McLean Community Players to Present UNNECESSARY FARCE

The McLean Community Players (MCP) present Paul Slade Smith's Unnecessary Farce, opening April 29, 2016, in McLean's Alden Theatre. Director Jessie Roberts leads an award-winning cast and crew in bringing this production to the Alden stage. Unnecessary Farce combines all the elements of a classic farce with a contemporary American plot: the police procedural. This side-splitting show will have its 200th production this year. MCP's production opens Friday, April 29, and runs weekends through May 14, with performances on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and two Sunday matinees, May 1 and 8, at 2 p.m.

In an economy motel room, a mayor who is suspected of embezzling is supposed to meet with his female accountant. In the room next door, two undercover cops are supposed to catch the meeting on videotape. Chaos ensues as the action is centered around two cops, three crooks, and eight doors. The confusion surrounds who's in which room, who's watching the video, who's taken the money, and who's hired a hit man.

Director Jessie Roberts says, "I like to call this an eight-door farce. A barometer for how crazy a farce is should be based on the number of doors in the set. An eight-door farce is about as crazy as you can get. The farce is an art form-yes it is-and getting it right requires a stellar cast and an imaginative cadre of designers and crew. Fortunately, we have both for this production."

Paul Slade Smith's Unnecessary Farce runs weekends, Apr. 29-May 14, at the McLean Community Center's Alden Theatre, 1234 Ingleside Ave., McLean, Va. Tickets are $18 to $20, and group rates are available. For more information, call 703-790-9223, or visit www.McLeanPlayers.org. Tickets are available at the Alden Box Office, through OvationTix at 1-866-811-4111, or at www.McLeanPlayers.org. This show includes some adult language and situations and is suitable for ages 15 and older. Unnecessary Farce is presented by special arrangement with Playscripts, Inc. (www.Playscripts.com).

The Mclean Community Players are proud to announce that they are offering performances with accessibility for both the hearing impaired and the visually challenged. For Unnecessary Farce, audio description services will be offered at the second matinee performance on May 8, and American Sign Language interpretation will be offered at our last evening performance on May 14. See the Accessibility page at www.McLeanPlayers.org for more information.

The McLean Community Players, based in McLean, Va., celebrate both the musical and dramatic theater traditions. Producing four shows a year-two musicals and two plays-the McLean Community Players are committed to doing theater for the community, in the community, with the community, and sustained by the community. The McLean Community Players, Inc. is supported in part by the Arts Council of Fairfax County.

Creative Team for Unnecessary Farce

Producer .............................................................................................................. Carol A. Strachan

Director .................................................................................................................... Jessie Roberts

Stage Manager .......................................................................................................... Colleen Stock

Assistant Stage Manager ............................................................................................ Jerry Gideon

Lighting Design ........................................................................................................ Kimberly Crago

Assistant Lighting Designer ....................................................................................... Jeff Auerbach

Set Design ...................................................................................................................... Ian Brown

Set Construction Crew Chief ............................................................................ George Farnsworth

Set Construction Crew............................................................................ Bill Glikbarg, Bob Schroth

Set Painting Crew Chief ....................................................................................... Mary Macfarlane

Sound Design ............................................................................................................... Jon Roberts

Costume Design........................................................................................................ Judy Whelihan

Set Dressing/Props................................................................................................... Jocelyn Steiner

Dialect Coach ................................................................................................... John Barclay Burns

Opening Night Reception .......................................................................................... Bunny Bonnes

Sound Operator ............................................................................................................ Jon Roberts

Fly System Operator ................................................................................................... Jerry Gideon

Backstage ..................................................................................................... Janet Stein, Jay Stein

Publicity/Media Relations .................................................................................... Cathy Farnsworth

Auditions ...................................................................... Jennifer Levy, Jon Roberts, Carole Steele

Logo/Poster Art .................................................................................................. Vanessa Sorensen

Photography ............................................ Toby Chieffo-Reidway/Irish Eyes Photography by Toby

Cast of Unnecessary Farce

Todd...................................................................................................................... Brendan Chaney

Karen ....................................................................................................................... Brianna Goode

Eric ......................................................................................................................... Scott Landsman

Billie .......................................................................................................................... Lynley Peoples

Mary ............................................................................................................................. Marilyn Pifer

Frank................................................................................................................. Stephen T. Wheeler

Mayor................................................................................................................................ Bob Sams

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