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CVLT's 'Provence' turns fun into funny
(by Herb Hammer - June 06, 2012)
THEATER, BY HERB HAMMER
CVLT's 'Provence' turns fun into funny
British farce writer Robin Hawdon surely knows how to make people laugh. In his most recent sex comedy, "A Night in Provence," now at Chagrin Valley Little Theatre, he proves once again he just might be the king of the one-line gags.
On Edmond Wolff's elegant set, a simple misunderstanding is turned into a complicated farce. This is not a farce of mistaken identities and slamming doors but a six-character comedy where wives and husbands cause mischief so tangled you wonder how Mr. Hawdon will write his way out.
Judy and Fred have arrived at a luxurious rented villa in the south of France for two weeks of fun in the sun. All is going well until Maurice and Yvette arrive from Paris. This is their villa, and they too intend to be there for the same two weeks, a simple mistake.
Not so simple, for each couple demands the others leave.
The complications are just beginning, for Fred and Judy are expecting Shaun and Moira, their close friends from Ireland, to join them.
Everything is finally worked out, for the villa has several bedrooms, a swimming pool and the opportunity for all six to have a two-week party.
You know rather early Mr. Hawdon will not let everything just play out. This is much too simple and too early in the game. Though the laughs come right from the start, the real complications are just beginning.
Sue Cohen plays Judy, the loyal housewife who spends way too much time in the bathroom. Miss Cohen, a fine laugh-getter, shows us another side of Judy.
As her husband, Fred, Jerry Schaber's angry innocence is right on.
Is Judy having an affair with Shaun? How could that be? Mr. Hawdon creates characters who are never what they seem to be.
As long as Judy and Shaun are messing around, why not have everyone jump in? There is a pool, after all. How about a little skinny dipping?
The all-too-predictable plot is suddenly stalled. How do we work our way out? The play has several tricks up its sleeve as Maurice takes over.
Adam V. Young is the perfect Maurice. His French accent and his way with words make you wish he had even more to do.
As his pouting wife, Yvette, Natalie Dolezal delivers right from the start.
Scott Hommel and Erika Hanson round out the bunch. I especially liked Miss Hanson's very cute Irish brogue.
The costumes are a major disappointment, and, though the cast has been let down, they manage to overcome this problem.
Barbara Rhoades directs here and does so in her usual style, finding all the laughs while moving the comedy along at a swift pace.
Last season, Chagrin Valley Little Theatre performed "Don't Dress for Dinner," another Robin Hawdon comedy with an entirely different plot, but, like "A Night in Provence," the play proved to be another audience pleaser.
Though "A Night in Provence" has its awkward moments, all is forgiven, especially when you can leave the theater with a smile.
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