Some plays are born great, this play definitely achieves greatness and you will have greatness thrust upon you when you join The Plagiarists for this laugh-a-minute, thoroughly witty, farce!
The Plagiarists do the impossible by combining Shakespeare (Twelfth Night to be specific) with The Marx Brothers with Some Like It Hot with Communism with raki (okay, raki probably had a hand in making this combination possible) with explosions with Blondie to produce Some Like It Red. This 2nd show in their 10th anniversary season continues to rip up what we know and love and start again, complete with witty one-liners, slapstick, and a band, all dreamed up by playwright (and company Artistic Director) Gregory Peters and put in action by director (and company Managing Director) Jack Dugan Carpenter.
No need to be an expert on Communist Albania to understand all the hijinks. This fast-paced script moves like your favorite 80's dance track...if your favorite 80's dance track includes espionage and moustaches. It's 1985, and The Flowers of the Sea (Jessica Saxvik, Christina Casano and Sara Jean McCarthy) are innocently rocking out on a cruise ship when a storm strands them on the coast of Communist Albania. In order to escape arrest by the Sigurimi, the Albanian secret police, the Flowers must disguise themselves as servants in the home of an Albanian who has some surprises of his own (Derik Marcussen). As more guests - a Sigurimi officer hunting for the band (Tony Kaehny), his fawning adjutant (Stephen McClure), a grieving VIP who has her own secrets (Elaine Small), her feisty and whip-smart maid (Julia Stemper), a hapless army captain (Bryan Breau) - arrive, the romantic, interpersonal, and political intrigues pile up, throwing the quiet little beach into chaos. Until finally news arrives from "the Block" (delivered by Bill Daniel) that changes everything - not only for the guests, but for all of Albania. Will the Flowers of the Sea escape? Will we discover the identity of the mysterious subversive leader known only as "The Rascally Rabbit?" Do you prefer political books or sexy books? These questions and more are answered by the time all the fireworks are over.
Emma Cullimore once again designs the costumes (and props) for The Plagiarists with meticulous precision (the Sigurimi would be proud) and the production team is rounded out by Pauline Oleksy-set design, Isaac Mandel-sound design, John Jacobsen-light design, Tristin Hall-violence consultant, Danny Prust-technical director, and Samantha Decker-assistant director.
Some Like It Red runs Thur-Sat at Berger Coach House from February 15-March 17, (no performance Saturday, March 10; industry night performance Monday, March 12). Show time is 7:30PM. Tickets can be purchased at https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3215028.
Photo Credit: Joe Mazza at BraveLux
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