Tag Archives: farce

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Some Messed-Up Evening

A girls’ weekend goes off the rails when three of the women plot secret rendezvouses and a snowstorm traps them in their cabin and jams up the signals to their beaus.  This is Girls’ Weekend and it is currently playing at Bellevue Little Theatre.

Karen Schaeffer’s script felt more like a draft.  It definitely has potential and the show’s farcical moments generate a bit of whimsy and amusement.  But the play’s first act felt more like a sitting room drama as the set-up was done a bit too quickly which necessitated extended filler conversation that didn’t do much to advance the plot.  Likewise, not all of the show’s arcs are completely or satisfactorily wrapped up. 

That being said, the talents of a capable director and cast managed to maximize the script’s strengths and downplay its weaknesses.

Jon Flower provides a steady hand with his direction.  He made good use of the theatre space, well positioning his performers so they could always be seen which was especially vital when multiple sight gags occurred simultaneously.  He also had a good sense of physical timing with the jokes with door slams and quick hiding of personages.  Flower pulls some solid performances out of his actors though I did think the pace could have been stepped up and cue pickups tightened at a few points.

The glue holding this play together is the triumvirate of Laureen Pickle, Heather Wilhelm, and Sara Scheidies.  These three actors really have some splendid chemistry and genuinely feel like they’re old friends.  Each takes full command of their individual arcs and nail their moments with hilarity and/or intelligence where the moment calls for it.

Laureen Pickle is a lushful busybody as Dot.  She’s always up on the gossip whether it’s by discussion or eavesdropping and she guzzles wine like an SUV guzzles gas.  Pickle also has an incredible sense of physical comedy as she handles most of the play’s physical jokes due to her character being slipped a mickey.  Whether she’s faceplanting into a plate of lasagna or being rolled on the floor like a ball, Pickle provides some of the show’s most humorous moments.

Heather Wilhelm’s Meg strikes me as the leader of the group.  Meg has a very blue-collar nature and a forceful personality which lets her easily and readily take charge of any situation.  She certainly thinks fast under pressure, but isn’t necessarily wise under pressure as her reactions cause more chaos as opposed to resolving it.

Sara Scheidies’ Carol appears to be the most levelheaded member of the friends.  Her rendezvous is the most innocent of the play since she’s just trying to conceive with her husband.  She also serves as the protector as Carol tries to protect the others from some of their foibles like dumping some pot after the police show up at the door.  Arguably, she also gets the show’s best running gag with her seeming inability to recognize her husband in bed.

Joey Lorincz scores again with another expertly designed set.  His rustic looking wood combined with the props and set dressings of Jenny Cupak-Carroll make the cabin feel natural and real.  I was especially impressed with Lorincz’s bay window and the effect of snowfall he had shining through it.  Jon Flower adds some ambient sounds such as crashing items and breaking dishes.  Todd Uhrmacher’s costumes suit the personalities of the characters with the torn jeans and casual wear of Meg and the business wear of Carol being particular standouts.

In spite of a few shortcomings, Girls’ Weekend does provide some yuks especially in the show’s farcical second act and is well fueled by the energy of its three leads.

Girls’ Weekend runs at Bellevue Little Theatre through May 21. Showtimes are Fri-Sat at 7:30pm and Sundays at 2pm.  Tickets cost $25 and can be purchased at the Box Office, at blt.simpletix.com, or calling 402-413-8945.  Bellevue Little Theatre is located at 203 W Mission Ave in Bellevue, NE.

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BLT’s 250th Production, ‘Girls’ Weekend’ Closing Season 54

Bellevue, NE–On Friday evening, May 5, Bellevue Little Theatre will open the run of its 250th live theatre production, Girls’ Weekend, a lively comedy by Iowa playwright Karen Schaeffer. This opening marks the regional debut of this fast moving farce.

Patrons attending the opening night performance are invited to join the cast and staff after the performance for a party to celebrate the milestone event. Drinks and light refreshments will be served, and all are invited to attend.

The BLT has been proud to welcome patrons for the past 54 seasons at the old ‘Roxy’ movie theatre, 203 W Mission Ave in Olde Towne Bellevue, and plans are underway for an exciting 55th season, opening in September.

The BLT has grown from a group of traveling actors who began performing over 50 years ago in numerous venues in the area to a vibrant fixture in Olde Towne Bellevue. The theatre itself has been remodeled over the years and has expanded its footprint to include the thriving ‘Class Act Thrift Shop’ next door.

This 250th production of Girls’ Weekend will run for three week-ends, from May 5 to May 21.  Curtain is at 7:30. Tickets are $25 for adults, $20 for seniors, and $15 for students. Tickets can be purchased at blt.simpletix.com or calling 402-291-1554.

Karen Schaeffer, the show’s author, will be present the closing weekend of her play to see her play come to life onstage.

This funny, frantic play begins as four Iowa women arrive at an isolated cabin to drink some wine, share some laughs and discuss their book club’s latest offering. The book ‘discussions’ are soon forgotten, and the women proceed to much juicier subjects…..the men not present in favor of juicier subjects – in the women’s case, the men they left behind.

Director–Jon Flower

Cast

D. Laureen Pickle

Heather Wilhelm

Sara Scheidies

Clair Mahoney

Daniel Henery-Cavanaugh

Chris Latta

Don Harris

Rider Mattheis

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‘Artifice’ Opening at Topeka Civic Theatre

Topeka, KS–Topeka Civic Theatre announces the opening of Artifice on April 27 in the Helen Hocker Theatre.

Struggling artist Payne Showers finally gets his Big Break. He dies. Fortunately, Payne’s death greatly inflates the value of his work. Unfortunately, his estranged wife, Maggie, must sell it all to avoid bankruptcy. Just days before the auction, Maggie and her high-strung gallery manager, Richard, host a private showing. The guests of honor are influential newspaper maven Judith Fontaine; the fabulously rich real estate mogul Mick Fitzgerald; Trent, a gorgeous but dim-witted soap opera actor; Graciela, a streetwise cocktail waitress; and Emma, a humorless art critic. To Maggie’s delight, Mick Fitzgerald buys dozens of paintings. Not only will the deal rescue her financially, but Judith Fontaine is covering the story. The resulting publicity will put Maggie’s gallery on the map! At this point, the only thing that could go wrong would be if Payne Showers were to walk through the door. Then Payne Showers walks through the door. Artifice is a farcical take on celebrity and success and an affectionate tribute to loyalty and love.  

Dates: April 28, 2023 to May 7, 2023

Showtimes: Fri-Sat at 7pm, Sundays at 2pm

Tickets cost $13 and may be purchased here or by calling 785.357.5211.

Directed by: Joanna Lassley

Cast

Maggie La Rue – Karen Bartlett

Richard – Tom McElroy

Graciela – Cristin Belnay

Trent Matlock – Christian Johanning

Judith Fontaine – Linda Boyd

Mick Fitzgerald – Todd Wiechman*

Emma – Amanda Garvey

Payne Showers – Shawn Nyberg 

*denotes TCT/HHT debut

The Helen Hocker Theatre is located at 700 SW Zoo Parkway in Topeka, KS.

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Love Octagon

Eighteen year old Anne Egerman is in an unconsummated marriage with her middle-aged husband, Fredrik Egerman who is having a fling with the actress, Desiree Armfeldt, who has her own boy toy in the form of Count Carl Magnus-Malcom who is cheerfully, to him, married to Countess Charlotte Malcom who happens to be a childhood friend of Anne who now has her stepson, Henrik, pining after her.  You can sift through this Baxter’s Box of a menage by watching A Little Night Music at Bellevue Little Theatre.

Hugh Wheeler’s script boxes a cast and director into one dilly of a corner.  Wheeler knows where he wants the script to go, for the most part, but he doesn’t know what he wants it to be.  Halfway through the first act, I realized I was watching a sex farce, but the show is presented drily so the comedy is hidden.  The dialogue is written so formally that it prevents a cast from camping it up because the words don’t have the elasticity needed to fire off jokes.  As such, a cast and director have little choice but to follow the route of formality thrust upon them.  That being said, this director and cast got all they could and a maybe a little bit more out of the story.

Todd Uhrmacher does a lot of nice little things to keep this show running.  He has staged it like a ballroom dance where the performers (particularly a Greek chorus) glide on and off the stage with the smoothness of ballroom dancers to transition between scenes.  He’s got a good grip on the emotional beats and knows where to emphasize them for maximum impact with the “Send In the Clowns” sequence being a firm yank on the heartstrings.

Sherry Josand Fletcher plays one of the show’s few likable characters in the form of Madame Armfeldt whose droll observations and life lessons added levity to the show.  Jack Zerbe adds the right dose of weariness to Fredrik Egerman who married a much younger woman in a desperate attempt to cling to his own youth, but connects with the more age appropriate Desiree Armfeldt.  Zerbe’s Egerman also has a sense of honor as he would rather be unhappy with his young wife than hurt her. 

Heather Wilhelm gets the show’s most complex character in the form of Desiree Armfeldt.  She’s not quite as unlikable as some of the other characters as she does truly love her daughter and would rather be with her.  On the other hand, she does manage her other relationships to suit herself.  She’s happily involved with a married man and just as easily sleeps with an old beau to rescue him from his sexless marriage.  Still, she is aware of her own foibles and makes an epic confession of them with a stirring rendition of “Send In the Clowns”.

The best roles in the show are those of Count Carl Magnus-Malcom and Countess Charlotte Malcom. These two characters come closest to matching the farce of the piece and have a lot of meat for the performers to sink their teeth into.

Jodi Vaccaro is splendid in the role of Countess Charlotte Malcom.  Vaccaro is sympathetic as the woman trapped in a seemingly loveless marriage and is the only decent person in this love octagon as she isn’t screwing around with anybody.  Her sardonic delivery is right on the mark for the bitter countess and I found myself rooting for her when she started giving her ogre of a husband a dose of his own medicine with her pretending to throw herself at Fredrik Egerman.

Scott Van Den Top plays said ogre with his portrayal of Count Carl Magnus-Malcom.  This man is at the center of his own universe and isn’t shy about living that openly.  If there’s one positive thing I can say about him is that he’s honest.  The Count doesn’t hide his affairs from his wife, but arrogantly believes she is OK with his flings and appreciates the scant hours he gives to her.  Van Den Top really plays up the Count’s obliviousness as he unabashedly drags his wife along on a hare-brained plot to prevent his mistress from cheating on him.

Dr. D. Laureen Pickle and her orchestra elegantly handle the classical score.  Kerri Jo Richardson-Watts keeps the choreography simple with a few waltzes.  Ibsen Costume Gallery’s costumes suit the turn of the century setting of the show.  Joey Lorincz has designed an incredibly simple set of streamers  reaching from floor to ceiling which suit the ballroom staging and can double as trees.  He also keeps a dark blue lighting present to suit a little night music.

Outside of the script not allowing itself to be the farce it wants to be, it also has a few unnecessary secondary story arcs that pull away from the primary action.  The show also suffers a bit from some mixed acting in some of the ensemble players.  But if you enjoy classical music and a traditional sitting room play, then this show might be up your alley.

A Little Night Music runs at Bellevue Little Theatre through Mar 26.  Showtimes are Fri-Sat at 7:30pm and Sundays at 2pm.  Tickets cost $25 can be reserved at www.theblt.org or calling 402-413-8945.  Bellevue Little Theatre is located at 203 W Mission Ave in Bellevue, NE.

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It May be Wrong, But It’s So, So Right

It’s the actor’s nightmare brought to grand and glorious life when everything that can go wrong does in a murder mystery play produced by a local theatre group.  It’s The Play That Goes Wrong and it is currently playing at Springfield Little Theatre.

I can’t remember the last time that I so looked forward to writing a review.  This, unarguably, is the best comedy I have ever seen.  The idea of a play going haywire is not an original idea, but the script of Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Shields raises the idea to an art form.  Poorly constructed sets, botched dialogue, godawful acting, inept stage management, and a useless crew are just some of the antics you’re going to see in this play about a play.  I seldom saw the punchlines coming which allowed me to laugh like a hyena and the antics of the cast prompted numerous ovations throughout the night.

Beth Domann and Marni Erwin bring an incredible pair of hands to the direction of this piece.  Farce is never easy and there is a real skill to making a show look bad intentionally, yet still feel natural and spontaneous. These two directors pull it off with flying colors.  They plotted some fantastic sight gags, kept the pace fast and furious, and led their actors to the best “bad” performances I’ve yet seen.  And their staging. . .well, you’ll have to see it for yourself, but I will say the show starts much, much sooner than you think.

It takes really good actors to come off as really bad actors and this show is crammed with that necessary talent from top to bottom.  Some of the gutbusting performances you’re going to see come from Matt Winston as an utterly inept light & sound operator constantly in search for his Duran Duran CD.  Sarah McQuiggan is hilarious as the stage manager turned understudy who shows she’s just as talented as the leading lady (trust me, it’s a low bar).  Corey Kilburn supplies great pantomime as the corpse of the show.

Jamie Bower gives a howling good performance as Thomas Colleymoore.  Bower’s Colleymoore gives a performance so over the top it makes a soap opera seem realistic.  He is also a master of physical comedy as he performs virtual gymnastics for some of his sight gags and I never knew a spit take could have so many different variations until watching Bower in action.

Joshua David Smith is every director’s worst nightmare as Perkins, the butler.  Perkins is the actor guaranteed to make directors and fellow actors grind their collective teeth.  As Perkins, Smith mispronounces words, hardly varies his delivery, and effortlessly loses his place in the script which makes you wonder why he wasn’t run out of town on a rail.

Rachael Arp reaches new highs in lows as the leading lady, Florence Colleymoore.  Not only is she a poor performer with her ridiculous histrionics, but she is also a scene stealer par excellence with her constant pirouetting and frozen stances.  Arp is pretty impressive in the physical comedic arts as well as she takes a door to the face like few can and her prolonged brawl with McQuiggan’s Annie over who gets to play the leading lady is one of the best bits I’ve seen conjured on stage.

Clayton Avery matches his leading lady step for step with his own lousy chops as Cecil Haversham.  His delivery is not only volcanically over the top, but he manages to match that delivery with gestures and movements that are so enormous, a blind man could see them.  Avery actually does double duty in a sense as he also plays the gardener, Arthur, but it’s not actually double duty since his character plays both roles exactly the same with only a change of costume to delineate them.

Seth White’s bad acting as Inspector Carter is topped only by his bad directing.  To be fair, Carter’s acting is passable since he, at least, knows his lines, but when you realize that he staged and guided this monstrosity, you wish he would stick to acting since he does less damage in that regard.  Still, you have to admire his honesty because, in his “real” self of Chris Bean, he is rather open about the deficiencies in his troupe.

Keith Nisbett’s set is quite elegant and comes off as a proper manor with its gigantic window, mantlepieceless fireplace, fine bookcase, and impressive upstairs study.  But its functionality is the key to this show as the set becomes a character of its own and, believe me, it’s just as, ahem, “talented” as the cast of the murder mystery play.  Kaley Jackson’s costumes are right on the mark as they have the look of the turn of the century with the hunting wear of Colleymoore, the dressing gown of the corpse, and the lovely red dress of the leading lady.  Jamie Bower pulls double duty with lighting and sound design and excels on both with ringing telephones, unexpected Duran Duran music, and the red lights for the “dun dun dun” moments.

If you’re looking for a show to forget your troubles for a spell, this is it.  You’ll laugh until your sides ache with the best botched performances you’re apt to see.  Get a ticket if you still can because I imagine the sellouts are coming quick for this one.

The Play That Goes Wrong runs at Springfield Little Theatre through March 19.  Showtimes are Thurs-Sat at 7:30pm and Sundays at 2pm.  Tickets range from $17-$37. For tickets, visit http://www.springfieldlittletheatre.org or call the Box Office at 417-869-1334.  Springfield Little Theatre is located at 311 E Walnut St in Springfield, MO.

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Bellevue Little Theatre Announces Auditions for ‘Girls Weekend’

Bellevue Little Theatre Proudly Announces Auditions for:

Girls Weekend

Auditions will be February 26 & 27 at 7:00pm
Both nights at Bellevue Dance Academy (2264 Franklin St, Bellevue, NE)
Callbacks may take place on February 28​
Production will run weekends May 5-21
​Rehearsals to start in March

Click here for audition form. Please bring it with you to the audition.

Synopsis

​In this lightning-quick farce, four women travel to Dot’s Northwoods cabin to consume copious amounts of wine, laugh at their lives, trade stories and chat about their book club’s latest selection. However, after the third case of wine comes through the door, it becomes clear there will be more stewing than reviewing. Carol, who is monitoring her temperature for the best “window of opportunity” to get pregnant, gets a ride to the cabin from her husband, Rick, who is hoping the “time is right” for a quick tryst. She sends him home, frustrated, in a snowstorm, only to discover that her temperature shows she IS ready, and calls him to drive back and hide out in a shed until she can sneak him in with a special porchlight signal. Meg, recently widowed, is having a secret affair with Dot’s son, only to find he has shown up at the cabin unexpectedly and wants to further their relationship in stealth. Meg sends him to hide in a boathouse until he sees her special porchlight signal and the coast is clear to rejoin her in the cabin. Ellie, the youngest and Meg’s daughter, would rather not be a part of the weekend with her “elders” and meets a young townie, inviting him to hide out in a barn. When he sees her special porchlight signal, he climbs into her bedroom window and sneaks her out to a local bar after the other ladies retire. The only obstacle to each of the ladies’ secret endeavors is Dot, who wants to stay up all night and party with the girls. So they make sure they ply her with plenty of party favors, and Dot proceeds to pass out. The ladies move Dot’s lifeless body from floor to closet to room, as the bottles tip up, the secrets spill out and the men sneak in. The madcap, door-slamming chaos comes to a head when Dot wakes up and discovers her girls’ weekend is full of men!

Roles

Dot: 50-60 something. Orchestrates the weekend. Has a 30-something year old son, Stephen
Meg: 40s. Dating Stephen. has a 20-something year old daughter, Ellie
Carol: 30s. Trying to have a baby with her husband, Rick
Ellie: 20s. Single. Free spirit. Doesn’t really want to be there
Stephen: 30s. Dot’s son. In a relationship with Meg
Rick: 30s. Carol’s Husband
Sheriff Tom Lane: 30s. Divorced. Newly elected
​Bubba: 20s. Townie. Went to college with Ellie. Currently working for his dad.

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Maples Repertory Theatre Announces 2023 Auditions

Macon, MO—Maples Repertory Theatre announces auditions for its 20th season: Season of Memories. This season’s shows consists of some of the biggest hits in Maple Rep’s history. They include:

BIG RIVER    June 14-July 9, 2023

DRIVING MISS DAISY    June 23- July 22, 2023

MAMMA MIA!    July 19-Aug 6, 2023

THE CHURCH BASEMENT LADIES    Sept 27-Oct 15, 2023

BAREFOOT IN THE PARK    Nov 3-12, 2023

SORRY! WRONG CHIMNEY!    Nov 29-Dec 10, 2023

Audition opportunities are as follows:

  • 2023 UPTA; Memphis, TN  February 3 – 6.
  • 2023 Open Audition at Royal Theatre;  102 N. Rubey St.;  Macon, MO- Date TBD
    102 N Rubey Street, Macon MO 63552
    Please prepare one song and one comedic monologue. Accompanist provided.
    Email todd@maplesrep.com to schedule a 10-minute audition slot and with any questions. Walk-in’s welcome. We will see both Equity and Non-Equity.
  • 2023 Auditions in Kansas City- Date TBD
    Please prepare one song and one comedic monologue. Accompanist provided.
  • 2023 SETC in Memphis, TN; March 1-5

For audition appointment or to submit electronically, email todd@maplesrep.com to schedule a 10-minute audition slot and with any questions. Walk-in’s welcome. We will see both Equity and Non-Equity.

Note: If there is inclement weather, auditions may be postponed. Please double check by calling the box office (660-385-2924) or visiting our Facebook page on the day you plan to audition.

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The Show is Redux, But the Cast is Brand New!

BLUEBARN Theatre Proudly Presents:

Every Christmas Story Ever Told (and then some!)

By Michael Carleton, James FitzGerald, and John K. Alvarez

Omaha, NE: Instead of performing Charles Dickens’ beloved holiday classic for the umpteenth time, three actors decide to perform every Christmas story ever told –plus Christmas traditions from around the world, seasonal icons from ancient times to topical pop-culture, and every carol ever sung. A madcap romp through the holiday season, this laugh-out-loud. Comedy offers a hilarious alternative to anthropomorphic Nutcrackers and singing Victorian children.

Directed By: Bill Grennan
Starring: Jonathan Purcell, Jimmy Nguyen, and Joshua Orsi

Performances & Tickets: Nov. 25 –Dec. 18, 2022 | Thurs-Sat @ 7:30pmSun., Nov. 27, Dec. 4, 11, 18 @ 2:00pm; Sun., Dec. 4 @ 6:00pm *ASL Performance Thurs., Dec. 1

General Admission($37) and Educator | Healthcare | Military($32)

Tickets are available at bluebarn.org or through the box office @ 402.345.1576

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A Comedy of Calamitous Proportions

It’s the actor’s nightmare come to life and put on full display.  Join a sub-sub-subpar acting troupe as they flail and flop their way through a rehearsal and a couple of performances of the farce, Nothing On, in Noises Off! currently playing at Lofte Community Theatre.

Michael Frayn’s farce within a farce has often been called the funniest play ever written.  I find it hard to disagree with that statement as it has all the elements which make for great hilarity:  slamming doors, breakneck pace, mistaken situations, and over the top characters.  This play is also one of the most technically difficult plays ever written as most of the script’s pages are split in two (half dialogue/half stage directions) and its second act is mostly a silent film brought to life as it is sight gag placed upon sight gag with nary a bit of dialogue outside of the show in the show.  In fact, the play’s lone weakness is that it fails to complete the story arcs of the “real” people that get set up during the story.

Kevin Colbert has a real flair for comedy.  He truly understands bits and beats and his direction especially shines in the nearly silent second act when countless sight gags and moments battle for your attention. The jokes are executed with military precision and are so funny, even Buster Keaton would crack a smile.  Colbert’s staging is right on the money as Act I feels like an exhausting late night tech rehearsal that we actors know so well while Act II gives a farcical, yet surprisingly truthful look at what actors do while waiting for their cues and Act III is the legendary actor’s nightmare where everything that can go wrong does.  Colbert also has some nice meta moments such as showing a supposedly botched scene change when Act II segues into Act III and malfunctions such as actors being on the wrong side of the curtain when it closes.  Colbert has also crafted sterling performances from his actors, creating well defined and unique characters.

This play is an ensemble in the truest sense of the word.  There is no leading role.  The weight of this show is evenly distributed on the shoulders of each cast member who all get moments in the spotlight as their personal relationships shift and fray resulting in the riotous dismantling of their performances.

This review would form a novella if I waxed poetic on every cast member, but golden performances are given by one and all.  Nathan Wilson is a riot as the put upon set designer/understudy/gofer who is always either a half step behind or ahead of the others depending on the crisis.  Adam Kovar is a master of physical comedy as the hot-tempered Garry Lejeune with falls so believable I actually thought he had hurt himself on a few occasions.  Anne Pope is a steady hand as the troupe’s most level headed performer, Belinda Blair, who is overly optimistic and a bit of a gossip.  Alyssa Rosecrans is hysterical as the stupider than a brick, Brooke Ashton, who constantly loses her contact lenses, meditates and practices yoga when stressed out, and obliviously continues with her role despite it not making sense as things fall apart around her.  Deanna Walz is hilarious as the actor/producer who can never remember her stage actions and lights the fire that is Act II with her relationship troubles with Garry.  Natalie McGovern is wonderful as the stage manager/understudy, Poppy, whose sweetness is matched only by her poor acting.

I was particularly taken in by Jon Kruse’s interpretation of Selsdon Mowbray.  Kruse underplays the role beautifully and I envision his Selsdon as a once capable actor who has been betrayed by age and his addiction to the bottle.  Kruse is very convincing as the nearly deaf thespian who can’t remember his lines and can’t recite them properly when prompted and never met a bottle of booze he didn’t like.

Mick Kovar spins some theatrical gossamer with his take on Frederick Fellowes.  Kovar’s Fellowes is a likable guy, but, man, he can also get on your nerves in a hurry as his obtuseness about motivations and plot prevent him from simply acting.  Kovar is a hoot as the hapless sad sack who spontaneously bleeds from the nose when violence occurs or at the sight of blood.  He is an impressive physical comic in his own right as he gets tangled in sheets and waddles around with his pants around his ankles.

Somewhere I imagine Kermit the Frog is pointing at Lloyd Dallas and laughing his head off as he handles his Muppets far better than Dallas manages his.  Neal Herring gives his Dallas a certain air of superiority because he seems more concerned with directing Richard III than he does about getting Nothing On off the ground.  He’s also a bit of a cad as he sleeps with a couple members of the cast and crew.  However, he’s also a shrewd master of diplomacy as he knows how to navigate the relationships and shortcomings of his actors even if the massive stress of doing so causes him to force a grin so tense I thought his teeth would shatter.

Kevin Colbert and Don Larew at Scenographics team up to design the massive great room of a mansion with a circular couch at the center and 8 doors and a set of windows suitable for slamming and frenetic entrances and exits.  Tim Sorenson’s sounds enhance the comedy especially with the delayed window breaking cues of the third act when too many actors try to play the same part.  Janet Sorenson’s costumes are realistic and natural.

Act I could have used a snappier pace, but I believe it was slowed by a quieter audience not giving the cast the needed fuel.  But once the pantomime started in Act II. . .whoa Nellie!!!  The cast just poured gasoline on the fire and their energy and animation would have lit Las Vegas and it didn’t wane until the final curtain fell.

There’s no depth to this show.  It’s just an unbridled, free for all of fun.  A viewing of this show will take care of your ab exercises for a week, so get a ticket and ready yourself to howl yourself hoarse.

Noises Off! runs at Lofte Community Theatre through October 30. Showtimes are Thurs-Sat at 7pm and Sundays at 2pm. Tickets cost $24 and can be purchased at www.lofte.org or by calling the box office at 402-234-2553. Lofte Community Theatre is located at 15841 Manley Road in Manley, NE.