Playwright: Nell Benjamin. At: Windy City Playhouse, 3014 W. Irving Park Rd. Tickets: 1-773-891-8985; www.windycityplayhouse.com; $25-$55. Runs through: April 17
A deft cast and director make this silly little farce exactly what it should be: a silly little farce. I mean that in the best way because it's not easy.
There aren't enough stars in heaven to number the times otherwise-capable playwrights and directors have slipped on farce's banana peel. You see, people in the United States ( vs. Europe ) grow up with sitcom rather than farce, and they aren't the same thing. Fortunately, playwright Nell Benjamin and director David H. Bell understand that farce cannot be loud, fast and furious from the get-go ( the usual errors ) but must carefully establish its characters and situations in order to set up successful comic payoffs. Farce characters can become silly, misguided and foolish ( and usually do ) but they must not be stupid and unbelievable.
The setting is the late-1800s Explorers Club of London, an enclave of sexism, racism and male privilege disguised as Science and Discovery. We quickly meet botanist Lucius ( Alex Goodrich ), herpetologist Cope ( Zack Shornick ), biblical explorer Sloane ( Dan Rodden ) and animal behaviorist Walling ( Matt Browning ), all friends and members. Lucius stirs things by proposing the first female member, anthropologist Phyllida Spotte-Hume ( Cristina Panfilio ), recently returned from uncharted tribal regions with a native warrior whom she calls Luigi ( Wesley Daniel ). That Lucius loves Phyllida only deepens the motivation. The club president, Sir Henry Percy ( Ryan Imhoff ), soon returns from his search for the East and West poles ( the North and South ones already having been discovered ).
It gets complicated when Luigi, presented at Court, slaps Queen Victoria in a traditional tribal greeting. She isn't amused. Looking for Luigi, the British Army surrounds the Explorers Club, which also is besieged by an angry Irish mob and an army of Asian warrior priests, while Percy competes with Lucius for Phyllida, whose identical-twin sister ( also Panfilio ) briefly appears, and there's a snake. Got it? Naturally, everything ends well when the Club makes Luigi its new bartender and makes Phyllida a member.
The cast triumphs by playing this fluff with nearly-deadpan earnestness, which is the only way to go. Given the largest roles, Goodrich and Imhoff are especially effective, with Goodrich playing arguably the only sane clubman, repeatedly trying to set things right. Tremendously athletic Daniel ( mostly in loincloth and body paint ) also is ingratiating while speaking hardly any English. Jeremy W. Floyd's costumes are lavish, colorful and highly-suggestive of the Victorian Era. Scott Davis' club setting is filled with appropriate rich details ( oriental carpets, animal heads ). Finally, Bell has engineered dazzling physical businessworthy of Lucyinvolving glasses repeatedly caught in mid-air as bartender Luigi sends drinks sliding off the bar.
Order a drink yourself at the comfy Windy City Playhouse and enjoy The Explorers Club.