Thaw out with 'Guys on Ice'

WALLACE — Get ready for some good times in da shanty.

Very few things will have you laughing out of your seat the way that the Sixth Street Melodrama’s November production of "Guys on Ice" will.

Written by Fred Alley, but directed by local theater veteran Cherri Bartle — this will be the second time "Guys on Ice" has graced the stage at Sixth Street and the same three-man cast has returned for round two.

Paul Roberts and Ken Bartle star as Marv and Lloyd respectively, two friends from Door County, Wis., who find their solace on the frozen surface of Green Bay off Lake Michigan.

Marv is a bachelor, who spends his days working at the local plant, daydreaming of the day he can date Bonnie, a local grocery store checker who is rumored to have a scandalous tattoo of a Green Bay Packers helmet.

Lloyd is currently amid a separation from his wife, who has gone to stay with her parents. This is due to the fact that Lloyd decided that he’d rather spend his anniversary at Lambeau Field for the Packers/Bears game than do something romantic with his wife.

When Marv gets chosen for a spot on a local cable television show about ice fishing, he calls his pal Lloyd and they head to Marv’s ice shanty.

It’s not just the hijinks they encounter together, but also how they find themselves during the process that makes this play such a joy to watch.

Bartle directed the first run of the show in 2018, and since then a number of people have requested an encore.

“We’ve been asked so many times to bring it back,” Bartle said. “We had a couple see it four times in 2018. She brought her husband the first time and he wasn’t interested in coming — but after seeing it he brought a different friend to the next three shows.”

The play focuses on several different tropes that tend to not be the focal point of a lot of other shows — including male friends talking about their feelings and lives while being vulnerable with one another.

Infused with all of the midwestern charm that could come from a show based in Wisconsin, despite its name, "Guys on Ice" is a warm and welcoming experience that will have you wanting to see it again and again.

Joy Persoon keeps the atmosphere light with her surgical precision as the accompanist.

Whether it’s fantasizing about catching a big one or hiding the beer from Ernie da Moocher — played hilariously by Gordon Turner, with each song and dance Marv and Lloyd realize that there is more to life than simply being guys on ice.

"Guys on Ice" opens Friday, Nov. 4, and will run on Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. through Nov. 20.

For more information or to reserve tickets, call the Sixth Street Melodrama at 208-752-8871.