farce

‘Moon’ shines on Mud Creek

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By John Lyle Belden

As a certain song says, show business is wonderful, even when it’s awful for those engaged in it. In Ken Ludwig’s “Moon Over Buffalo,” now on stage at Mud Creek Players, fading Broadway stars George and Charlotte Hay are upstate and up the creek, struggling to keep a repertory theatre alive during the 1950s dawn of television, after washing out of B movies and failing to get a prestige picture (“The Twilight of the Scarlet Pimpernel,” directed by Frank Capra) in Hollywood.  

Backstage of the Buffalo venue, we meet the Hays’ daughter Rosalind (Chrizann Taylor), who had given up the stage and is back in town only to introduce her fiancé, Howard (Jeff Haber), a TV weatherman. George and Charlotte (Sean Berne and Zoe O’Haillin-Berne) make an entrance as only they can. Rosalind’s ex-boyfriend and past scene partner Paul (Malcolm Marshall) is also on hand. Also, the Hays’ attorney Richard (Craig Kemp) is in town, hoping to woo Charlotte away from the madness, especially considering that the cute ingénue Eileen (Anabella Lazaridez) has been impregnated by George. Meanwhile, Charlotte’s feisty elderly mother Ethel (Jean Adams) turns her hearing aid on only when she feels like it, and if she has to mend the trousers one more time…

True to his comic style, Ludwig gives us a sort of slamming-doors sitcom (a Broadway hit in 1995) with plenty of belly-laugh moments. This comes complete with mistaken identity as tongue-tied Howard is mistaken for Capra, who is believed to be in the audience, looking to recast “Pimpernel.” We also get the mash-up no one asked for as both “Cyrano de Bergerac” and Noel Coward’s “Private Lives” hilariously take the stage.

The flashes of I-love-you-but-I-want-to-kill-you between George and Charlotte feel real, as the Bernes are married offstage as well. Whether enraged, distraught, or otherwise always performing, they chew the scenery with a knife and fork. Taylor gives us Roz as a voice of reason, yet feeling conflicted especially when Paul is in the room. As for Marshall, and for his part, Kemp, they are each in their own way hopeless romantics. For one, at least, the bold optimism may pay off. Haber is our bewildered everyman caught in middle of so many situations this forecaster never saw coming. Lazaridez kinda gives the ditz vibes one would expect from her blonde character, but they are more reflective of stress and hormones’ effect on the mind than hindered intellect. Adams heroically stays the eye of this hurricane, adding her own stoic yet comic flavor to the proceedings.

Directors Kelly Keller and Dani Lopez-Roque wrangle the wildness well, with the help of a trio of supporting characters/set changers who can’t help hamming it up a bit themselves, keeping the farcical mood flowing from scene to scene.

Two more fun weekends remain (through May 4) before this “Moon” sets on the Mud Creek Barn, 9740 E. 86th St., Indianapolis. Get info and tickets at mudcreekplayers.org.  

Going ‘Wrong’ goes right in Carmel

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By John Lyle Belden

Wendy and I saw two different productions of “The Play That Goes Wrong” this past weekend, and from what we witnessed we would like to make this point: All of the mishaps involved throughout the show are meant to be there. You are not witnessing a very poor performance. Laugh along and enjoy all of the goofiness. Do NOT leave at intermission! That said, let’s get to the actual review. I am reviewing the production by Carmel Apprentice Theatre at (naturally) The Cat.

In a way, this is a perfect show for this company as its productions provide a learning experience for new and out-of-practice theatre folk, mentored by and working with community theatre regulars. Thus, when anything, from a spoken line to a random wall hanging, is dropped, who’s to say that was a mistake? In actuality, we have seen many sharp performances and applause-worthy debuts at their shows, and that tradition continues with this comedy, a directorial debut by Rachael Weyers.

The play is a U.K. and Broadway hit by Henry Lewis, Henry Shields, and Jonathan Sayer, who apparently spend their time in London making other stage genres and classic stories “go wrong.” The script invokes the spirit of Murphy’s Law, in that practically every conceivable mistake can and will be made.

To set this scene, and provide fair warning, the director (Elijah Baxter) of the play within the play, “Murder at Haversham Manor,” opens with a curtain speech about how this should be better than past low-budget productions. Posters from these sad attempts decorate the production booth at the far-left edge of the stage, where tech director Trevor (Zach Kreinbrink) frets at both the dog Winston (needed for Act Two) and his prized Duran Duran CDs being missing.

Between mishaps – which occur regularly practically from the start – we get a whodunit mystery with the first victim, Charlie (Greg Borgard), lying on the chaise at center stage. He tries in vain to maintain a stiff demeanor as his friend Thomas (Jake Williams), brother Cecil (Tim West), fiancé Florence (Reagan Nagel) and the butler Perkins (Julie Eaton) stomp around, later accompanied by Inspector Carter (Baxter).  Stagehand Annie (Allison Hermann) does what she can to control wayward props and furniture but is soon called into service as Florence when the actress appears to have been knocked out cold.

This farce is “the show must go on” taken to a ridiculous and hilarious extreme. Performances are comic gold all around, including Eaton’s pronunciations of words from her lines she wrote on her hand, West’s mastery of the pratfall and penchant for chewing the scenery when he’s not wrecking it, and the glorious dueling “Florences” as both women feel they should be in the spotlight. Part of the beauty of the show is how the characters trapped within this disaster come to deal with their situation, from moments of cheekiness to resignation.

The CAT worked around both budgetary and geometric limitations of their smallish stage, still managing the main features of the stage set, including a hollow grandfather clock and an unsteady platform representing the manor’s study. It also suits a low-budget community theatre playing a low-budget community drama club to have a woman in pasted-on mustache as the male butler. Through it all, the understanding audience (except for a couple who bolted during intermission, inspiring the top paragraph) seemed to thoroughly enjoy this well-constructed calamity.

There are three more chances to see CAT’s “The Play That Goes Wrong,” Friday through Sunday, March 29-31, at 254 Veterans Way in downtown Carmel. Get tickets at thecat.biz.

And if anyone sees Winston, let them know.

Going ‘Wrong’ goes right in Bloomington

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By Wendy Carson

John and I saw two different productions of “The Play That Goes Wrong” this past weekend, and from what we witnessed we would like to make this point: All of the mishaps involved throughout the show are meant to be there. You are not witnessing a very poor performance. Laugh along and enjoy all of the goofiness. Do NOT leave at intermission! That said, let’s get to the actual review. I am reviewing the production by Constellation Stage and Screen in Bloomington.

The show begins prior to the “actual” start of the play. Two crew members wander through the area, dealing with a door that refuses to stay shut and a mantlepiece that won’t stay in place. An audience member is recruited to assist with the mantlepiece repair and eventually the issue is resolved. The stage is mostly a large room with a second-story “study” visible to the side (which honestly looks a little shaky).

The “director” eventually appears and, once he has found the spotlight, welcomes us all to the performance. He muses about some of their past shows being less than perfect, then announces “The Murder at Haversham Manor” (that is the play within this play, a London West End hit by Henry Lewis, Henry Shields, and Jonathan Sayer).

Of course, props immediately fall, doors cannot be opened, people keep stepping on the dead man’s hand (causing him to yelp in pain), cues are missed, etc. This is a broad farce and everything that could possibly go wrong does, wherein lies the title and hilarity of the show.

Our cast consists of Jonathon Harris (Bobby Ayala Perez) who portrays the deceased, Charles Haversham. Sandra Wilkinson (Haley Glickman) plays the part of Florence Colleymoore, Charles’s fiancé. Chris Bean (Gavin Douglas) being the aforementioned director as well as Inspector Carter. Max Bennett (Andy McCain) is Cecil Haversham (Charles’s brother) and later reappears as Arthur the Gardener. Dennis Tyde (David Sheehan) as Perkins, the Butler. Robert Grove (Peter Sipla) as Thomas Colleymoore (Florence’s brother). Our crew consists of Stage Manager, Annie Twilloil (Alanna Porter), who also steps in for Florence after Glickman’s character is knocked out, and Trevor Watson (Michael Sheehan) who runs Lighting and Sound.

I know that the cast list is confusing with actors playing actors who are playing parts in a show, but this also adds to the fun. There is some very heavy slapstick comedy with some actors endangered at points during the show. But Fighting and Intimacy Director Leraldo Anzaldue has put this cast through their paces well and nobody actually gets hurt (we hope).

Chad Rabinovitz, the show’s actual director, does an amazing job getting every last drip of hilarity out of his cast while keeping any one of them from upstaging another (a difficult job, given the script).

Each and every member of the cast plays their part immaculately, so it is impossible to single out the talents of each one. However, the constant battle for the part of Florence between Glickman and Porter throughout the second act, as well as everyone’s physical dealings with the collapse of the Study floor (especially Silpa) are highlights of the second act that you really must see. Again, don’t leave at intermission.

The show is spectacularly funny and well worth the drive to Bloomington, playing through April 14 at the Waldron Arts Center, 122 S. Walnut St. Get info and tickets at seeconstellation.org.

Cat, CCP stage farcical salute to struggling actors

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By Wendy Carson      

Is the thought of seeing one more Christmas-themed production making you want to spew your eggnog? If so, you need to drive over to The Cat in Carmel and catch a performance of Carmel Community Players production of “Moon Over Buffalo.”

The 1995 comedy by Ken Ludwig is notable not just for its slamming-door farcical elements but as the vehicle in which Carol Burnett returned to Broadway. Needless to say, there are plot twists and laughs aplenty.

In the summer of 1953, George Hay (Jason Creighton) and wife Caroline (Tonya Rave) have washed out on the Broadway stage as well as in Hollywood and tour the country in reparatory, alternating between productions of “Cyrano de Bergerac” and “Private Lives.” They are currently stuck in Buffalo, N.Y.

Still stinging over the loss of lead roles in the upcoming Frank Capra-directed Scarlet Pimpernel film, they are resigned to make the best of things. Having Caroline’s mostly deaf mother, Ethel (Wendy Brown), along as their costumer and all-around extra doesn’t improve their lot.

In a fortuitous turn of events their daughter, Rosalind (Natalie Piggush), has returned to introduce them to her new fiancé, Howard (Mac Wright). However, she never seems to get the opportunity, and his being tongue-tied doesn’t help. Add to the mix Richard (Brian Sprayue), the Hays’ lawyer who is madly in love with Caroline and trying to sweep her away from her husband; Eileen (Nicole Sherlock), the ingénue who is pregnant from a brief dalliance with George; and finally, Paul (Grant Bowen), Rosalind’s ex, who is still madly in love with her.

Secret loves, mistaken identities, a generous amount of alcohol, and the possibility of being cast in Capra’s film after all make for a rollicking night of craziness. It’s also good for those who like a peek at backstage life and the quirks of showbiz people, flavored with the evergreen lament that live theatre is dying (shakes fist at television).

Directed by Elizabeth Ruddell, the entire cast is spectacular; their tireless embracing of every comic element will keep you laughing so much that you can forget that “Marley was dead” or any other holiday frippery.

Performances are Thursday through Sunday, Dec. 14-17, at The Cat, 254 Veterans Way, downtown Carmel (in the Arts and Design district, a distance away from the Kristkindlmarkt). Get tickets and info at carmelplayers.org.

Couples collide in Belfry farce

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By John Lyle Belden

Oh, the things we could get away with in the days before cell phones and social media – or at least thought we could get away with.

Belfry Theatre presents “How the Other Half Loves,” the American version of a popular British farce by Alan Ayckbourn. In this play, we are presented with two couples in decaying marriages. In fact, one of the husbands is in an affair with the other’s wife. When pressed for an alibi, the guilty individuals name a boring couple they barely know, who then get entangled in the ensuing mess.

The production is also a study in contrasts. The Fosters, Frank (Tim Long) and Fiona (Susan Hill) are wealthy, while the home of Frank’s employee Bob Phillips (Ronan Marra Sr.) and his wife Terri (Sarah Froehlke) is more modest and cluttered with items from caring for their baby Benjamin (sound effect and bundle in a “portapram”). These homes are presented simultaneously, with both sets of living room furniture present, and the walls sectioned for a lenticular effect. Kudos to director Nicole Amsler and set designer and builder Julia French for the excellent stage, with perfect spacing and visual cues to help pull off the desired effect.

Set in 1972, the story begins on a Thursday morning, after both Bob and Fiona had been out until the wee hours – with each other. To cover, Bob tells Terri he spent the night reassuring William Detweiler (Ken Kingshill) who suspects his wife is having an affair. In turn, Fiona tells Frank she was out reassuring Mary Detweiler (Lisa Warner) who suspects her husband is having an affair.

These stories are soon tested as Frank announces that William is joining Bob’s work team and that the Detweilers are coming over for dinner that night. Meanwhile, Terri arranges for a dinner with the couple on Friday (to “help” and to give the harried homebound mom more adults to talk to). Thus Ayckbourn’s script gets particularly inventive, as the two intimate dinner parties at two locations on two nights are presented simultaneously, involving a couple of rather bewildered Detweilers.

This is going to be one wild weekend.

Long gives us an interesting character in Frank, who comes off as a bit scatterbrained (almost worrisome at times) but eventually picking up on the clues – though not necessarily the right ones. Hill’s Fiona is detached and jaded, yet entertaining in her own acerbic way. Marra’s Bob is a cad – sorta likable, but still an ass – the kind of person who gets away with little, yet more than he should. It helps that Froehlke has amiable but frustrated Terri keep at least a degree of love and grace for him, even when he’s at his worst. Kingshill and Warner present an eccentric introverted couple whose relationship seems to have reddish flags of its own, but are well suited to each other.

The outfits they all wear are appropriate to the period, especially Froehlke’s, which could only be described as “groovy.” Compliments to costumer Sue Kuehnhold. Desiree Black is stage manager.

Constant comic confusion and mild slapstick generate laughs throughout, though seeing this work of a prior generation from the perspective of today’s awareness of disorders and dysfunctional relationships did temper my response. There’s even a brief bit of angry violence. This is very much an artifact of its time, the kind of wacky show you’d see after watching “Laugh-In.” Taken in that context, this time capsule works splendidly.

Performances run through Sunday, Oct. 1, at Arts for Lawrence’s Theater at the Fort, 8920 Otis Ave. For info and tickets visit thebelfrytheatre.com or artsforlawrence.org.

Even in a farcical disaster, ‘Play On!’

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By John Lyle Belden

The thing about hometown community theatre, when it’s good, it’s great; when it’s bad, it’s… an experience.

In “Play On!” by Rick Abbot, presented by CrazyLake Performance in Greenfield, it’s days before the opening of a new play called “Murder Most foul” (not the story you’re probably thinking of). Director Gerry Dunbar (Trever Brown) took it on because the local playwright, Phyllis Montague (Petra Russell) isn’t charging royalties. However, she is still revising the script, daily – including today.

This makes things rough, to say the least, on the cast: devoted thespian couple Henry and Polly (Corey Yeaman and Rai Ortman); Billy (Luke Agee), who will play the detective; Violet (Alexandra Gawrys-Strand) the ingenue; stage veteran Saul (R. Brian Noffke); and high-schooler Smitty (Olivia Greer). They, stage manager Andy (Ethan Stearns), all-around tech Louise (Alex Ross), and Gerry struggle to get through even a single act’s run-through.

Brown is great at this kind of role, the character in the eye of a storm of things going sideways; and he has one heck of a hurricane in Phyllis’s constant changes, the actors’ growing uncertainty, and a vital central prop that keeps changing names. Russell, for her infuriating part, smartly plays it with naïve aplomb.

As for the cast within the cast, director Christine Schaefer said it was a struggle at first to get these actors to adjust to things going wrong, like dropped lines, being “right,” and to seem to forget all they knew and comically overact. Yeaman’s semaphore-like gesticulations and Ortman’s melodramatic moves are a hoot. Noffke, no stranger to the wacky, has to amp up his own impishness to match.

The result? Wendy and I have rarely laughed so hard. The constant punchlines, sight-gags, and other farcical elements make classics of this style like “Noises Off” look almost sedate. If you’ve dealt with live theatre, or any situation where things can go very publicly wrong, you can’t help but appreciate every hilarious moment.

Upon reflection, it seems there is the seed of a fairly decent whodunit in the play within this play, but what we get instead may be far more rewarding, and worth the jaunt out to The H.J. Ricks Centre for the Arts, 122 E. Main St. (U.S. 40) in downtown Greenfield. As I post this, it opens tomorrow with performances June 23, 24, 30, July 1 and 2. Tickets are just $10 in advance at CrazyLakeActing.com or at Hometown Comics & Games, 1040 N. State St. in Greenfield, or $15 at the door. 

No mystery why you should see ‘Clue’ at IRT

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By Wendy Carson 

With all the recent variants (I find the Simpsons version very amusing) as well as a modern upgrade of the original, I think it’s safe to say most of us have played the game of “Clue” at least once. Add to this the widespread interest in murder mysteries (real and fictional) and that the board game is the subject of a film with a large cult following, and you have the perfect recipe for a hilariously good night of theater.

Adapted to the stage by Sandy Rustin, based on the movie script by Jonathan Lynn, the delightfully kooky script has been taken up by Indiana Repertory Theatre director Benjamin Hanna and brought together a dream team of local and regional talents to elevate “Clue” to previously unknown comical heights. Though the plot and characters echo Lynn’s screenplay, there are numerous brilliant additions (apparently the house was built by the Parker Brothers) to keep you laughing anew. Even the game board shows up at one point, as a handy map to the labyrinthine mansion.

Scenic designer Czerton Lim pulls out all the creative stops in giving us a set with multiple slamming doors, secret passageways, moving walls, and tributes to the game and movie (yes, that is Tim Curry as Mr. Boddy in the painting).

John Taylor Philips brings out all of Wadsworth’s condescending arrogance in his turn as the butler and ersatz host of the evening’s events. Andrea San Miguel brings all of the maid Yvette’s cheeky mischief and charm. Henry Woronicz plays up Colonel Mustard’s dotage, yet keeps him somewhat austere. Emjoy Gavino subtly shows Mrs. White’s predatory instincts while still keeping her endearing. Beethovan Oden’s turn as Professor Plum highlights the character’s belief that he is the smartest man in any room. Emily Berman’s version of Miss Scarlet is even more sultry and sassy than expected. IRT favorite Ryan Artzberger easily adapts to each of his three roles, even with mortal wounds.

Eric Sharp takes full advantage of his character’s expansion in this script and brings a delightful bumbling nerdiness to Mr. Green. Claire Wilcher adds another level of comic genius to her spectacular performance as the seemingly prim Mrs. Peacock. Not to be outdone, Devan Mathias plays three different roles with such gusto that two of them have to be killed to keep her from stealing the show.

Whether you have seen the movie, played the game or just want to see a show that will have you laughing almost non-stop, get a “Clue,” playing through May 20 on the IRT mainstage, 140 W. Washington St., downtown Indianapolis. NOTE: Dressing up as any of the characters (old or new), also adds another level of enjoyment to the experience. (I was one of many “Peacocks” on opening night.)

Get info and tickets at irtlive.com.

Classic Britcom ‘Served’ up hilariously

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By John Lyle Belden

The hit 1970s British sitcom “Are You Being Served?” returns to Buck Creek Players (last seen in 2005) with the marginally competent staff of London’s Grace Brothers department store at your service.

On the fine clothing floor, Mr. Rumbold (Lindy Meyer) and Captain Peacock (Tim Latimer) supervise young Mr. Lucas (Hayden Walker), less-young Mr. Grainger (Tom Smith), and dandy Mr. Humphries (Ben Jones) on the men’s side, with lovely Miss Brahms (Anna Ely) and colorful Mrs. Slocombe (Sharon Winderlich) on the women’s side.

This is not an ordinary day at Grace Brothers, as it prepares to renovate for a storewide celebration of the European Common Market. This crew’s part will be a celebration of German culture and products – little-regarded and cheeky maintenance man Mr. Mash (Patrick Murphy) has found authentic costumes for their presentation. Meanwhile, the company nurse (Ben Poppelwell) is on hand to deliver injections for their travel on a company holiday.

The second act finds our sales staff in sunny Spain, at a resort run by Don Bernardo (Ron Pittman), assisted by Conchita (Maria Manalang). It turns out these are less than ideal accommodations, but after a rather restless night, what more could go wrong?

The cast also includes Nickie Cornett as a Spanish revolutionary, Dennis Karr at his scene-chewing best as passionate rebel leader Cesar (Karr and Cornett also play customers in the first act), and David Shetterly as “Young” Mr. Grace himself.

Written by series creators Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft, these stories make full use of the show’s trademark slapstick and double-entendres. Matt Spurlock, in his directing debut, gets splendid timing and execution of all the characters’ quirks and foibles. – For the fans, yes, we do get to hear about Slocombe’s pussy(cat). – The production’s look comes together nicely with sets by John Walker and costumes by Sue Kuenhold.

Funny, silly, a bit nostalgic, and a little naughty, “Are You Being Served?” has one weekend remaining, April 7-10, with tickets selling fast. Get info and tickets at buckcreekplayers.com.

CCP presents funny whodunit

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By John Lyle Belden

In the whodunit world, things are never as they first appear. “The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940,” by John Bishop, is presented by Carmel Community Players, but in Noblesville, as CCP is still raising funds for a hometown stage.

Also, there’s not a whole lot of music. It’s more about making and staging a musical, with only a couple of choruses sung. And, really, it’s about the murders of 1938, when the show “Manhattan Holiday” flopped in part because the cast mutinied after chorus girls were knocked off one by one by the Stage Door Slasher, who was never caught.

So, now, in late 1940, we are in the home of “angel” investor Elsa Von Grossenknueten (Richelle Lutz), who is gathering fellow persons involved in “Manhattan Holiday” who wish to pitch a new musical, “White House Merry-Go-Round.” She also invited a friend, Michael Kelly (Sam Brown), a very thinly-disguised NYPD Detective. We should also note that the maid, Helsa Wenzel (Tanya Haas), a fellow Bavarian who Elsa brought to America when things got rough in Germany (note the date), was apparently killed by a masked phantom in the opening scene, then comes back unharmed doing her regular duties minutes later. Also – and this is important to both the plot and the comedy – the house is riddled with secret doors and passages, with practically every wall on stage capable of opening or revolving.

Arriving through the snowstorm that will trap them there (naturally) are charming but unfunny comic Eddie McCuen (Jeffrey Haber), stage and screen director Ken De La Maize (Kelly Keller), chorine turned actress Nikki Crandall (Hannah Janowicz), overbearing producer Marjorie Baverstock (Eboni Wallace), Irish tenor Patrick O’Reilly (Robert Fimreite) and bickering songwriting duo Roger Hopewell (Eric Bowman) and Bernice Roth (Amber Roth). Note that by the final curtain, a number of these characters will each turn out to be someone entirely different – this includes, of course, the Stage Door Slasher!

Directed by Elizabeth Ruddell, whose assistant, the mysterious O. Carrier, performs the phantom, this play embraces both mystery and farce. The former is complicated by encroaching shadows of war, and the latter gets wacky even to the point of a “Scooby-Doo” moment among sliding and spinning doors. Standout performances include Haas being full of surprises, Keller stylishly dropping names in his alleged films, Haber showing the talent it takes to be good at being “bad,” and Janowicz playing a true triple-threat – singing, dancing, and firearms.

Four performances remain, Thursday through Sunday, March 2-5, at the Ivy Tech Noblesville Auditorium, 300 N. 17th St. Get info and tickets at CarmelPlayers.org.

Bard Fest: Merrily we ROFL along

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This is part of Indy Bard Fest 2022, the annual Indianapolis area Shakespeare Festival. For information and tickets, visit indybardfest.com.

By John Lyle Belden

It is said that Queen Elizabeth I was quite taken with the character of Sir John Falstaff in William Shakespeare’s “Henry IV” (Parts I and II). This merry prankster would end up as much the butt of the joke as the instigator, and helps humanize Prince Hal, the eventual King Henry V. So, legend goes, Her Majesty ordered Shakespeare to whip up a play featuring the bawdy knight in love.

The result, by whatever origin, is “The Merry Wives of Windsor,” now presented at the IndyFringe Theatre, directed by Jeff Bick. The comedy is presented in an over-the-top style that common folk who paid a penny to see a show around the year 1600 would have loved. Sir John (Thomas Sebald), who appears to have a beach ball for a belly, is less interested in “sack” wine and more contemplating what middle-aged women he can get in the sack, so to speak.

This production focuses on two comic plotlines. True to the Bard’s penchant for including a wedding in his comedies, young beauty Anne Page (Sophie Peirce) is being wooed by three men: Slender (Ben Elliot), the doltish son of Justice Swallow (Michael Bick), who in turn is friends with Anne’s dad, Master Page (Tom Smith); the very French doctor Caius (Rian Capshew), who has the approval of Mistress Page (Dana Lesh); and young gentleman Fenton (Connor Phelan), whom Anne comes to prefer despite his having the lightest purse.

The other source of drama and mirth is, of course, Falstaff. He covets not one man’s wife, but two, and sends his squire Robin (Lyndsi Wood) with identical letters to Mistress Page and Mistress Ford (Kelly BeDell). The women being best friends, this attempted courtship will backfire in spectacular fashion. Master Page has no doubt his headstrong wife can take care of herself, but Master Ford (John Johnson) is more wary, and goes to Falstaff disguised as fellow lothario “Brook” to get in on the plot.

“Hilarity ensues” is putting it mildly. Much boisterous laughter was had throughout the audience. Adding to the fun in supporting roles are Angela Dill as busily devious servant Mistress Quickly and Ryan Shelton as thick-tongued Welsh vicar Sir Hugh Evans. Other servants are portrayed by Colby Rison, Nelani Huntington, Carolyn Jones and Patrick Lines.

Sebald ably plays the buffoon under the delusion of dignity. Lesh and Bedell are the stars here, with Lucy-and-Ethel chemistry as they gain the upper hand on all the men. Johnson is goofy fun, letting himself be the second-biggest fool on the stage.

And the antics of the Falstaff plot eventually work to resolve the romantic storyline. Shakespeare’s clever like that.

For an evening of silly fun – which includes, just in time for Halloween, a spooky Faerie encounter – meet the Merry Wives this Friday through Sunday, Oct. 28-30, at 719 E. St. Clair St., Indianapolis.