‘Harris Cashes Out’ Brings Quirks & Quips to the Palace Theatre
- Izzy Siebert
- 11 hours ago
- 3 min read
Harris Cashes Out proves there’s always pleasure in watching quirky characters collide onstage! Directed by Julianna Goertzen, this light-hearted comedy of clashing personalities plays onstage at the Palace Theatre until March 15.
Forty years ago, Harris Wellborn (Tim Bourgard) watched his Broadway dreams crumble when his musical closed after a single performance. Decades later, broke and forced to move into an apartment owned by his nagging sister, Maggie (Vivien King-Sherwood), Harris finds himself under the care of the flighty girl-next-door, Kim (Jasmine Gunkel). When Kim’s boyfriend, Jason (Sam Didi), learns of Harris’ past, he quickly hatches a scheme to cash in on it.
Tim Bourgard gives a delightful performance as the eccentric Harris, commanding attention with sharp wisecracks and animated gestures. His delivery serves the comedy of Londos D’Arrigo’s script well. At times, I felt like I was watching a comedian play to a crowd rather than an actor for an audience. Harris’ speeches are densely packed with one-liners, yet Bourgard carries it off naturally. That’s just who Harris is: a man steeped in showbiz whose life’s work has been writing comedic songs.
In a simply constructed comedy like Harris Cashes Out, it could be easy to let supporting characters fall into caricature, but Goertzen’s cast commits to bringing their roles off the page. As Harris’ harried sister, King-Sherwood bounces off of Bourgard’s bickering, and their sibling dynamic is entertainingly antagonistic.
Kim’s chaotic fashion choices, constant slang, and scatterbrained personality create a challenge to keep the character from sliding into ditzy stereotypes, but Gunkel brings heart and warmth that turns Kim’s quirks endearing. As her friendship with Harris develops, their interactions take on a grandfather and granddaughter feel that is lovely to watch.
Sam Didi earns lots of laughs as Kim’s opportunistic boyfriend. Although Jason enters later, he makes a memorable impression from the moment he sneaks onstage. A silent scene in which Didi searches Harris’ apartment is filled with amusing stage business that makes the character shine through, and his well-timed reactions add humour as the play progresses.
Building out the world around them, David Long’s set brings a living room into Procunier Hall, while Andrew Kaszowski’s lighting design adds a touch of police lights outside the window to situate the apartment in a rough part of town. Costume designs, supported by Mary Jane Walzak, effectively capture four unique personalities and their transformations. Kim’s early fashion sense, dominated by dozens of patterns and clinking keychains, is an impressive sensory assault that starkly contrasts her later sophisticated looks.
Based on the opening night laughter, it’s clear this script plays especially well with an older audience. The miscommunications that arise from the generational gap between Harris and Kim are a source of continual comedy. From internet slang to fashion advice, the way they initially clash and later adopt each other’s mannerisms is fun to watch.
Harris’ baggage may include crushed dreams and the loss of his wife, but this underlying gravity doesn't surface often. Although the straightforward story could leave one craving a bit more depth, the plot hints at questions surrounding when artistic work has value, and whether we value art for the work itself or the circumstances around it. On a more tender note, it also becomes clear that Harris would fall apart without an audience, despite his fierce insistence that he would rather be left alone.
With an entertaining combination of characters and mile-a-minute jokes, Harris Cashes Out makes for a light night of laughs. Unlike Harris’ ill-fated musical, this show doesn’t just close after a single performance! Still, with a limited run, audiences should make sure to get their tickets before it closes on March 15.
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