(WEST WINDSOR, NJ) -- What do two cops, three crooks, eight doors, and a kilt-wearing killer have in common? They’re the moving parts in the Pennington Players’ latest production, Unnecessary Farce. The zany comedy takes the Kelsey Theatre stage in January 2017. The classic farce, which features slapstick and other physical comedy, pairs with a contemporary American plot. Performances are January 20, 21, 27, and 28, 2017, at 8:00pm and January 22 and 29, 2017, at 2:00pm.
In a hotel room, an embezzling mayor is supposed to meet with his new accountant. In the room next door, two undercover cops are supposed to catch the meeting on videotape. But there’s some confusion as to who’s in which room, who’s watching the video, who’s taken the money, who’s hired a hit man, and why the accountant keeps taking off her clothes. You might want to take notes to keep track of all that.
The cast features seven of Kelsey Theatre’s favorite personalities: Michael Gilch, who is usually seen/heard in some of the pit orchestras at Kelsey as Eric Sheridan, an underachieving cop in the police force of an unnamed middle America small town; Maria Aromando as a newly minted police officer, Billie Dwyer; Sarah Stryker as the accountant, Karen Brown; John Maurer as Mayor Meekly; Stephanie Zimmerman as Mrs. Meekly; Matthew Cassidy as the Mayor’s head of security, Frank; and James Houston as the progressively unintelligible Scotsman, Todd.
According to director, Peter Bisgaier, “Good farce can be very challenging. The actors do a lot of physical comedy, some stage combat, with dialogue and dialect work being a key to the plot.” “Our production team has their hands full creating side-by-side motel rooms with a total of eight doors. We have a lot of fun at rehearsals and are looking forward to sharing that fun with an audience. It is a very silly, very zany show.”
In addition to director Bisgaier of West Windsor, the production team includes Judi Parrish of West Trenton as producer, as well as set and sound designer; lighting designer M. Kitty Getlik of Hamilton; Katie Downey of Bound Brook as fight choreographer; with Vicki Kaiser of Cranbury as the stage manager.
Tickets are $18 for adults, $16 for seniors, and $14 for students and children. Tickets are available online, www.kelseytheatre.net, or by calling the Kelsey Theatre Box Office at 609-570-3333. Kelsey Theatre is wheelchair accessible, with free parking available next to the theater. Kelsey Theatre is located on the Mercer County Community College West Windsor Campus, 1200 Old Trenton Road. A reception with the cast and crew follows the opening night performance on January 20, 2017.
Photos by KyrusKeenanPhotography
