Review: SHEAR MADNESS takes over Stages Repertory Theatre

SHEAR MADNESS asks the audience every night to figure out the murder of a beauty shop's unseen landlady, the famous concert pianist Isabel Czerny. Once her dead body is discovered, the play halts; spectators question the characters then vote; and the resolution changes accordingly. It can be a different show every night depending on who the audience chooses from the cast as the killer, although there are truly only three primary suspects. It's an interactive comedy unique in premise and execution for when it debuted in 1980. It's a ton of fun, and Stages does an excellent job reviving it for Houston.

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SHEAR MADNESS is a phenomenon in many ways. The play has been seen by over 11 million people worldwide and performed over 57,000 times at the Charles Playhouse in Boston since it began its run there thirty-six years ago. SHEAR MADNESS is older in conception than the 1980 start in Massachusetts which makes it the longest continuously running play in America. The bones of the script are adapted from a 1963 script by Paul Pörtner who wanted to create an experiment where audiences reacted to an unsolved murder acted out with stereotypical characters. Marilyn Abrams and Bruce Jordan adapted the work for American audiences, and the cast of each production improvises jokes and interactions to keep it up to date with local references and current news stories. It has played Houston before, but it has been a while.

Stages Repertory Theatre's creation of this SHEAR MADNESS is buoyed by an outstanding cast that handles comedy and improvisation with ease. The six actors onstage are quick on their feet, and so funny they can break each other up in many instances as the story unfolds. They play stereotypical characters, but they give enough quirk and charm to make them feel fresh. It's the company that should make this one a hit!

Mark Ivy is the flamboyant salon owner, and he steals the show with his mincing playful turn as a hairdresser on edge with his landlady. He's silly, sexy, and totally loveable. What could have been a caricature becomes a loving portrait in his capable hands. Denise Fennell is the buxom Jersey girl who works at the salon and stands to benefit greatly from the deceased's demise. Her ditzy demeanor hides a smart cookie, and the character actress handles both incredibly. Deborah Hope plays Mrs. Schubert, a River Oaks socialite at the salon to be primped for a trip to Bermuda. She appears far too young and beautiful to be the butt of all the "Bea Arthur" jokes, but she has a nice sense of outrage over being trapped with the commoners during the investigation. Justin Doran portrays another customer in the salon, and a sketchy antiques dealer who seems to have designs on some possessions of the deceased. He's so good at playing shifty and sardonic he will likely be the lead suspect most nights. His murder motive speech will be well utilized throughout the run.

Leading the investigation are two police officers which are played by Josh Morrison and Nathan Wilson. They get to wrangle the audience and the cast as we sort through the mystery. Morrison makes a good host for the proceedings, and handles Audience members with an easygoing comic nature that is endearing. Wilson is there to help out, and he has a goofy charm and soft spoken delivery that is a nice contrast. Together they lay down the law and the rules of the mystery for the audience, and keep what could become out of hand in cool control.

Technically the show is well executed. The 80s inspired set designed by Brad Kanouse works as a functioning hair salon complete with working shampoo bowl and telephone. It pops and makes for a great space for the cast to frolic. Nara Lesser's costumes are kicky and fun offering the same sense of humor as the characters wearing them. Joel Burkholder's lights are bright and cheery in line with the tone of the comic murder mystery. All of these elements contribute to the joy here.

If there is a weakness to SHEAR MADNESS it may be the script which is now almost forty years old. The actors have inserted jokes about Pokemon, Donald Trump, and Uber to update the material; but still, there are dated jokes about Cathy Rigby and the use of cassettes that make no sense in 2016. I wonder if it might be wiser to set SHEAR MADNESS firmly in the early '80s to keep the more dated bits from jumping out when juxtaposed with contemporary references. Whatever the case, some of the references really sound strange when married with the cast's quick on their feet improvisation. SHEAR MADNESS is funniest when our quirky crew can be themselves in 2016.

One thing you can't deny though, is this is a fun night of interactive theatre. After other shows like TONY N' TINA'S wedding have aped the elements here, it's nice to see SHEAR MADNESS as the one that started it all. You can't deny it's had staying power, and Houston audiences will find this STAGES production to be one they'll remember for a long while. What's not to love? Mark Ivy doing what he does best, a couple of gorgeous dames, and a chance to participate in a murder in a hair salon. There's nothing like it in Houston right now, and what a fun way to celebrate Summer.

SHEAR MADNESS plays at Stages Repertory Theatre through September 18th. You can purchase tickets through the website at http://stagestheatre.com/ You can also call the box office at (713) 527-0123. Or you can stop by the box office at 3201 Allen Parkway Houston, TX 77019.

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