Don’t Dress For Dinner is a farce by Marc Camoletti which the British Players made into an afternoon of laughter and comedic confusion. The cast of six had some pacing problems in Act I, but in Act II reached a comfort level and allowed the lines and laughter to roll right along.

Husband and wife Bernard (Peter Harrold) and Jacqueline (Kathryn Browning) have a seemingly happy if twisted marriage. Each has a secret lover. Harrold has excellent facial expressions that tell their own story as he desperately tries to keep himself from getting a) punched, b) divorced, c) maimed or killed. Browning is a strong match and keeps up with Harrold as best she can, which is sometimes difficult as he spins various tales throughout the evening. The two seem quite comfortable together and make a positive team.

Family friend Robert, played by Colin Davies, is an emotional actor. His timing is well-played and his fear (especially when it concerns his manhood) is believable. He also tries gamely to fulfill the part Bernard has for him when Suzette (Anne VanDercook) arrives. she soon learns she will have many roles to play during the evening including, but not limited to: a mistress, niece, wife, actor, and cook. Her part required some physical comedy that VanDercook created with flair and a range of overdramatism that was quite fun to watch. And all with a heavy French accent that at first was somewhat difficult to understand, but as the afternoon’s performance went along became much more comprehensible.

Houseguest #5 was Bernard’s mistress Suzanne, who also had a myriad of roles to keep straight. Some she was forced to play and others she forced herself to play. Vanessa Terzaghi created a character full of wit and sarcasm that she was not afraid to share when the need arose. She seemed to have the ability to bond with everyone in the house. Her timing was well done and her reactions to both good and bad situations were quite humorous.

Though a small part, George’s role proved crucial at toppling the house of cards built by the five at their dinner party. Michael Abendshein was very protective of Suzette. A big bear of a man, George quickly got caught up in the confusion and hilarity of the evening and attempted to carry out his own brand of justice by knocking some heads together. His physical comedy was well received though not by Robert and Bernard.

All six characters maintained their accents throughout the evening. Set Designers Albert Coia and Mike Lewis created a rather detailed living room with several doors leading into various rooms. Caroline Gelb, Chrish Kresge, Mary Rigney, and Joan Roseboom used color and elegance to make the space inviting. The lighting was somewhat dark in spots, primarily upstage, althought here were a few spots downstage that cast off shadows. Director Chrish Kresge kept the action moving. Don’t Dress For Dinner is a fun farce that lets the laughter (and confusion) run rampant for two hours.

Director’s Notes

How many times have you had an uncomfortable situation at a dinner party? Well tonight’s farce will set a whole new standard for you!

Don’t Dress For Dinner originally opened in Paris is 1987 under the title Pyjamas Pour Four. In 1991, the English adaptation by Robin Hawdon premiered at the Apollo Theatre and ran for six years. It is author Marc Camoletti’s sequel to his signature smash hit Boeing Boeing.

I have been blessed to have a very talented and hardworking cast and a production team that is the envy of any director – a huge thank you to them all. When I asked the cast how they would like the audience to feel when they left the theatre, they relied,”What an entertaining evening that was!”

We had enormous fun putting together this how, and I hope you will be bamboozled and entertained as you try to keep track of all the wives, husbands, cooks, mistresses, and lovers in this “delicate situation”!

-Chrish Kresge

Photo Gallery

Photos by Andy Simmons

Cast

• Bernard: Peter Harrold
• Jacqueline: Cathryn Browning
• Robert: Colin Davies
• Suzette: Anne VanDercook
• Suzanne: Vanessa Terzaghi
• George: Michael Abendshein

Production Staff

• Director: Chrish Kresge
• Producer: Caroline Gelb
• Stage Manager: David Jung
• Assistant Stage Managers: Mike Lewis, Devin Work
• Stage Crew: Nicola Hoag
• Set Design: Albert Coia, Mike Lewis
• Master Carpenters: Mike Lewis, Devin Work
• Lighting Design: Eddie Schwartz
• Sound Design: Benjamin Allen
• Set Dressing: Caroline Gelb, Chrish Kresge, Mary Rigney, Joan Roseboom
• Costume Design: Jamie Breckenridge, Joan Roseboom
• Properties Design: Mary Rigney
• Lighting Crew Chiefs: John O’Leary, Devin Work
• Lighting/Sound Crew: David Jung
• Dance Choreographer: Kay Casstevens
• Fight choreographer: Brian Dettling
• Programme Coordinator: Sara Kane
• Lobby Display: Nicola Hoag, Mary Rigney
• Technical Director: Mike Lewis
• Technical Advisor: Ed Eggleston
• Box office Manager: Sara Kane
• Business Manager: Gary Beaver
• Front of House Manager: Susan Frampton
• Assistant Front of House Manager: Margaret Lane
• Publicity and Public Relations: Chrish Kresge, Ed Vilade
• Graphic Design and Photography: J. Andrew Simmons
• Audition Desk: Jamie Breckenridge, Susan Frampton, Mike Gelb, David Jung, Sara Kane, June Nemeyer
• Front of House Staff: Sigrid Blobel, Danny Brogan, John Barclay Burns, Angela Cannon, Madge Darneille, Sue Edwards, Susan Frampton, Alan Gelb, Caroline Gelb, Pauline Griller-Mitchell, Adriana Hardy, Eileen Kent, Margaret Lane, Janet Leno, Frankie Lewis, Mike Lewis, Maggy McFerren, Dan Mitchell, Glenys Murell, Kim Newball, Elspeth Nunn, Susan Paisner, Maggie Skekel-Sledge, Carol Strachan, Jenna Sutton, Philippa Young
• Set Construction and Painting: Gary Beaver, Anna Britton, Lois Britton, Marla Bush, Albert Coia, Julia Frank, Caroline Gelb, Frankie Lewis, Mike Lewis, John O’Leary, Mary Rigney
• Special Advisor to the Producer: Kim Newball
• Artistic Liaison: Hilary Shostal

Disclaimer: The British Players provided two complimentary media tickets to ShowBizRadio for this review.

• Murder in Play, November 2010 Schedule
• Fallen Angels, March – April 2011 Schedule
• 47th Old Time Music Hall, June 2011 Schedule

Schedule is subject to change due to performance rights conflicts or other issues.

Mother Goose (written and directed by Danny Brogan) is British Players’ hugely entertaining traditional British, now playing at the Kensington Town Hall in Kensington, Maryland. If you’ve never had the pleasure of experiencing a real British “Panto,” there’s never been a better time. You’ll have to forgive me because I didn’t take a lot of notes on this production. I was too busy laughing, cheering, booing and hissing (at the appropriate moments, of course) along with the rest of the audience.

British Pantomime is a theatre convention unto itself. There is always a Dame (a man dressed as a woman), a “Principal Boy” (a hero, always played by a girl), at least one villian you can boo or hiss off stage, and plenty of opportunity to sing along with the rest of the cast. The last one I saw was over 20 years ago in London, and I can attest to the authenticity of the British Players’ production. Ask anyone who’s seen both and they’ll likely tell you the same.

Some plays acknowledge the fourth wall. The Panto gleefully demolishes it and hauls the audience into the action (quite literally) throughout the show. Mother Goose is no exception.

In this version, Mother Goose is the put-upon widow who must pay the rent or be evicted, played hilariously over the top by Malcolm Edwards. Robin (Susan Dye) is our knee-slapping hero(ine), in love with Mother G.’s daughter Sally (Mallory Shear). Jack (Albert Coia) is Sally’s dim but great-hearted brother (of “Jack and Jill” fame, rather than “Jack, the Giant Killer”). The aggressively good Good Fairywell (Sue Edwards) rounds out the “good guy” side of the cast. The bad guys include infinitely booable evildoers King Lord Thorgar (David Berkenbilt) and Queen Laxlove (Stephanie Phelan Offutt), who plot to turn the entire village of Tippetywitchet to greed, and the hissingly mean Village Squire (Brandon Brylawski), with his two daffy henchmen, Chips (Lyle Jaffe) and the surprisingly elastic Fish (Maggie Repp).

Crossing the line between bad and good, we have Priscilla (Jessica Wesley), the sweet goose-gone-bad who lays golden eggs and the assorted chorus of Minions, Ghouls, Villagers, Courtiers, Fairies, Goblins and Demented Woodsman, played by an ensemble chorus of fourteen.

And sing they do! Robin, Sally, Fish, Queen Laxlove and the Village Squire all have especially impressive voices, but the whole cast is more than capable of carrying the tunes. The songs are accompanied simply but beautifully by a single pianist (Addie Edelson, for the performance I saw).

J. Andrew Simmons and Anna Britton have done a bang-up job on the set design. Mary Rigney‘s costumes, Joan Rosebloom‘s makeup and Don Slater‘s lighting all help contribute to the overall quality of this production.

This isn’t deep, meaningful theatre, but who cares? If you have any appreciation at all for Monty Python-esque humor and want to watch a bunch of folks having a great time entertaining you, Mother Goose is a great way to ring in the holidays, British style. Even the youngest audience members will have a great time. I spent the evening sitting next to a not-quite two-year-old who started out shy. By the end she was just as enchanted by the show as my own kids. You can feel perfectly comfortable with bringing the whole family! I can say without any reservations whatsoever: If you have the time to see it this season, go!

It’s not to be missed. Trust me. If you see the show you won’t regret one minute of it! You heard it here first…

Laura: This is the ShowBizRadio review of An Act of the Imagination, performed by the British Players in Kensington, Maryland. Mike and I saw the opening night performance on Thursday, April 10, 2008.

Mike: This was a good show. The first act was a little draggy. The second act picked up the intensity and it was a lot more interesting. I had a good time at the show.

Laura: The first act was all about the set up so it went on and on and on. I really enjoyed the second act because there were lots of twists and turns that I didn’t see coming. I thought the ending was really good.

Mike: An Act of the Imagination is a play by Bernard Slade. It is a psychological thriller focusing on the Putnam family. Arthur Putnam is a mystery novelist. He has just completed his newest book and showed it to his wife, Julia. She loves the book, but has to wonder if it’s based on real life or not. To give anymore away would be a crime in and of itself, so I’ll leave it there, but this is an engrossing show once the set up happens in the first act.

Laura: Arthur Putnam, the mystery writer, was played by Peter Harrold. He gave a very convincing performance. It was obvious that he was in his own world. As a result you were not sure if he was kind of off his rocker a little bit or if that was part of his set up for what happened later in the show. He was really engaging.

Mike: His wife, Julia Putnam, was played by Chrish Kresgue. I think she did a good job. There was an air of mystery about her, which of course you need for a murder mystery type show. I liked that she was concerned about Arthur, but at the same time had her own secrets that came out slowly throughout the evening. I liked the scene when she was talking with Brenda Simmons ( I’m not going to tell you who she is.) She played it with just the right amount of shock and the right amount of anger to make it a very interesting scene.

Laura: Arthur’s son, Simon Putnam, was played by Clyde Wright. He was quite the squirrely little character. In his scenes it was obvious that he was trying to get money out of his father. His overall appearance and carefree air about the world was fun to watch. He was probably the most humorous of everyone I thought.

Mike: The set was simply gorgeous. The set was designed by Robert Gray. The set was the living room of the Putnam family home. There was only one entrance which I thought was a little limiting, but once they actually started using the space and people started coming and going it worked really well. There was also a large picture window at the back of the stage. You could actually see the people coming as they would park their cars which you would hear drive up. One thing I kind of wished was if they had something back there. It was kind of bland.

Laura: The sound design for An Act of the Imagination was also creative. The Sound Designer was Daniel Bentz. The music that played between scenes was not over powering. However, I thought in the opening scene in the second act the music was almost too loud. I realized that the music was playing in the background and Arthur did eventually turn it off. It just seemed to electrify the scene.

Mike: It was raining during much of the show. The sound effects were really good. There was a lot of thunder, but there wasn’t a lot of lightning. It may have been off in the distance. I remember thinking that they should have more lightning since they have a lot of thunder. During the later parts of the show they did do some lightning. You could see flashes through the window. I wish that they could had actual water coming down onto the window. They paid such attention to detail with the rain and the people coming in with water on their costumes. However there wasn’t any rain on the window, which was a small thing, but it was a plot point and would have been a cool special effect to do.

Laura: An Act of the Imagination is playing through Sunday, April 20th, Thursday through Saturday at 8 pm and Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2:30 at the Kensington Town Hall in Kensington, Maryland. The show ran about two hours and twenty minutes with one intermission. I recommend you go see this show. It will keep you guessing up to the end.

Mike: We’d like to invite you to join our free mailing list. Stay informed with what’s happening in community theater in the DC region.

Laura: And now, on with the show.

Cast

• Athur Putnam: Peter Harrold
• Julia Putnam: Chrish Kresuge
• Simon Putnam: Clyde Wright
• Detective Sergeant Fred Burchitt: Shawn Perry
• Holly Adams: Lynn Katchmark
• Brenda Simmons: Susanna Rosenbaum
• Brooke Carmichael: Karn Henderson

Crew

• Director: Adriana Hardy
• Producer: Sara Kane
• Assistant Director: Alexander Fraser
• Stage Manager: Mike Lewis
• Assistant Stage Manager: Anna Britton
• Set Design: Robert Gray
• Lighting Design: Jessie Slater
• Sound Design: Daniel Bentz
• Master Carpenter: Robert Timmerman
• Lighting Crew Chief: Peter Nerenstone
• Properties: Mary Rigney, Joan Roseboom, Erica Slate
• Costume Design: Sandy Eggleston
• Wardrobe Mistress: Pat Plunkert
• Dialect Coach (Welsh): Mary Rigney
• Dialect Coach (English): Susan Frampton
• Program Coordinator: Kim Newball
• Graphic Design: J. Andrew Simmons
• Lobby Display: Sigrid Blobel, Joan Roseboom
• Technical advisor: Ed Eggleston
• Box Office Manager: Gary Lee
• Business Manager: Gary Beaver
• Front of House Managers: Sigrid Blobel, Susan Frampton
• Assistant Front of House Managers: Margaret Lane, Gay Lee
• On-Site Box Office: Madge Darnielle, Ann Scherer
• Photography: Harvey Levine
• Videography: Michael Gilmore
• Audition desk: Angela Cannon, Susn Frampton, Joan Roseboom
• Transportation Coordinator: Peter Nerenstone
• Publicity and Public Relations: Jane Hersee-Lee, Kim Newball
• Set Construction and Painting: Gary Beaver, Anna Briton, Lois Britton, Albert Coia, Jane Hersee-Lee, Sara Kane, Franki Lewi, Mike Lewis, Peter Nerenstone, Robert Timmerman
• Front of House: Marcia Bauman, John Barclay Burns, Angela Cannon, Mirjana Djordjevic, Malcolm Edwards, Sue Edwrds, David Esterson, Janet Gregan, Pauline Griller-Mitchell, Jane Hersee-LeeNicola Hoag, Eileen Kent, Frankie Lewis, Pat MacDonald, Dan Mitchell, Kim Newball, Al Noerling, Maggie Skekel-Sledge, Frank Sledge, Carol Strachan

Laura: This is the ShowBizRadio.net review of Snow White performed by the British Players in Kensington, Maryland. Mike and I saw the performance on opening night, November 29, 2007.

Mike: This was a really funny show. I had a good time watching it. The audience participation was a little slow in getting started, but people kind of warmed up to it. With an audience full of children this will be a hilarious show.

Laura: Yes, I agree it was really enjoyable. British panto is something I had not seen before and the great audience warmed up to it. The children in the audience really had a good time. The ghost scene in the second act was really a lot of fun.

Mike: This is the story of Snow White, a princess whose stepmother tries to kill her by getting her to eat a poisoned apple. There is a handsome prince who has to come rescue her. She meets seven friends in the forest. The entire story is told in the form of British Pantomime. It is not mime like Marcel Marceau style mime. This is over the top exaggerations. Some of the female parts are played by men and some of the male parts are played by women. It is just a lot of fun with audience participation and a sing a long. Some people in the audience are brought up on stage at one point. It’s like nothing you’ve seen before and I really encourage you to go see this show. The matinee performances have already been sold out. The show is a little bit long, it runs about two and a half hours long. We didn’t get out of there until about 10:30 pm. It is a little bit late for children, but have a treat for the kids and take them to go see this show.

Laura: One of my favorite actors was Dame Goodheart, the Royal Housekeeper, played by Malcolm Edwards. Dame Goodheart is a man wearing a dress. He was the comic relief and does so much ad-libbing. It was funny to watch him because you never knew what was going to come out of his mouth. Because it’s live theater, every show will be different.

Mike: He had to improv some of the comments that were thrown out from the audience. Some of the kids in the front row didn’t quite know what to say so he had to improv around their shyness. The outfits he was wearing were hilarious, very over the top. I loved his eye make-up.

Another character was Chuckles, the Court Jester. Every time she would come onto the stage she would say, “Hi, kids!”

Laura: Hi, Chuckles!

Mike: That was the right answer. If you didn’t get it right Chuckles would stop the show and teach you how to say “Hi, Chuckles.” So get it right. You need to have some energy when you go see this show. Chuckles was played by Clare Flood. She did a great job and I had a fun time watching her.

Laura: I enjoyed watching Chuckles also. She had a lot of energy. Everyone kept the British Accent which was really funny to watch. I loved Chuckles and Dame Goodheart the best because they rolled with the punches and played off of each other really well. I had a good time and laughed a lot. This was also an educational Snow White. I learned that Snow White’s name was actually Princess Millie.

Mike: Princes Millie was played by Michelle Hessel. She looked the part. Early on she was described as having long blond hair. When she made her entrance she had short black hair. She explained that away by saying that she had finally become an adult and had put aside the childish things and had gotten a nice grown up hairstyle. I liked how sweet and innocent she was especially when she was in the forest and staying at the cottage before she knew it was inhabited. She was focused on taking a nap so she had to tidy the place up first so as not to make the people who lived there mad. I liked the sweetness she brought out in that character.

Laura: Prince Michael of Tyrolia you would think of as being a male, but in this case was played by Susan Dye. She did have the short princely robe on, but was obviously a female. She did a good job. She was the stalwart prince who came to rescue the princess and love her forever. It was just really fun watching him (oops, I almost did it) her, she had some good lines and I enjoyed watching her.

Mike: Not to give anything away, but at the end there was a sword fight between Prince Michael and Queen Maligna, played by Jennifer Strand. It was a very nicely done scene. A bit over the top, but that is part of the British Panto. It was very nicely done in slow motion. the musical choices for the accompaniment of the different scenes was great. The sound effects and the music were very nicely done. The sound design was by Nick Sampson. I don’t want to give anything away, but part of the joy is hearing the music that starts up. It’s all from other musicals or movies. The people near me in the audience were giggling and singing along at times. It was a lot of fun.

Laura: The set for Snow White was really well done. The Set Designer was Albert Coia. They made good use of the stage. They would close the curtain so that they could do more fluid scene changes. The Court Jester and Dame Goodheart would come out and do a bit while they changed the set so when the curtains opened again it was all smoothly done.

Mike: All in all this was a very fun show. Kids will love it if you can have them stay up late. I think they will love this as a treat at Christmas time. The show runs about two and a half hours long with one intermission. It is playing at the Kensington Town Hall in Kensington Maryland. Thursday through Saturdays at 8. The Saturday and Sunday matinees have already sold out.

Laura: We’d like to invite you join our free mailing list, so that you can keep informed with auditions and show schedules in the Northern Virginia region..

Mike: And now, on with the show.

Cast

• Fairy Thistledown: Joan Roseboom
• Alonzo, The Court Chamberlain: Danny Brogan
• Dame Goodheart, The Royal Housekeeper: Malcolm Edwards
• Voice of the Spirit of the Mirror: Jesse Blatt
• Queen Maligna, Ruler of Sylvania: Jennifer Strand
• Chuckles, the Court Jester: Clare Flood
• Princess Millie, Known as Snow White: Michelle Hessel
• Prince Michael of Tyrolia: Susan Dye
• Friend Champion: Lauren Kasuda
• Friend Mouse-Ear: Callaway McCarren
• Friend Sorrel: Ellie Miller
• Friend Cloudberry: Sofie Scott
• Friend Butterburr: Eva Rocke
• Friend Coltsfoot: Olivia McCarren
• Friend Speedwell: Lydia Kivrak

Chorus of Citizens and Couriers

• Nan Beal, Matt Craun, Elizabeth Fiore, Blake Grobe, John Miller, Johnathan Mittaz, Kim Newball, Elspeth Nunn, Emilia O’Connor, Ray Peleg, Yolanda Richards, Jenna Simmons

Crew

• Director: Pauline Griller-Mitchell
• Producer: Kim Newball
• Musical Director: Frankie Lewis
• Assistant Director: Joan Roseboom
• Stage Manager: Mike Lewis
• Choreographer: Kelly Doran
• Dance Captain: Kim Newball
• Fight Choreographer: Brandon Mitchell
• Assistant Stage Managers: Helen Bond, Patricia Kratzer
• Set Design: Albert Coia
• Lighting Design: Heather Burns, Jessie Slater
• Master Carpenter: Nick Sampson
• Lighting Crew Chief: Sara Kane
• Properties: Mary Rigney
• Costume Design: Sandy Eggleston
• Make-up Design: Cathy Dunn
• Wardrobe Mistress: Pat Plunkert
• Costume Crew: Jamie Breckenridge, Paula Cook, Rich Dodenhoff, Joan Roseboom
• Costume Crew: Anna Britton, George Krumbhaar, Frankie Lewis, Peter Nerenstone, Anna Simon
• Sound Crew: Sara Kane, Mike Lewis
• Stage Crew: Anna Britton, Ninotchka Pascua
• Friends’ Dressing Room Coordinators: Teri Lazar, Andrea McCarren, Mette Scott, Abby Stavitsky, Beth Wade
• Make up Crew: Marcia Bauman, Lisa Fiore, Clare Flood
• Program Coordinator: Kim Newball
• Graphic Design: J. Andrew Simmons
• Lobby Display: Nicola Hoang
• Technical Advisor: Ed Eggleston
• Box Office Manager: Pat Blunkert
• Box Office Staff: Madge Darneille, Ann Sherer
• Front of House Coordinators: John Barclay Burns, Eileen Kent
• Photography: J. Andrew Simmons
• Videography: J. Andrew Simmons
• Audition Desk: Susan Frampton, Chuck and Nicola Hoang, Sara Kane
• Audition/Rehearsal Pianists: Dave Larko, Jimmy Mrose
• Transportation Coordinator: Peter Nerenstone
• Publicity and Public Relations: Marilyn Daly, Jane Hersee-Lee,Kim Newball
• Set Construction and Painting: Marcia Bauman, Gary Beaver, Helen Bond, Anna Britton, Clare Flood, Barbara Goldhammer, Jane Hersee-Lee, John Kasuda , Osman Kivark, Frankie Lewis, Peter Nerenstone, Britt Reid, Molly Reid, Mette Scott
• Front of House: Marcia Bauman, Sue Bogner, Lloyd Bowling, Angela Cannon, Albert Coia, Laura Cox, Mirjana Djordevic, Sue Edwards, David Esterson, Susan Frampton, Alex Fraser, Janet Gregan, Paulette Henry, Jane Hersee-Lee, Sally Hile, Nicola Hoag, Hilary Hottle, Valerie Huff, Michael Kharfen, Chrish Kresge, Margaret Lane, Gary Lee, Pat MacDonald, Dan Mitchell, Al Noerling, Sue Paisner, Guy Palace, Sherry Singer, Maggie Skekel-Sledge, Frank Sledge
• Accompaniment Keyboard: Dave Larko, Jimmy Mrose