Vintage Theatre took bold steps last year, staging “Angels in America” and a huge musical in its tiny 60-seat theater. With “Bedroom Farce,” it’s back to basics.
We never seem to tire of seeing British fops make fools of themselves. And, with 73 comedies under his belt, playwright Alan Ayckbourn never seems to tire of cranking ’em out.
“Bedroom Farce,” from 1975, is among Ayckbourn’s least inspired efforts, though not without its charms. To my left last weekend, one audience member was laughing in fits bordering on respiratory arrest; to my right were patrons who barely cracked a smile.
We’re saturated with these kinds of sex comedies, British or otherwise, on the local theater scene. Companies keep staging them because they always seem to draw big crowds. Miners Alley Playhouse rejoins the fray this weekend with Frenchman Marc Camoletti’s “Don’t Dress for Dinner.”
For the underexposed, they’re an opportunity for some genuinely silly escapism. But heavy doses can take the starch right out of the farce. The comedy doesn’t always quite cross the pond — or the decades.
“Bedroom Farce” is tepid for its genre. After all, we have eight people, three bedrooms and, get this: No sex! Just a lot of bickering, pleading, complaining . . . and a surprising amount of actual sleeping (which is not often conducive to a spirited night of theatergoing).
Director Linda Williams’ underachieving staging is most notable for the many new faces it brings to the stage. Anchoring the shenanigans are Daniel Wright and Anne Smith Myers as proper elders Delia and Ernest, whose idea of wildly celebrating their anniversary is enjoying fish and crackers in bed.
Their grown son Trevor (Nathan Raymond) is a borderline sociopath who may or may not be intended to be portrayed as creepily as he comes off here. He’s got a freaky perma-smile (think Harry Bentley on “The Jeffersons”) and knows no social boundaries. He and his estranged, mousy wife Suzannah (Johanna Jaquith) ruin a party hosted by friends Malcolm (Zach Shotwell) and Kate (Stephanie Schmidt) with their fighting, then split off to deepen the damage: Suzannah barges in on her in-laws while Trevor is off to crash the pad of former girlfriend Jan (an excellent Kelly Reeves), a spitfire who is unenthusiastically nursing bedbound hypochondriac beau Nick (Dan Bray).
The ensemble is capable, but subdued in their deliveries, as if collectively unsure of just how funny the jokes they’re delivering are supposed to be. They have the words down, but not entirely the playful panache, the crisply executed double-takes, randy reactions and furrowed brows that really win an audience over. Then again, it may be that the play is just not all that funny.
Most puzzling is what weird Trevor’s deal is, and without a firm understanding of this common bond among all these silly ninnies, the comedy loses its overall grip. We’re left instead to enjoy the smaller moments — immobile Nick pathetically flopping around in his bed; Malcolm going all Homer Simpson putting together a wobbly bookstand.
Written at the height of the sexual revolution, it’s possible Ayckbourn was having a laugh at the younger generation, as the oldest — and most repressed — couple is the one on the most solid ground here. But to borrow from another Ayckbourn title, the comic potential is never fully realized here.
John Moore: 303-954-1056 or jmoore@denverpost.com
“Bedroom Farce” ** (out of four stars)
British sex comedy. Presented by Vintage Theatre, 2119 E. 17th Ave. Written by Alan Ayckbourn. Directed by Linda Williams. Through Feb. 6. 2 hours, 10 minutes. 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays. $15-$25. 303-839-1361 or
Weekend best bet: Stories on Stage’s “Bunny Bunny”
Maggie Roswell, the voice of Maude Flanders on “The Simpsons,” and former Denver Center Theatre Company actor Aaron Serotsky will read from the play “Bunny Bunny: Gilda Radner — A Sort of Love Story,” for two Saturday (Jan. 15) performances. It’s an intimate look at the late comic Gilda Radner, her battle with cancer and the curious intimacy she shared with “Saturday Night Live” writer Alan Zweibel, both self-described overgrown kids living “bumper-car lives.” Erik Sandvold will perform various support roles. Performances at 1:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Denver Civic Theatre, 721 Santa Fe Drive. $15-$25 at 303-494-0523 or
Weekend best bet: The Avenue’s “Mekong Joe”
“Mekong Joe” tells the true story of a boy born in 1968 to a Vietnamese mother, fathered by an American GI. Hours before the fall of Saigon, this boy and his brother were airlifted out, and adopted by a Midwestern military couple. “Joe” was an Amerasian who grew up never feeling like he truly belonged until given a chance to reconnect with his biological family. $15-$20. Remaining performances 7:30 Friday and Saturday (Jan. 14-15), and 2 p.m. Sunday (Jan. 16). The Avenue Theater, 417 E. 17th Ave., 303-321-5925,
This weekend’s other theater openings
“Art” Yasmina Reza’s Tony-winning play about three friends who test the limits of their friendship when one buys a white painting, to the great consternation of another. Through Feb. 12. Presented by the Firehouse Theatre Company at the John Hand Theatre, 7653 E. 1st Place, 303-562-3232 or
“The Diviners” In a small farm community during the Depression, water and faith are in short supply. A charismatic but backsliding preacher drifts into town and finds a common bond with a gentle but misunderstood boy with a gift for finding water. Through Jan. 30. Presented by PHAMALy at the Aurora Fox, 9900 E. Colfax Ave., 303-739-1970 or
“Don’t Dress for Dinner” French comedy about a disastrous dinner party filled with uninvited guests, secret lovers, mistaken identities and comic confusion, all at breakneck speed. Through Feb. 27. Miners Alley Playhouse, 1224 Washington St., Golden, 303-935-3044 or
“Every Job I’ve Ever Had” Barry Smith isn’t exactly what you’d call ambitious when it comes to careers. He’s managed to resist actual “adult” employment and get by on a lifetime of odd jobs. This multimedia comedy examines the consequences of a life spent following one’s bliss. Through Sunday. Manitou Art Theatre, 1367 Pecan St., Colorado Springs, 719-685-4729 or
“On Golden Pond” An elderly couple spending their 48th and final summer at their favorite vacation spot confront difficult family truths while still learning a few things from their grandson. Through Feb. 19. Backstage Theatre, 121 S. Ridge St., Breckenridge, 970-453-0199
“Spring Awakening” National touring production of the award-winning rock musical based on a banned 1891 German tragedy about teens discovering the frightening urges of adolescence. Monday, Jan. 17 only, at the Vilar Performing Arts Center, 68 Avondale Lane, Beaver Creek. $78-98. 303-893-4100 or . Feb. 15-16 at the Buell Theatre, 14th and Curtis streets, Denver. $25-$80. 303-893-4100 or . Read John Moore’s Q&A with current “Spring Awakening” and also Denver Post pop-music critic Ricardo Baca’s .
“Story Theatre” Stories, myths, folk tales and legends are told according to Paul Sills’ no-frills techniques of transformation, mime and dance, by actors using only their bodies and voices. Through Jan. 30. Evergreen Players, 27608 Fireweed Drive, 303-674-4934 or
“Too Sexy for the Stock Show” An evening of Western-themed burlesque featuring Cora Vette and the Vinyl Tops. Thursday, Jan. 20 only. Presented by BurlyCute at Bender’s Tavern, 314 E. 13th Ave., 303-295-1883 or
“Unforgettable” Consummate showman Leonard E. Barrett is back with his revue of hit songs by Nat King Cole, Johnny Mathis, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke and more. With live accompaniment on piano and standup bass. Fridays only. Through March 29. Lannie’s Clocktower Cabaret, 16th and Arapahoe streets, 303-293-0075 or
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