A good farce is the rarest of theatrical achievements.
The dialogue must be smart and snappy; a breakneck pace of antics, mistaken identities and misunderstandings must be maintained; the blackouts must be minimal; and the actors must deliver a seamless series of multiple characterizations, changing their costumes and their attitudes in the time it takes to move a couple of set pieces and advance the lighting board.
There’s all that and more in Firehouse Theater’s regional premiere of Michael Hollinger’s “Red Herring,” a film noir, Cold War spy-thriller send-up directed by Christopher Leo at Colorado Free University’s John Hand Theatre (in the new Lowry).
Maggie, a high-heeled flatfoot, and Frank, a flat-topped G-man, are good for each other. She’s got him on the wagon, and he’s bought a pair of tickets on a honeymoon cruise to Havana. Then life interrupts with the murder of a Soviet spy, and the game is afoot.
Trina Magness and Ed Cord get things rolling with a scintillating, pulp-fiction dialogue that sends us back to the early ’50s. Joe McCarthy’s daughter (L. Corwin Christie) is engaged to a freelance spy (Todd Webster) who sweet talks her into making a drop – a microfilm of atomic secrets – to a Kremlin plant (Dell Domnik) who is having an affair with the duplicitous Mrs. Kravitz (Susie Leiser).
The cast delivers a lively mix. Magness’ rich mezzo delivery and saintly patience. Cord’s true-blue heart and level-headed persistence. Christie’s hyperbolic effervescence and improbable voice. Webster’s blinding grin and devious eyes. Dell Domnik’s dry delivery and caustic wit. Susie Leiser’s disarming straight-talk and comedic timing.
Leo’s concise direction and stylish sound design – a mix of old radio tracks, pop tunes from the era and mischievous sound effects – heighten the noirish satire. Stuart Barr’s economic set works wonders while Kris Hipps’ costumes accent the hilarity.
The ensemble does an admirable job generally confining itself to the same ballpark of dockside dialects, and their array of deadpan visages is worthy of Buster Keaton. The effect of all these comedic trappings – other than a couple of scenes that slowed the pace – is a level of campiness that left us giddy.
The U.S. is in dire need of a playwright who can write a good farce, and Hollinger is off to a flying start. He has a musician’s sense of dynamics and orchestration, an ear for the disarming phrase and a sense of humor that cuts to the heart of cultural pomposity.
Bob Bows also reviews theater for Variety, for KUVO/89.3 FM, and for his own website, www.ColoradoDrama.com. He can be reached at BBows@ColoradoDrama.com.
“Red Herring”
DRAMA|Firehouse Theater Company, John Hand Theater, 7653 E. First Place (near Quebec Street)|Written by Michael Hollinger|Directed by Christopher Leo|Starring Trina Magness, Ed Cord, L. Corwin Christie, Todd Webster, Susie Leiser, Dell Domnik|Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 8 p.m. through May 26; Industry Night, 8 p.m., Monday|2 hours, 15 minutes|$12-17|303-562-3232
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“EVITA” Boulder’s Dinner Theatre has loaned favorite Joanie Brosseau-Beyette to the Country Dinner Playhouse to star there in a new staging of the Eva Peron musical. 7:45 p.m. Wednesdays-Sundays; 1:45 p.m. Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays (dinner 90 minutes before) through July 8 at 6875 S. Clinton St., Greenwood Village. $43-$49 (303-799-1410 or countrydin nerplayhouse.com).
“INTO THE WOODS” New Fine Arts Center Theatre Company boss Alan Osburn directs Stephen Sondheim’s acclaimed musical that blends four classic fairy tales with the story of a childless baker and his wife who set out on a journey to reverse a family curse. 8 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays through June 3 at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, 30 W. Dale St. $28-$30 (719-634-5583, csfineartscenter.org).
“LOBBY HERO” Miners Alley Playhouse stages the tale of a luckless security guard who is drawn into a murder investigation. Cast includes Jude Moran, Cajardo Lindsey and Susan Scott. 7:30 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays, 6 p.m. Sundays through June 17 at 1224 Washington Ave., Golden. $18-$20 (303-935-3044, minersalley.com).
–John Moore
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