Photo Flash: Lakewood Theatre Company's UNNECESSARY FARCE Opens Tonight

It's the perfect setup for a laugh-filled evening at the theatre. A bumbling mayor, his female accountant who can't stay dressed, two undercover cops, an infamous Scottish hitman, and, of course, videotape. To crack a case of suspected embezzlement, the officers must overcome their fear of the dark, guns, enclosed spaces, and the opposite sex. In this sidesplitting escapade, playwright Paul Slade Smith has reinvented the in-one-door innuendo and out-the-door comic shtick in a zany Portland area premiere that will leave you laughing.

Lakewood's production of Unnecessary Farce, directed by Michael Snider, opens tonight, July 10 and continues until August 16, 2015. BroadwayWorld has a sneak peek at the cast below!

Set in a small midwestern town, two inexperienced police officers (Jake Simonds and Carrie Morgan) have set up a "sting" to capture an embezzler. Do things run smoothly? Of course not! Enter the Mayor (Don Stewart Burns), the town's new accountant (Olivia Shimkus), the head of security (Ashton Root), the Mayor's wife (Victoria Blake) and last, but not least, an inarticulate Scottish hitman in a kilt (Ethan LaFrance).

Scenic design for Unnecessary Farce is by Jeff Seats, costume design is by Patricia J. Rohrbach and lighting design is by Kurt Herman. The stage manager is Michael DeMaio, hair design is by Jane Holmes, technical director is Kurt Herman, sound design is by Marcus Storey, properties are by Felix Kelsey, production assistant is Steve Knox, and the producer is Kay Vega.

Performances run: Thursdays - Saturdays at 7:30 PM; Sundays at 7:00 PM (July 12, 19 and 26); Sunday matinees at 2:00 PM (July 19, August 2, 9 and 16); and Wednesdays (July 22, Aug 5) at 7:30 PM. The theatre is located at Lakewood Center for the Arts, 368 S. State St. in Lake Oswego. Ticket prices are $32/adults and $30/seniors. Other discounts are available for students and groups. Content Note: This play contains adult situations, and may not be appropriate for young audiences. For additional information and tickets, call the Lakewood Box Office at (503) 635-3901 or order online at www.lakewood-center.org.

Photo Credit: Russell J. Young