BWW Reviews: Seven Characters in Search of a Way Out

It's no surprise that Paul Slade Smith's Unnecessary Farce, which had its North Coast Repertory Theatre premiere last weekend, has been produced one hundred times. Its comic appeal is undeniable, and, in his droll sardonic portrayal, the playwright has created limitless possibilities for his ensemble cast to mug, pratfall and...well, flip their way over beds and through multiple doors into the hearts of delighted viewers, among whom this weekend's NCRT audience were no exception.

Smith, a veteran actor who has appeared on stage in everything from Shakespeare to Ives, shows his ingenious wordsmithing ability in capturing the essence of slapstick and shtick and eliciting multiple laughs per minute from an audience. He builds on what at first appears to be a simple premise, adding layers of character development and interaction to complicate the plot line, and deftly sprinkles in physical comedic elements that accelerate the pace. Add to that a fearlessness to depict crime investigation clichés with an oblique eye, an embarrassment of puns, and a whole lot of doors, and you have the orchestration for a winning evening of comedy.

Craig Noel Award winning director Matthew Wiener, a recurring presence at NCRT, also demonstrated a canny understanding of how to make an ensemble cast of seven players mesh perfectly with each other: as the plot complications progressed, his players upped the ante on their relationships, as well as on how far they were willing to go, both physically and emotionally, to expose their characters' foibles and weaknesses.

As the seemingly simple-minded cops investigating an ostensibly fraudulent mayor, Christopher M. Williams, along with Craig Noel Award recipient Jacque Wilke, formed the closest thing to a dream team that could exist in the skewed world that Smith has wrought. Williams showed thespian skill in peeling off the layers (literally) from his character to reveal (also literally) the vulnerable, wounded soul of a youth who has never fully recovered from an awkward adolescence. Wilke blithely and appealingly ignores his pain to focus on her own discomfort and insecurity. Together they played off each other with dexterity, opening the door (again, literally) to encounters with their off-the-wall counterparts.

Among these were Jessica John and David McBean, who appeared together in last season's delicious comic romp School for Lies (/san-diego/article/BWW-Reviews-THE-SCHOOL-FOR-LIES-Tickles-Ribs-at-San-Diego-North-Coast-Rep-Theatre-20140224#), and provided sizzle to Smith's plot as well as sexual and dangerous elements to stir the mix of complications. John's natural flair for comedy, astonishing pluckiness in physicality, and steamy sexiness combined to make her character a sympathetic foil to Williams's needy, sexually repressed detective.

McBean showed himself up to the task of being the comedic glue that held the others together. With an over-the-top brogue that would challenge both the comprehension and credulity of any Scottish native, not to mention most people who have actually traveled to Scotland, he kept the audience in stitches every moment he appeared on stage.

As the theatrical equivalents to the inner voices of the orchestration, John Nutten and Ted Barton drew from their cumulative thespian experience to subtly craft two characters who at first seem unassuming but, with Smith's brilliant comedic skills, turn out to be as complex as their colleagues. Nutten performed his recurring mock-religious shtick with deadpanned panache, and was entirely engaging as the overconfident would-be playboy contrasting to Williams's self-doubting nerd. Barton revealed surprising layers of his character that turned the idea of his surname of Meekly on its head.Notwithstanding his Seussian expression of wonder, Barton revealed surprising layers of his character that turned the idea of his surname of Meekly on its head.

Dagmar Krause Fields, also appearing on the surface to embody her Meekly surname, nimbly played her way into an unforeseen plot twist that drew gasps from the unsuspecting audience. In her all too brief moments on stage, she showed great skill in developing the surprising complexities of her character.

NCRT's Design Team of Burnett, Novotny, Bokovikova, Chen, Cole and Finkbiner delivered sets, lighting, costumes, sound, props and scenic artistry that continue to please their audiences and prove them eminently worthy of their "Dream Team" sobriquet.

As to the brilliance of Smith's writing, the ultimate pun, paid off brilliantly at the end, proved that there's absolutely nothing "Unnecessary" about this "Farce." Whether or not you're planning a trip to Scotland, it's well worth seeing the play to find out how it's done - and to see all those doors.

Unnecessary Farce runs through Sunday, May 10, at North Coast Repertory Theatre (www.northcoastrep.org).

Photo credit: Aaron Rumley

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