A light meal of airline fare
by Michael Dresdner
L to R: Robert Alan Barnett, Brynne Garman, Greg Lucas Photos by Dennis K Photography
Tacoma Little Theatre opened its 97th season last
night with an early 1960’s bit of dated dating fluff called Boeing Boeing. The “parental
warning” sign by the box office gives you a great heads up as to the tenor of
what’s about to happen on stage. It warns that you are about to see “suggestive
situations, doors slamming, and pancakes with ketchup.”
If you are looking for nuanced emotion, political
correctness, or intellectual challenge, keep moving; there’s nothing for you
here. What is here is heaps of rather well done physical comedy and suggestive lustiness;
frenetic kissing and hugging, pratfalls, walking into slamming doors, near
misses, and men whomped with purses. All this unfolds with the dynamic range,
subtlety, and sensitivity of Benny Hill, replete with on-stage grappling, implied
(but never seen) sex, and even the titillation of accidental homoerotic posturing.
This rather formulaic sixties tale introduces us to Bernard
(Greg Lucas,) an American bachelor in his Paris apartment, and his housekeeper
Berthe (Brynne Garman), who outline the setup. With Berthe’s help, Bernard is
juggling three air hostesses (no, they never use the word stewardesses) whose
schedules keep them from meeting or finding out that he is engaged to all
three. Of course, he has no intention of marrying any of them; it’s the
sixties, people, and he’s a cool Playboy type.
L to R: Ana Bury, Robert Alan Barnett
Gloria (Ana Bury) is an American working for TWA, Gabriella (Holly
Rose) is an Italian flying for Alitalia, and Gretchen (Jana Guek) is a German with
Lufthansa. Get it? All the names start with G so he can even monogram gifts and robes without the fear of slip ups. As each shows up in turn, he turns the large
spinning portrait so her photo adorns the room. The recessed crown molding
lighting also changes to match the color of each woman’s uniform. Yes, the play
boasts that level of contrivance.
Holly Rose and portrait
But wait; you know this can’t last, right? Of course not.
Bernard’s old friend Robert (Robert Alan Barnett) comes to visit just as the schedules
of the three hostesses get rearranged. Yes, they all show up more or less at
the same time (I bet you didn’t see that coming) and it falls to Robert to
somehow keep the juggled balls in the air. That’s the basis for the endless funny
lines, comic set-ups, and outrageous falls, leaps, and blocks, and the very
talented and very entertaining Robert shoulders the bulk of it. I won’t tell
you how it all resolves except to say that it maintains its utter impracticality
in order to have a happy ending.
L to R: Robert Alan Barnett, Brynne Garman
Director Curt Hetherington chose brisk intensity over dynamic
range, so the action never really lets up, which seemed to delight the heartily
laughing packed house on opening night. A wonderfully appropriate set designed
by Blake R. York was propped and dressed by Jeffery Weaver with just the right
touches of sixties kitsch. Spot on costumes by Michele Graves added to the
image, aided by period sounds (and sound effects) by Jay Biederman and
appropriately unobtrusive lighting by Niclas R. Olson.
When you need a break from serious reality, light fare like
this goes down easily, especially if lubricated with the array of alcoholic
temptations the lobby offers. If you promise not to overthink it, I promise you
a diverting trip to the lighthearted, politically incorrect, completely
improbable past that really only ever existed in the imagination of mid
twentieth century adult (read “painfully adolescent”) males.
Boeing Boeing
Sept. 18 to Oct. 4, 2015
Tacoma Little Theatre
No comments:
Post a Comment