The Orfey Theater and Film presented the well-known play “Opal” to the audience under the title “Everybody Loves You” by director M.Batbold. This play will be performed at the Central Cultural Palace of Mongolian Trade Union until the end of this month. O.Enkhtuul played the main role of this psychological comedy-drama, Ts.Tumurbaatar, P.Erdenezaan, D.Battumur, E.Chinzorig, T.Sergelen, and G.Otgontsetseg played other roles.
Opal is a junk collector who ain't got an enemy in the world. “You know what your trouble is, Opal? You're pigheaded. You won't see bad in anything” she told. She stands for simplemindedness. “God bless all good men and bad ones too” is her motto.
Three of the bad rogues try to kill Opal after persuading her to take out a life insurance policy, naming them as beneficiaries. It doesn’t take much persuading, so eager to please is Opal.
And so hard to get rid of, too. The first act is an overextended sketch. It could, and should end right there. The second act is a rehash of futile ways to bump off Opal as the would-be killers become her unwitting life-savers. The third is an attempt to shape the set pieces into a play and superimpose upon it a mindless message.
M.Batbold, amazingly enough, has staged all this balderdash as if it was vintage farce, with thoughtful, even affectionate attention to details and movement. And the cast, O.Enkhtuul in the major role and T.Sergelen in the most minor one, gave spirited, lively performances worthy of more lifelike material.
Miss O.Enkhtuul’s Opal, all acting tricks and ticks, which mostly include sticking out her tongue and shaking her head, is completely resistible, and the play’s title ought to be followed by a question mark. D.Battumur as a policeman, has three or four walk-ons, with, unfortunately, lines attached and proves that there are no small parts, only small actors. But T.Erdenezaan, as a rogue person, is funny and warm as one of the world's “junky people”, finally transformed, and he displays the admirable presence of mind in conveying the absence of mind.
The unsavory trio concocts an elaborate scheme to drop the ceiling on Opal’s unsuspecting head, but she is in the cellar at the time. They try to drug her and set the house on fire, but Opal’s state trooper friend arrives at the wrong (or right) moment and a plan for a “hit and run” accident backfires. Through it all, Opal radiates kindness, affection, and, strangely enough, gratitude. But the real clincher comes at the end. It seems that there was plenty of money around all the time; bags and barrels full of it, in fact, and any friend of Opal’s is welcome to it as much as she wants. All they had to do was ask.
