The multitalented Steve Martin — comedian, actor, screenwriter, playwright, novelist, musician and composer — has a way of getting to the heart of the matter while making us laugh.
In the current Miners Alley Playhouse production of “The Underpants,” Martin’s adaptation of an early-20th-century German comedy, Rick Bernstein applies his directorial prowess with full farcical force and delivers a hilarious take on the power of eroticism over our minds and the ways we try to hide this from ourselves.
The young beauty Louise (Haley Johnson) was standing on a chair to catch a glimpse of the king during a parade when her bloomers inadvertently slipped off, causing quite a stir.
Her husband, Theo (John Greene), is upset by Louise’s sudden notoriety, mostly because it threatens his clerical position in the bureaucracy. Theo has been abstaining from sex with Louise because he believes that his current income is inadequate to support a child.
Theo’s solution is to rent out their extra bedroom so he can fulfill his matrimonial responsibilities, which sets off a series of misadventures with potential boarders drawn to the domicile by Louise’s wardrobe malfunction.
Johnson’s nuanced expressions and her shtick around Louise’s hyperbolic infatuation with Versati (Chris Bleau), a local lothario and wannabe poet, is the fire that keeps this plot boiling. Bleu is charming as the velvet-swathed randy dandy, while Greene is the perfect foil, the epitome of petite bourgeois mentality and bombastic chauvinism that are prime targets of the original playwright’s satire.
When Louise’s friend and neighbor Gertrude (Paige Lynn Larson) gets a load of Versati, she convinces Louise that it’s time for her to have an affair, and sets about fashioning a suitable pair of underpants to give to Louise for the occasion. Larson is a hoot as the overheated, romantically challenged voyeur.
Other than Versati, who makes no bones to Louise about his intimate intentions, the suitors include actor Christian Mast as a Hasidic hairstylist and Dell Domnick as a Teutonic scientist.
Mast’s kvetching send-up is a constant source of guffaws, not to mention his seductive footwork. Domnick’s lip-quivering libidinous breakdown from lockstep empirical efficiency, as Louise toys with him, is fun from every angle.
Finally, the king himself (or is it?) shows up to woo Louise, whose response brings the story full circle. A little more zaniness at this moment would have gone a long way; nevertheless, “The Underpants” is a barrel of laughs.
Richard H. Pegg’s playfully askew set and Ann Piano’s archetypal costumes amplify the inanity. The German, French and Yiddish dialect work is a delight.
A little lace goes a long way. It’s what you don’t see that demands your interest.
Bob Bows also reviews theater for KUVO/89.3 FM and for his own website, . He can be reached at bbows@coloradodrama.com.
“The Underpants” *** (out of four stars)
Comedy. Presented by Miners Alley Playhouse, 1224 Washington Ave., Golden. Written by Steve Martin, adapted from “Die Hose” (1910), by Carl Sternheim. Directed by Rick Bernstein. Starring Haley Johnson, John Greene, Paige Lynn Larson, Chris Bleau, Christian Mast and Dell Domnik. Through Aug. 29. 1 hour, 50 minutes. $20. 303-935-3044
This weekend’s theater openings
“Boot Flask Follies” This speakeasy burlesque show stars Miss Coco Lectric, who was named Texas Burlesque performer of the year 2010. Through Sunday. Presented by BurlyCute at the Crossroads Theatre, 2590 Washington St., 303-295-1883 or
“Limited Engagement” As the drinks start to flow at a fancy engagement party, old friends and flames stir up trouble until someone eventually dies. Was it an accident or murder? This interactive mystery dinner presentation features seven pop songs such as “Like a Virgin” and Put a Ring On it.” Select Saturdays through Nov. 13. Broker Restaurant, 821 17th St. 303-292-5065 or
“Theatregasm 4ever” This year’s local playwright showcase features two minimusicals: “Dogs, The Musical,” by Ariel Baty, the story of the lapdogs’ struggle against the oppressive German Shepards; and “Dungeon Darvon: The Olde World Musical,” by Hossein Forouzandeh, a bizarre operetta about a serial killer on the loose in a medieval town. Through Aug. 22. Presented by Theatre ‘D Art in the Osborne Studio Theater in the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs’ University Hall, 719-357-8321.
Compiled by John Moore
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