“The Truth” Ev'rybody Gotta Know; Is Reefer Madness at Cumberland Players Will Have You Laughing “High” In the Rafters!

by Ellorah Maeve

Reefer Madness started as a movie from the late 1930’s. The film was made as a tried and true public service announcement and propaganda. Now, this PSA is turned into a dark musical satire; written by Kevin Murphy and Dan Studney and speaks on the dangers of propaganda and nationalism. This shift from the unknown to the absurd makes for a hilarious night that you would not want to miss. Sober or not, seeing this production truly feels like you are hooked on the ‘stuff’! Even though this is a show with dark themes such as gun violence, domestic abuse, and drug addiction, it is quick for you to forget that when a tap-dancing brownie is onstage. The absurdity of this show is one you need to experience to believe it. 

Reefer Madness: The Musical is about an All-American boy named Jimmy Harper. We travel through his point of view as he lives through the consequences of indulging in the drug known as marijuana, also known as the reefer. This leads to a lot of negative effects; including orgies, uncontrollable giggles and being very hungry. Reefer Madness is just “a silly little weed musical”; as written in the Director’s note by Shaun Laurencio. The cast brings the satire and camp of Reefer Madness: The Musical to life; especially in the musical numbers “Down at the Ol’ Five and Dime," "Listen To Jesus, Jimmy,” and “The Truth.”

This production is run by The Lecturer (Don Toal Jr.) and The Placard Girl (Kayla Rae). This duo play off of each other very well. Rae gives stoic, serious expressions in contrast to expressive, passionate seriousness of Toal Jr.’s portrayal. Rae has a dancing talent that is hard to ignore; especially during the tango dance and the song “The Brownie Song.” Toal Jr. rocks the costume changes and the chaos that ensues in the musical with a sense of controlled madness. He makes for a perfect MC that foreshadows the horrors that are yet to be shown. Aaron Wachs, as Jimmy Harper, has a physical comedy that will leave you cackling the entire musical. His commitment to being the wide-eyed, naive child keeps the audience sighing in exasperation as he, once again, pulls away from “good” Christian values. Lea Ann, as the picture perfect ingenue Mary Lane, makes one think of characters like Sara Brown of “Guys and Dolls” or Marian Paroo of “The Music Man.” Ann’s performance harkens back to a nostalgia of classic musical theater troupes. It almost feels pleasantly out of place in a musical comedy like Reefer Madness. With the hard work of Wachs and Ann, their chemistry onstage is perfectly unrealistic. Their performances truly shine in the number “Romeo & Juliet.”

The antagonists, who reside in the Reefer Den, are where the show truly becomes a chaotic comedy. Katie Hughes’ portrayal of Mae Coleman is a tragic, Temu version of Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors. Her 11 o’clock number “The Stuff” is hilariously serious as well as heartbreaking. Hughes shows the audience the motivations of an abused, drug addicted woman who can’t leave her husband. David J. Fusco as Jack Stone is the drug dealer and ring leader to the denizens of Reefer Madness. Fusco is intimidating and scary, but absolutely hilarious in his portrayal of Jesus. If that fact alone isn’t enough to make you curious about Reefer Madness, I’m not sure what will. Elena Maria as Sally DeBanis is one of the lost souls that lives in the Den as a prostitute. Her physical comedy and timing is a riot to experience. Another character who meets a terrible fate because of marijuana is Jason Reynolds as Ralph Wiley. He gives such a visceral reaction to the hallucinations he sees because of the “devil’s lettuce.” Reynolds truly brings out the fear and terror we as the audience should be feeling. His suffering is an absolute riot, though; which makes us feel bad for laughing at how his journey ends. Reynolds as Sally’s baby in the number “Lullabye” also deserves an honorable mention.

Ensemble members Monica DiMauro, Gab Hansson, Elliot Henry, Katherine “Rin” Kaltwasser, Julie Morell, and Chelsey Shindler are the glue that holds the pieces of the plot together. The actors’ enthusiasm in the background of the scenes and hilarious commitment to the bit truly brings the world of Reefer Madness to life. The abstract nature of “The Orgy” number is only as funny as the actors that commit to each pelvic thrust and body roll. The anger and controlled madness in the finale number “The Truth” gives us a haunting, final note of the show that sends shivers down my spine. Such a difficult chord to sing is all in thanks to the hard work of Music Director Jennifer J. Moore. A lot of the beautiful harmonies, especially in “The Truth” will echo dissonantly in my mind and stick with me for a long time.

Shaun Laurencio is not only the director of Reefer Madness, but also responsible for the Choreography, Costumes, and Set Design. They are truly a jack of all trades. From the tasteful costumes for “The Orgy” to Mary Lane’s costume reveal in Act Two (you’ll have to see the show to know when the reveal takes place), Laurencio shows a vast amount of skills in the multiple technical hats they wear in this production. Continuous hints of green on The Lecturer’s disguises and in all of the doped up characters’ costumes is a nice touch. With the Assistant Choreographer Julie Morell, the tap dance in the number “The Brownie Song” is entertaining comedically as well as technically. The talent between dancer and choreographer shine in this number. The simplistic set Laurencio conceived lends itself to highlight the performers in the opening number “Reefer Madness”. The use of auditorium metal chairs and a drop-down screen projector makes the audience feel like they are in a High School Gymnasium. The gorgeous, olive green curtains frame the flats and rolling platforms constructed by Michael Blandino, Monica DiMauro, and Danny VanMeter. Maddie VanMeter and Upper Room Creations create many properties including the beautiful, individually handcrafted placards (14 placards in total; three of them double sided!) and Mary Lane’s car.

The abstract nature of the effects of narcotics in the number “The Orgy” is highlighted by a barren stage and the lighting design of Rachael Smith. The use of blue lights in “The Orgy” is trippy and fun to watch. The lighting in the Act 2 fight scene between the characters Jimmy and Ralph, with the assistance of Board Operators Danny VanMeter and Michael Blandino, is also an exciting and tense moment that Smith added to with her lighting skills. The lighting, music, and sounds mix so seamlessly together by the Board Operators, you forget that there is no live pit in this production at all. The Deck Crew is maneuvering set pieces and multiple curtain pieces with seamless effort by Jeffrey Horsman and Maddie VanMeter. They both help keep the fast pace of this production moving without a hiccup. Maddie VanMeter also acts as the production’s Stage Manager as well. VanMeter is truly a force to be reckoned with; especially because this musical, I can imagine, is a beast to try to keep track of and run on a headset. That being said, kudos to the technical/production team for their hard work and dedication to bringing this poignant, hilarious musical to the stage. Thanks to the work of Production Managers Danny VanMeter and Michael Blandino, Publicity by Alex Manzo, Austin Satinsky and Danny VanMeter and Promotional Material provided by Studio Müller hypes up Reefer Madness and puts this South Jersey theater community in the spotlight. This theater has a big heart, big talent, and a goal to perform for the community at large since 1946. The Board hopes to renovate with an updated marquee and a fresh coat of paint to celebrate their 80th season. If you, too, are looking to help keep live theater and the arts thriving for years to come, you can donate to Cumberland Players through Secretary Rachael Smith’s Venmo @rsmith2285 .

With a show as zany and poignant as this, you can see why the masses of the 1930’s believed the words of the original propaganda film. In reality, the tactics used to scare the masses backfired significantly. The film’s goal of causing fear and submission from the American people became a cult classic that represents camp, the absurd and the weird. Especially now, in a time where propaganda appears everywhere you turn your head, you better beware of “The Stuff” called Reefer Madness at Cumberland Players running June 19th through 28th. Website for Tickets here: Cumberland Players Official Tickets | Vineland, NJ  Theater Company Website: 2026 Season — Cumberland Players .