Winter 2026: Tom Cobb
Performances
All performances held at Downtown United Presbyterian Church (DPC).
| Jan. 30, 2026, 7:30 p.m. |
| Jan. 31, 2026, 7:30 p.m. |
| Feb. 1, 2026, 2 p.m. |
Notes
Director's Note
"It's bound to be someone who's lending money to papa. I generally go with the bills." This early line of Matilda's has always seemed to me to be more than simply the deadpan joke Gilbert originally intended it to be. In the original script Colonel O'Fipp and his daughter come off about as well as any Irishmen in Gilbert's canon; i.e. as swindling conmen after any penny they can get their hands on. But this characterization rings somewhat hollow to me. What lies underneath these two? What other motivations, especially in the Victorian era in which they live, might underlie the actions they take over the course of the play?
As far as one can tell (there isn’t much background given to any of the characters), the O’Fipps do not have any family other than each other. The Irish, seen as filthy inferiors simply by their place of origin (a trait automatically inherited even if they never spent a day in the Emerald Isle), did not have many prospects. The Colonel’s repeated ambition to find a man “of good birth, irreproachable morals, and a considerable command of ready money” not only describes the perfect mark for a variety of scams, but also hints at a desire to make sure his daughter will be secure in whatever position he finds for her.
On the other hand we see Matilda, a woman who's clearly never had much control over her own life. How many years has she sat idly at home while her father shopped her around to a myriad of suitors? Indeed, how many suitors has she been shopped to before arriving at Tom Cobb? Tom, whom she really seems to genuinely care about. And this, to me, is the crux of the drama which underlies this absurd comedy. Matilda has found love, but is shortly afterwards presented with a glaring opportunity - as well as the money - to achieve her freedom.. The choices she makes are a product of the situations and society she has grown up in. Her character’s journey through this story is a genuine tragic arc. And thus I have attempted to present it.
Of course, the play as a whole is a comedy rife with Gilbert’s typical absurdity and razor-sharp wit. It is my hope that you will relax, laugh and enjoy the show, but that you will also see the depth of the characters that exist within it. Thank you for joining us!
-Tristan Berlet
Director: Tristan Berlet
Assistant Director: Marshall Kelley
Producers: Suzanne Bell, Kathy Moore, Charles Palella
Cast
- Colonel O'Fipp
- Jeffery Snarr
- Tom Cobb
- Spencer Hughes
- Whipple
- Jim Sidoti
- Matilda
- Hope Kollarik
- Mr. Effingham
- Jeremy Sarachan
- Mrs. Effingham
- Laurel Schneiderman
- Bulstrode
- Sean Dolan
- Caroline
- Sarah Scarpulla
- Biddy
- Morena Heyden
Crew
- Costume Manager
- Ben Hale-Fell