Remember that iconic scene in the television story Northern Exposure when a moose wanders into town? That is a moose on the loose. Moose On The Loose is also the title of an amusing play by Dina Marrone that she developed in a workshop at Theatre West in Los Angeles. How lucky a playwright is to have access to such a workshop and then get to see her vision put into full production.
Moose On The Loose is a semi-autobiographical work about a family from Cambria, Italy who left their impoverished existence to find a better life. They got as far as Way Out Bay, a remote little town in Ontario, Canada, and put down roots. The play begins as daughter Gina arrives fresh from the competitive world of marketing to take a year off. But she has a hidden agenda. At the same time a moose wanders into town and her father Giuseppe (John Cygan) decides to go shoot the moose; despite the fact that it is protected, Giuseppe is out of work and very frustrated because in his world, a father provides for his family.
Way Up North is a town where the favorite TV channel is about the weather. But nothing is boring here given the fact that these are Italians, and Italians are volatile. Connie Mellors does a remarkable job as Mama Maria, considering she stepped into the role shortly before the show opened. Sister Carmela has an Anglo husband (Corinne Shor and Michael Lorre) and they have a precocious child, Timothy (Grant Venable). Brother Bruno (Johnny Ferretti) wants nothing more than to watch the weather on TV but he has found time to find a Native America girlfriend who is who is due to meet the family tonight.
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