Take a couple of employees looking to impress the boss, toss in some miscommunication, mistaken identity and a misguided scheme, and watch the hilarious chaos unfold.
“It’s a lot like a sitcom, really,” Director Jen Whittington said. “It reminds me a little bit of ‘Three’s Company’ or something along those lines. Kind of the old-fashioned physical humor type of sitcoms.”
Fox Country Players presents the farce “Whose Wives Are They Anyway?” April 6-8 at Waubonsee Community College in Sugar Grove. Performances are at 7 p.m. April 6-7 and 2 p.m. April 8.
Written by Michael Parker, the farce tells the story of David and John, who work for the Maureen Cosmetics Company, Whittington said.
“They have a new boss who starts on Monday. So they think they’re going to get away for the weekend and have a golfing weekend before she starts,” she said. “They go to the golf resort and low and behold she’s there too.”
After meeting their new boss — whose name is D.L. Hutchison and they assumed was a man — she shares some news with them that sends them into a panic.
“She says to them she just cant’s stand it when men go away for the weekend without their wives, and she’s looking forward to meeting their wives,” Whittington said. “Meanwhile their wives are shopping in New York, so they’re not even there. But when she says that they decide quickly that they should produce some wives.”
John convinces Tina, the hotel receptionist, to act as his wife. But there aren’t any other women in the club, so one of the men dresses up as the other wife.
“We have a very talented actor, Eric Downs. He’s playing John, who is also disguised as Karly, David’s wife,” she said. “So very quickly throughout the show he has to throw on a wig and a dress and a pair of heels, and he’s quite good at it, and it’s very funny.”
“It all kind of snowballs from there,” Whittington said.
The phones are on the brink, and they keep getting calls from people who are trying to bet on horses. Tina has too much to drink and can’t keep her clothes on. And then the real wives surprise their husbands and react to their perceived infidelity.
“It’s funny enough that you laugh just reading it. So it’s even funnier when they act it out,” Whittington said.
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The play features a cast of eight and runs about two hours, with intermission. It is considered appropriate for teens and older due to some sexual innuendo.
“We put a PG-13 rating on it,” Whittington said. ” There’s no foul language, but there’s some ‘sexual shenanigans’ as they say in the play. It’s innuendo.”
Whittington said that even though not a lot of people have heard of “Whose Wives Are They Anyway?” before, Fox Country Players is hoping that people will give it a chance and come out.
“You can just come out, laugh and have a good time, forget your worries and enjoy yourself,” she said. “It’s a funny night out.”
Kathy Cichon is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
‘Whose Wives Are They Anyway?’
When: April 6-8
Where: Waubonsee Community College Auditorium, Route 47 at Waubonsee Drive, Sugar Grove
Tickets: $20 adult; $15 students and seniors (65+)
Information: waubonseetickets.universitytickets.com
Fox Country Players presents the farce “Whose Wives Are They Anyway?” April 6-8 at Waubonsee Community College in Sugar Grove.