Cape Cod Performing Arts

"Unneccessary Farce" is fast-paced and laugh out loud funny

Bring on the guns and guffaws--you'll need a scorecard to keep track of the cops, crooks and kooks

Left to right: John Scherer, Jeremy Webb, Michael McGrath, Suzanne Hay, Dee Hoty and Brad Bellamy, six of the members of the very talented seven person cast. Photo by Kathleen A. Fahle.

By Maggie Kulbokas

They call it a farce for a reason. It's over the top, fast-paced and funny. And 2011 at the Cape Playhouse will end in a blur as "Unnecessary Farce" closes out this very strong season. The laugh out loud comedy by Paul Slade Smith, stars a handful of returning Cape Playhouse favorites.

Set in a seedy motel with connecting rooms, "Unnecessary Farce" has more action than a finals match at Wimbledon.

A farce is defined my Merriam Webster as "a light dramatic composition marked by broadly satirical comedy and improbable plot"--and that is "Unnecessary Farce" to a tee. Tagged as "Two cops. Three crooks. Eight doors. Go.", It's more like eight doors, seven kooky characters, two rooms and non-stop shenanigans.

Jennifer Cody as Officer Billie Dwyer and in the closet, Jeremy Webb as Todd. Photo by Kathleen A. Fahle.

Officers Billie Dwyer (Jennifer Cody) and Eric Sheridan (John Scherer) are on routine assignment: videotape a meeting between the rat--Mayor Meekly (Brad Bellamy), who the department believes has embezzled $16 million, and the bait--the town's new sharp and sexy accountant, Karen Brown (Dee Hoty). Although they mean well, Police academy rejects, Billie and Eric, are clearly not the right cops for this job. Billie's afraid of her own shadow, never mind guns and Eric has about as much self confidence as the Cowardly Lion (pre-Wizard).

As the sting starts, Billie is undercover in her uniform, the mayor wanders off before his big confession, Eric's distracted and Karen can't seem to keep her clothes on. Enter the twitchy Agent Frank (Michael McGrath) who tries to warn off Karen with outlandish tales of a unlikely mafia don and a tremendously tense hitman named Todd (Jeremy Webb) and they're off.

Much like the quintessential British farce, "Noises Off", "Unnecessary Farce" is a cacophony of slamming doors, sexual innuendo, mistaken identity and missing clothing.

As an ensemble, the cast possesses the key element of comedic timing--the show just wouldn't work without it. The stage is often a blur of constant motion, with scenes performed simultaneously and dialogue delivered at a machine gun clip.

But if anybody is guilty of thieving in this cop comedy, it's Jennifer Cody as Billie, who should be cuffed and booked for stealing the show. She's a compact bundle of giggles--with a comedic style reminiscent of "Saturday Night Live" veteran Cheri Oteri.

Set designers are rarely ever praised for what isn't on stage--but Ray Klausen's "invisible" wall managed to allow fluid motion across the stage, while at the same time, making the two hotel rooms seem completely separate and private, except for the surveillance equipment, of course.

"Unnecessary Farce" may be improbable and irreverent, but it is also funny and delivered at a fever pitch--a great way to bid the Dennis stage adieu until next season.

 "Unnecessary Farce" runs now through September 3, Monday through Saturday at 8pm with matinees on Wednesday and the second Thursday at 2pm and the first Saturday at 4pm.  The Cape Playhouse is at 820 Route 6A in Dennis Village. Tickets and ticket subscriptions are available at the box office at 508-385-3911.

"Bakersfield Mist" at WHAT is wild and witty

Lively and smart, new play packs as much punch as a Pollock

   Ken Cheeseman as Lionel Percy and Paula Langton as Maude Gutman in "Bakersfield Mist" at WHAT. Photo by Jeff Zinn.

By Maggie Kulbokas

"Bakersfield Mist" premiered last week on the Julie Harris Stage at WHAT (Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater) in Wellfleet before a very enthusiastic audience. From the Cape's gallery town comes a new play about the age old question--debate, really--what IS art?  If a painting evokes a particular feeling in the viewer, is it not art regardless of the artist, the medium or the viewer?

 Written by Stephen Sachs and directed by Jeff Zinn, "Bakersfield Mist" is an engaging one act play featuring two very talented actors. Based on a true story*, "Bakersfield Mist" is about Maude Gutman, an over the hill, chain-smoking, unemployed bartender who purchases the ugliest painting she can find at a thrift shop as a gag gift for a friend. Turns out, Maude's $5-marked-down-to-$3 joke, may be an authentic Jackson Pollock. Pollock (1912-1956) was an abstract expressionist painter, known for his uniquely wild splatter and drip-style of painting. Potentially worth millions, Maude arranges for an art expert from the East Coast to personally inspect the painting in her Bakersfield trailer.

*"Bakersfield Mist" is based on the true story of Teri Horton, a retired truck driver, who in the mid-90s at the age of 73, purchased the ugliest painting she could find as a gag gift for a friend in San Bernardino, California.
     Teri's story was told in the 2006 documentary, "Who the #$&% is Jackson Pollock?"

The esteemed Lionel Percy arrives at the trailer park by limo, straight off the art foundation's private jet from New York City. Percy is well-bred, snobbish and clearly mortified by Maude and Maude's home. Could this foul-mouthed, tattooed, whiskey-swilling woman be the owner of a masterpiece? Percy's arrogance and ignorance tells him otherwise and he dismisses both Maude and her painting with only a fleeting inspection.

In a cluttered kitschy trailer, the self-proclaimed pope of the art world goes toe to toe, or better, wing tip to cowboy boot, with a woman who may be lacking in polish and education, but is no dumb broad--the two soon learning they may be more alike then either would care to admit.

Paula Langton, as Maude, and Ken Cheeseman, as Percy, were both captivating.  They deftly avoided the all too easy trap of portraying their characters as caricatures, instead bringing two very different, but equal people to life.

The set, designed by Ji-you Chang had a lived in feel--the home of someone who, in her own words, likes to collect junk. Detailed props and design makes one wonder if there was anything left to purchase at the Wellfleet Flea Market this weekend. Whether worth millions or not, that Maude has quite a collection.

A rolling world premiere, "Bakersfield Mist" is a co-production with New Repertory Theatre in Watertown, where the play will be staged in February and March of 2012. The play runs now through September 4, Thursdays through Sundays on WHAT's Julie Harris Stage, 2357 Route 6, Wellfleet.  Tickets, $29 ($15 for students), are available online here and at the Box Office by calling 508-349-9428.

Cape crowd "Crazy" for Gershwin at the Playhouse in Dennis

   The cast of "Crazy for You" with Matt Loehr as Bobby and Vanessa Sonon as Polly at center. Photo credit: Kathleen A. Fahle.

By Maggie Kulbokas

One word for the opening night performance of "Crazy for You" at the Cape Playhouse Monday night: WOW. The Playhouse keeps the musical momentum of "Footloose" going and then some with the Gershwin hit "Crazy for You".

"Crazy for You" was written in the early 1990s (book by Ken Ludwig with music and lyrics by George and Ira Gershwin) and based on the 1930 Gershwin musical "Girl Crazy".  In addition to songs from "Girl Crazy", "Crazy for You" includes songs from several other productions including "Shall We Dance" and "A Damsel in Distress".  Unsurprisingly, the show took the Tony for Best Musical in 1992. Dubbed "The New Gershwin Musical", it has all the elements of the perfect stage show: timeless toe-tapping tunes, incredible dance numbers and quick and witty dialogue. 

These elements were expertly presented by an amazingly talented cast of actor/dancer/singers.  From the first act to the last, the Cape Playhouse rumbled with high energy and magical music.

"Crazy for You" is pure Americana--Gershwin standards belted out by cowboys, dancing girls, a sassy heroine named Polly and a daydreaming leading man named Bobby. It's unrequited love, overcoming obstacles and doing the right thing set in time to some delightful ditties.

Matt Loehr as Bobby and Vanessa Sonon as Polly. Photo credit: Kathleen A. Fahle.

The show opens in New York City in the 1920s. Bobby Child works at the family-owned bank for his overbearing mother and has been skirting a wedding date with his even more overbearing fiancee.  Bobby is put-upon, put down and all he wants to do is dance. When an audition for the famous Bela Zangler, producer of the famed Zangler Follies, doesn't go as well as he would like, Bobby takes refuge in a decidedly unshowbiz assignment--serve foreclosure papers on a property in Deadrock, Nevada.

Bobby arrives in Deadrock to find a tumbleweed town filled with bored cowboys, a saloon and a post office. It doesn't take long for Bobby to fall head over tap shoes in love with Polly, the town's spitfire and owner of the Gaity Theater--now the town post office. It's the Gaiety Theater that the bank is foreclosing on, and instead of delivering the death blow, Bobby decides to find a way to help Polly save the show.

What follows is act after act--both fun and funny--based on one of the cornerstones of American comedy--mistaken identity.

The entire cast is a treat to watch--truly talented guys and dolls with impressive experience on, off and near Broadway. Matt Loehr and Vanessa Sonon were Bobby Child and Polly Baker--roles they recently played at the Maltz Jupiter Theater in Florida. And their level of comfort with the characters showed. Both are wonderful singers and marvelous tap dancers.

The rest of the cast including Lauren Kadel as Tess, Michael Brian Dunn as Bela Zangler, Michael Halling as Lank and David Titus as Polly's addle-brained dad, all possess true comedic timing and a gift for physical comedy.

And what can you say about Gershwin? It's Gershwin, and the orchestra had the audience wiggling in their seats with standards including "Embraceable You", "I Got Rhythm" and "Nice Work if You Can Get it".

Director Mark Martino and Choreographer Shea Sullivan managed to make a huge production filled with non-stop movement fit on the historic playhouse stage. And the scenic design by Dan Kuchar was fun and elaborate--almost like the backdrop in a Looney Toons cartoon. The set pieces swirled and unfolded becoming moving parts of the cast.

"Footloose" was fun, but "Crazy About You" is pure joy.

"Crazy for You" runs now through August 20, Monday through Saturday at 8pm with matinees on Wednesday and the second Thursday at 2pm and the first Saturday at 4pm.  The Cape Playhouse is at 820 Route 6A in Dennis Village. Tickets and ticket subscriptions are available at the box office at 508-385-3911. Coming up next: "Unnecessary Farce".

Original scripts sought for "Playing with Your Food" series at Cape Cod Community College

Deadline is August 26, 2011

Cape Cod Community College is continuing its “Play with Your Food” series, featuring local playwrights’ original scripts for workshop readings.  All productions take place in the college’s Tilden Arts Center Studio Theater, with a limited dinner menu available for purchase to enjoy during the show.  The evening concludes with a talk-back session. 

Submissions are now being accepted via email for production dates in October 2011 and February/March 2012. Closing date for submissions is August 26th.

For more information, contact Nancy Willets at nwillets@capecod.edu.

Courtesy of Cape Cod Community College.