Review: VWCT production manic fun

A. KOCH/special to the VW independent

Two cops, check; three crooks, check; eight doors, wait a minute, one, two, three …. OK, I counted again and, yes, eight doors, check; now what Van Wert Civic Theatre has is another hilarious show in Unnecessary Farce.

The two cops, Steve Lane as Eric Sheridan and newcomer Audra Mohler as Billie Dwyer, are trying to catch the mayor (Steve Bricker) on a surveillance stakeout from their motel room. They watch and videotape a sting operation in the next room hoping to catch the mayor confessing embezzlement to an accountant Kathy Brown (Amy McConn) who is also “in bed” with the cops to get incriminating evidence against the mayor.

It turns out the suspected financial crime is not so simple. There’s a larger scheme involving an organized crime syndicate, which draws in the mayor’s bodyguard (Ed Eichler), the mayor’s wife (Lisa Eichler), and a tall, menacing stranger with a funny accent and a Scottish kilt (Joe Maurer), from a Scottish clan with a “C”.

The result is hilarity that seldom lets up. The ensemble cast has so mastered the challenging timing of lines and action that their confidence shows and they have a ball bringing it off. While the actors never appear to break a sweat, the timing and bodily coordination required to contain all of this havoc — especially in the set’s two small hotel rooms — should not be underestimated. Director Doug Grooms clearly is a master of farce: his direction with the masterful cast has made this production a seemly effortless show of chaos.

Upon leaving the theater, audiences are likely to pick one or two favorites in this enthusiastic farce. I was personally taken with the performances of the “rookie” performers, Audra Mohler and Amy McConn. Had I not read the cast list in the program, I would have thought they were seasoned professionals, along with the rest of the cast. I hope to see this ensemble together again for another production, they clicked and made me believe in their characters and made me laugh until my sides hurt.

There are four more chances to see Unnecessary Farce: Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 in the afternoon. For reservations, call the Van Wert Civic Theatre box office at 419.238.9689, Monday through Saturday, 2-6 p.m.