Review: UNNECESSARY FARCE Updates the Formula at Saint Vincent Summer Theatre

The funny thing about farce as a genre is it seems to be perpetually stuck in the past; the constant misunderstandings, cross-dressing and door-slamming seem tied to a time before the internet, before cell phones... hell, maybe even before the Pill. It's a Ken Ludwig world that seems tied to the Ken Ludwig era, which is part of what made Saint Vincent's production of Paul Slade Smith's Unnecessary Farce so surprising: this show maintains the frantic craziness, slapstick, sex and silliness of farce, but brings it into the present by imbuing it with elements of the Coen Brothers' crime comedies.

The plot is endearingly absurd even by farce standards. Plainclothes detective Sheridan (Thom Brown III) and his new partner, junior cop Dwyer (Megan Taylor) are on a sting operation, staking out the hotel where the Mayor (Daniel Krack), suspected of embezzling, will be meeting with his secretary Karen (Alice Kelly Bahlke). Sounds simple? Well, Sheridan and Karen can't keep their hands off each other, Dwyer is inept to the point of "allergic to competency," and the mayor is a doddering idiot. But that's not all! Soon, a mild-mannered mob enforcer (Lawrence Lesher), a little old lady with an attitude (Erin Stetor-Seaberg) and a very Scottish hitman (Timothy J. Cox) are added to the mix. Door-slamming chaos ensues.

Many of the faces here are welcome and familiar to fans of Saint Vincent's yearly farce. If Unnecessary Farce is as inspired by the Coen Brothers as it appears to be, Thom Brown III is our George Clooney, the somewhat-heroic buffoon of a leading man who is slightly less on the ball than he initially appears. Lawrence Lesher, another old hand at farce, brings his signature mix of bluster and hysteria to Agent Frank, perpetually torn between his loyalty to the Mayor, the Mob, and his own cowardice. (A side note: Lawrence Lesher sounds EXACTLY like Tom Hanks, which makes the scenes where he gets hysterical, even more... hysterical.) As the mayor and his wife, Daniek Krack and Erin Stetor-Seaberg are both gifted at underplaying, making these characters initially drab before revealing hidden depths.

A very special shout-out must be given to a Saint Vincent first timer, Megan Taylor, for her show-stealing performance as inept junior cop Billie Dwyer. If physical comedy and slapstick is one of the pillars of farce, it's safe to call Taylor the support beam for the entire show; by Act 2, she is undergoing some hysterical prop comedy, double takes and grievous bodily harm the likes of which I don't think we've seen before on this stage. The greatest compliment that can be paid in such a situation is to say this: her ability to take a hit and sell the reaction is Home Alone worthy.

This production definitely supplies a few other Saint Vincent firsts onstage: hidden cameras, sex tapes, mention of gay rights, digital hotel keys, PG-13 level language. It's very much a piece for the twenty-first century, and given the way Saint Vincent's audience skews older and more conservative, I was curious how the play would be received. To my relief and delight, they loved it: the house was fairly full, and laughter was ringing out all throughout the evening. There are some things that go out of style, but I'm glad to report, farce will hopefully never be one of them.