risk of furthering real harm, and it's something to keep in mind.

As a mostly realistic work with a unit set, Over the River & Through the Woods' tech elements here were, for the most part, simple, but fittingly so. The cute, cozy, beautifully furnished interior of the Gianelli home, set up by Mike and Jim Skiles, featured all that was needed, and Kingry’s staging felt natural – not forced, and not too stagnant, while well-utilizing the in-the-round space. Kingry also staged moments of isolated lighting in between and during scenes in which actors would directly address the audience – a really nice theatrical touch. If you’re looking for a charming and laid-back night of theatre, I encourage you to go over the river, through the woods, and into the Barn to enjoy an Italian delight.

Over the River & Through the Woods runs at the Richmond Hill Barn Theatre (600 Robinson Drive, Geneseo IL) through August 27, and more information and tickets are available by calling (309)944-2244 and visiting RHPlayers.com.