I am not a big fan of farces, but
I can appreciate the skill involved in weaving one together.
There is often a good deal of physical humor, and timing is of
the essence as characters race around entering and exiting
many doors, running up and down staircases and falling flat on
their prats. It is definitely quite a coup to put all this
together and make it look natural.
"Noises Off" by the British playwright Michael J.
Frayn, is the final season offering at the Sunset Playhouse
Theater in Elm Grove. It has all the perks of the best farces
and is even more demanding than most because of its unique
setting. We are witnessing the dress rehearsal of an upcoming
show in Act I, then we go backstage in Act II to see the story
from that perspective as to what goes on behind the scenes
(actually in this act, we see the backstage chaos but hear the
onstage goings-on simultaneously), and then we see the real
performance from the audience’s viewpoint in Act III.
In the process, we encounter every director’s nightmares:
characters who miss their lines and/or their cues,
temperamental actors, insecure performers, conflicting
liaisons between actors or between actors and the director,
props that don’t appear or disappear, doors that won’t
open or close, actors who question the believability of the
script and competition or animosity between actors. One
realizes how difficult a task a given director faces when
taking on a varied array of egos.
Director Mark Salentine bravely took on this challenging
play but was greatly aided by a very talented, competent cast,
which made the difficult look relatively easy. Matt Patten,
the consummate comic actor, led the way with his singular
antics as Garry Lejuene. Randall Anderson was quite engaging
as the insecure hemophiliac Frederick, and David Kaye as the
stagehand who filled in for any missing person was quite funny
with his deadpan style. I liked the way Cindy Zauner, always
reliable in any role, played the dumb housekeeper Dotty Otley,
too.
The other competent actors included Nathan Berish, who
played Lloyd, the harried director; Ruth Arnell, always good
at the dumb blonde roles; Jenny Kosek, who’s convincing as
the overwhelmed stage manager; Belinda Blair, who tries to
keep everyone happy and focused, an impossible task; and the
well-meaning Robert A. Zimmerman as the unreliable burglar.
Everything works out in the end (sorta), but on the way,
all manner of dreadful things keep happening to their
frustration and our delight. "Noises Off" was a big
hit on Broadway and has recently enjoyed a revival. It is a
bit exaggerated for my taste, but it may be just the remedy
for you if you need a couple hours to let loose and just
laugh.
The show runs through June 20. Call (262) 782-4430 for
times and tickets.
