TheatreAddict.com - Bakersfield Drama Blog

The best theatre tends to catch you off guard, I always say. By that standard, "The Underpants," playing in April at The Spotlight Theatre, is the best. I saw the panties this weekend and despite years spent cringing at awkward community theatre comedies, laughed my ass off. I was pleasantly surprised by several elements of this absurd Steve Martin adaptation, but mostly the witty writing and the pleasantly unexpected ways the cast brought it to life.

I have to be honest, I spent the first 10 minutes of the show very worried. Is the audience going to warm up to this and laugh? Is this premise really going to entertain me for two hours? One memorably shocking laugh line was missed by the audience just a few minutes in. Louise, played by Denise Hembree, is being coaxed into considering an affair by nosy neighbor Gertrude (Tracy Herda). She objects, saying "But I'm married." Gertrude responds "So was Catherine the Great and she had sex with a horse!" My mouth dropped open and I was ready to witness an explosion of laughter as the rest of the audience heard what I heard. But there was none. I cringed. Oh no. This isn't going to work! Then, there is the plot, which seems familiar. It is the same fodder as many other "situation comedies" either on the stage or on TV. In fact, it sounds like something that would be funny and shocking in 1911 when it was Carl Sternheim's Die Hose. But can it be funny today?

Thankfully, the fun of the "The Underpants" is not in a watching a brilliant comedic plot unfold, it is in the brilliance of Steve Martin's comic style. A small town scandal erupts when a woman drops her bloomers in public. So what? It sounds like mediocre comedy at best and begs the question: Will this really be that funny? Then it hits me. I remember listening to a RECORD of Steve Martin, during which he entertains a crowd of thousands for hours with nothing more than his silly self and perhaps some baloons and funny glasses. He blends intelligent humor with physical comedy and random nuttyness, and in doing so makes outright sillyness into brilliant entertainment. This is what happens in "The Underpants." The writing is great, but the kicker is that the actors are so in tune with it that they even make seemingly colorless lines like "I am here" into rich humor. (This, if I remember correctly, is what Versati says upon his entrance).

At the core of the story are Theo & Louise Maske, an average german couple played by Denise Hembree & Jason Monroe. Their lives are disrupted when the fallout of "the panty scandal" brings two absurd men into their home. Jeremiah Heitman is Versati, a flirty Italian poet. He reminds me of a bit of Pepé Le Pew, the lustful loony toons skunk. He reminded my friend, however, of Fez from "That 70's Show." Combine those two and you'll have Versati, who brings Louise to the brink of sexual desire only to run off and write about it instead of...well you know. Then, we have Benjamin Cohen, played by John Wells. To put it blunty, he is a stereotypical hypochondriac jew. Cohen is a reluctant peeping tom who's myriad of issues compell him to stick around so that Versati can't "have" Louise. Wells' is exceptional at creating laughter from Cohen's neuroses. The highlight of the show is a full five minutes of physical comedy during which Wells owns the stage. Jason Monroe's performance as Theo Maske is also worth mentioning. His portrayal of Maske as the husband who is beyond oblivious is spot on and at times explosively funny.

As you may have gathered, the characters in "The Underpants" are all wonderfully absurd. How else would underlying themes of anti-semitism and adultery flow so freely in a comedy? Martin's ableness at varied humor takes a thin premise and weaves it into a delightful show for actors and audiences alike.

Take it from someone who has seen too many mediocre community theatre comedies. This one is a gem that should be enjoyed over and over again.

Check out the Underpants Gallery for picures from the show. There are a lot of great comedic moments in the show and we managed to capture a few of them on camera, as you'll see. Also, make sure to tune in to episode 5 of the podcast for a brief interview with director Bob Kemf as well as actors Jason Monroe & John Wells. The show plays at The Spotlight Theatre through April 29th so make sure to go see it!