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player ready...According to Gene Scheffler, who is directing the British sex farce “When the Cat’s Away” at The Riverfront Playhouse in Aurora, the audience’s familiarity with the genre is part of the show’s appeal.
“The British farces are all very similar, but I think that is one of the things audiences enjoy about seeing them,” Scheffler said. “Audiences love to see characters in crazy situations and we work very hard to make that happen.”
“When the Cat’s Away” will be presented at 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays from Jan. 13 through Feb. 18.
In creating the crazy situations, casting becomes an important element. Cast members must have good comedic timing and work well with one another.
“Those are key factors in finding the right cast, but you also have to consider age, skill, voice and appearance,” Scheffler said. “There are additional laughs to be had when you take them all into consideration.”
In the play, George decides not to go on a second honeymoon to Paris that his wife Mildred has planned, so Mildred asks her sister, Ethel, to go with her. When the women leave on their trip, Ethel’s husband Humphrey convinces George to enjoy themselves without their wives and they invite two charming sex kittens to their home. Mildred and Ethel return unexpectedly and the two husbands try to save themselves from the wrath of their wives.
“When the Cat’s Away,” by Johnnie Mortimer and Brian Cooke, is based on a popular British sitcom, “George and Mildred.” Scheffler did not watch any of the original sitcom.
“I really don’t like to copy what others have done from TV or videos,” he said. “I like to work the script and ‘find the funny.’ I really think it makes the show better.”
And making the show better is part of what is satisfying for Scheffler.
“I’m not an actor,” he said. “I work behind the scenes, so my enjoyment comes from hearing the laughter of a theater full of people and knowing I had a part in making that happen. The cast members are my ‘theater family,’ and to have them do well and have a great show makes me proud to know them and to work with them.”
And Scheffler said he believes viewing a wild sex farce at this time of the year is ideal to shake the winter doldrums.
“The four walls at home are beginning to close in on people and they need to get out and be entertained,” Scheffler said. “People should break the grip on the TV remote and stop binge watching for five or six hours. We can tell the whole story in two.”
Randall G. Mielke is a freelance reporter for the Beacon-News.
‘When the Cat’s Away’
When: Jan. 13-Feb. 18
Where: The Riverfront Playhouse, 11-13 South Water Street Mall, Aurora
Tickets, $15-$17
Information: 630-897-9496; www.riverfrontplayhouse.com
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