For any theatre group, community or professional, performing farce is a dangerous thing.  There can only be one of two results; it either dies as you watch or it’s terrific, there is no middle ground.  Fortunately for valley audiences, the current production from Actors Theatre is easily the latter.   Ken Ludwig’s farce The Fox on the Fairway is not only an outstanding production in its own right, but on reflection, I can’t think of a better or more accomplished interpretation of a flat out farce seen in local valley theatres for some years, and there has been a few.

Playwright Ken Ludwig is on record as saying that his play is intended as an homage to the great English farce.  In The Fox on the Fairway he’s not only succeeded, he’s taken things a step or two further.  Having been raised in a culture that celebrates the broadness of the great British Pantomime and the naughty but nevertheless innocent double-entendres of a Ray Cooney sex comedy, it’s not difficult to recognize the difference between something that merely copies the elements needed to make a farce work and something that adds components of its own. 

Characters in a farce are not only unaware of the ridiculousness of the situations they’re getting themselves into, but the most successful characters are the ones that play it straight and are totally bemused as to why things are falling apart around them.  Ludwig has taken this blueprint to heart, but rather than replicate a British approach, he’s turned it into something very American – here, the characters are so broad they’re practically cartoons, and it works wonderfully.

The setting is the Tap Room of the Quail Valley Country Club, while the plot revolves around a wager made between two rival presidents.  To explain any more is to spoil the fun, plus we’d be here all day.  Let’s just say that with every minute or so, in the grand tradition of any fast paced farce, a new conflict or complication presents itself to the point where hair will be pulled, doors will be slammed, characters will either stumble or pretend to faint, and audiences will be slapping their knees.

From the moment the curtains rise, characters rush on at full tilt quoting one-liners at the audience, reminiscent of TV’s Laugh-In where Goldie Hawn and the gang would open those psychedelic doors and spout a quickie.  “Golf and sex,” states Pamela (Maren Maclean) as she rushes from stage left to stage right, “The only things you can enjoy without being good at them!”  “Bury me on the golf course,” requests Muriel (Johanna Carlisle) “So my husband will visit!”

Director Matthew Wiener, who never allows the energy to flag for a single second, has assembled a cast that truly fleshes out of their characters exactly what is needed to make the show come alive.  It practically explodes like a well lit firework, popping and crackling, then crackling some more.  Around the country, previous productions of Fox were met with only middling praise and partial success.  Some reviewers criticized the script, but, as already established, that was never the issue.  The problem was with the cast, some of whom never quite rose to the occasion in the way that Ludwig’s demanding script needed them to rise.  Here with Actors Theatre there is not a weak player, and it’s such a wonderful surprise.  With looks, sounds, exaggerated body movements and a couple of really ugly sweaters, each actor perfectly captures the spirit of their character to the point where even before they speak you already know their type.  This is a true ensemble.  I would not want nor need to see the show performed anywhere again without Wiener’s perfectly assembled cast of valley players.  Seriously, what would be the point? 

For more information regarding times, dates and tickets, CLICK HERE to go directly to Actors Theatre website.