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WE REVIEW THE FARNDALE COMEDY AT THEATRE 29

The hilarious “Farndale” comedy opened last weekend at Theater 29 and runs through March 29. Managing Editor Tami Roleff offers this review of the comedy…
How do you review a play that’s SUPPOSED to be badly acted? In Theatre 29’s current production, the Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen’s Guild Dramatic Society Murder Mystery, directed by Marty Nieder, you are watching the Society’s four incredibly incompetent women—and their poor stage manager who is roped in at the last minute—try to put on a murder mystery play while playing the parts of at least a dozen different characters. In this play within a play, everything that can go wrong, does go wrong, to hilarious effect. I haven’t heard such laughter from the audience in a long time. It’s not easy for talented and accomplished actors and backstage hands to perform badly—missing cues, getting the lines wrong, forgetting props, and more. All the actors—Mandi Pushkar, Amanda Winters, Char Childs, Leonard Weber, and Donette Swain—are good enough to portray bad actors trying to perform a bad play really well, and are accomplished at slapstick: falling, tumbling, being dragged, and all the bumps and thumps. And don’t forget the stage hands, Brianna Sears and Curtis Mohn, who bring lots of laughs of their own. Donette Swain absolutely sparkles as Phoebe Reece, whose last death scene (yes, she “dies” several times) takes the art of a slow death to new levels. There were several times during the play when I wondered whether Mandi Pushkar’s effort to keep a straight face was part of her act, or if she was seriously trying to not burst out laughing at her castmates. Leonard Weber is a riot in his role of Inspector O’Reilly, a very bumbling, Closeau-like character. Amanda Winters’ role as the Colonel brings guffaws, and Char Childs plays the glamours Miss Farndale, whose muttered snarls turn into smiles for her audience. Marty Nieder directs this play with humor and tongue in cheek, making Farndale an entertaining and enjoyable romp.
Performances are Friday and Saturday nights at 7:00 p.m. through March 29. A matinee performance will be this Sunday and March 23rd at 2:30 PM. Tickets are $8 through $12 and are available at theatre29.org or by calling the Theatre 29 Box Office at 760-361-4151.

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