BWW Reviews: BOEING, BOEING Flies into Pennsylvania Playhouse

The latest play to grace the stage at Pennsylvania Playhouse is Marc Camoletti's comedy BOEING, BOEING. This classic farce, written by French playwright Marc Camoletti, was translated into English by Beverley Cross and Francis Evans. Mark Breiner directs this comedy and the result is a show full of hilarity and lighthearted entertainment.

BOEING, BOEING takes the audience back to the 1960s in Paris where Bernard, an American architect, juggles three fiancées. All three of Bernard's fiancées are airline stewardesses (era appropriate nomenclature) and work for different airlines. Gloria, American, works for TWA; Gabriella, Italian, flies with Alitalia; and Gretchen, German, soars with Lufthansa. Bernard keeps a careful schedule to monitor the comings and goings of all three of his fiancées, so to be careful that only one of them is in the apartment at any given time. His housekeeper, Berthe, also assists in this scheme by knowing the favorite meals of all three women and their schedules. With the arrival of Bernard's schoolmate, Robert, and the invention of faster aircrafts, Bernard's complicated schedule is disrupted. This all leads to the classic farce that achieves continuous entertainment.

Beth Linzer stands out in her performance as Berthe. Her performance was superb and she kept the audience laughing with her comedic banter and actions. Mark A. Saylor plays Robert, Bernard's visiting friend. Saylor's acting and physical comedy brings a first-class performance to the stage. Seth Rohrbach portrays Bernard, who provides an amicable low-key comic routine. All three of the actresses who play the fiancées deserve credit for execution of their roles. Annie Locke who plays Gretchen, deserves praise for her performance in the stereotyped role as an authoritarian German. Kelly-Anne Rohrbach portrays Gabriella with a fierce intensity that made the audience appreciate her passion. Lastly, Joanne Rooney plays Gloria who brought boldness to the role, which made the role of Gloria unpredictable.

BOEING, BOEING is a classic farce that will make your week soar. The show is well executed, and the laughs throughout the show were constant. The detail in the set design for BOEING, BOEING was impressive and the set is adorned with all the details necessary for a 1960s apartment. This show provides the laughter necessary to beat the winter blues.

BOEING, BOEING plays at the Pennsylvania Playhouse through February 3. For tickets and information call the box office at 610-865-6665 or visit www.paplayhouse.org.

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