At the conclusion of his curtain speech before the opening Thursday night performance of "Run for Your Wife" at Tibbits Summer Theatre, Artistic Director Charles Burr teased the audience by telling us this was the most fun he's had directing a show in quite some time. While grandiose statements such as that are usually nothing more than hyperbolic showmanship, I'm certainly inclined to believe him. Why? Because I probably laughed more during my two-hour visit with two-timing British cab driver John Smith than I have in quite some time!
Smith, you see, has achieved what many men have probably wished for, but never attempted – and for good reason: He's married to two different women and lives in two different apartments – and neither wife knows about the other. As you can imagine, it's a grueling schedule he maintains to keep up the charade: Tonight may be spent with Mary in Wimbledon, but tomorrow morning will find him four-and-a-half minutes away in Streatham having breakfast with Barbara (whom he met four months after his marriage to Mary).
All goes well until John plays Good Samaritan and intervenes in a mugging – only to end up in the hospital emergency room after the elderly victim mistakes him for one of the muggers and bloodies his head with her purse. Concussed, John gives the attending nurse his address in Streatham, but to the cop who takes him home he gives his Wimbledon address. And once the discrepancy is discovered and looked into, John's life spins totally out of control!
That's an understatement, to be sure, as playwright Ray Cooney's delightfully improbable plot gets screwier and crazier with every twist and turn he delivers. So much so, that you almost need to keep a scorecard to recall which of many lies is known by whom. And that, of course, leads to the hysterically funny conclusion, thanks in large part to Burr's fine direction and a superb cast of comedic actors.
Since pretty much all British sex farces are filled with mistaken identities, politically incorrect stereotypes and plenty of slamming doors, "Run For Your Wife" requires a couple of things from its talent: clockwork timing and the ability to play their roles with total believability – which, given the highly unbelievable plot, is tough to pull off.
Entrances and exits, for example, must be tightly coordinated so as to make total sense to the audience – especially since the show's single set functions as two different apartments. Here, Burr's planning pays off, as every arrival and departure occurs like clockwork – even when the action takes place simultaneously inside both apartments. (Each half of Andy Broomell's set reflects the tastes and personality of the occupying housewife; Mary's is fairly "common," while Barbara's is colorful and contemporary.)
But the company especially shines with actors' reactions and responses to the rapidly deteriorating situation around them. The comedic bits come fast and furious, and the hard-working thespians barely have time to pause or catch their collective breath!
One can't help but empathize with and root for Greg Pragel's John, described by Mary as "sort of common place," who simply couldn't say no to Barbara's advances – despite the wedding ring already on his finger. As John digs himself deeper into trouble, Pragel's eyes, facial expressions and body movements reminded me of an energetic puppy dog who is only trying to please its master – but instead keeps finding itself deeper and deeper in the dog house. It's a fine performance from start to finish.
Of the wives, Kiersten Vorhies (Mary) is given a far broader emotional range to explore by the playwright – and she does so with a joyous mix of wifely concern and "deer-in-the-headlights" confusion. (And rightfully so!) And Amy Lamberti (Barbara) makes it easy to understand why John couldn't resist her charms and attention.
Then there's Stanley Gardner, Mary's upstairs neighbor who is unexpectedly roped into the Smith family drama. In the hands of recent Hilberry grad Brian P. Sage, Stan comes vividly to life. It's a masterful portrayal, as Stan tries his honest best to help his buddy keep his secret – but as a result, only makes matters worse. Watching two fine comedic actors feed and play off one another is always plenty of fun, and the madcap interactions between Sage and Pragel are among the show's highlights!
The remaining handful of supporting characters all add to the general hilarity. Detectives Troughton (from Wimbledon) and Porterhouse (from Streatham), as played by Ryan McDonald and Paul Kerr, are the typical stereotypes one expects in a farce. Kerr, however, has the more delicious role of the two – and he proves his comedic chops wearing a pink apron and serving tea in the second act while totally oblivious to the double entendres flying all around him.
Way over the top – and delightfully so – is Dick Baker as Barbara's new gay upstairs neighbor Bobby Franklin. But his high-pitched delivery sometimes overpowered the clarity of his words on opening night.
Meanwhile, Jared Wietbrock has the highest paid acting job in the show – if you base it on verbiage and the amount of time spent on stage. He makes a quick, two-minute appearance as a newspaper reporter near the top of the show, delivers a few lines, and he's never seen again until the curtain call.
All of the production's technical elements are fine, but sound designer Shaun Reis earned the first chuckles of the night by using the familiar tune "Love and Marriage" to open the show. It certainly set the tone for what was yet to come!
REVIEW:
'Run For Your Wife'
Tibbits Summer Theatre, 14 S. Hanchett St., Coldwater. Wednesday-Saturday through July 31. $24-$26. 517-278-6029. http://www.tibbits.org
