“The Underpants” is described as a play that’s a rare combination of social satire and expressionist farce.
The Sky Performing Arts production of this cerebral yet laugh-producing show puts the emphasis on the farce with hilarious results.
This is a fast-paced romp that channels the very essence of brilliant funnyman writer and actor Steve Martin, who adapted this comedy from the 1910 farce “Die Hose” by Carl Sternheim.
The dialogue and sometimes silly slapstick of the actors makes this a quick and clever good-time show for all the adults in the family. The ribald humor would be a bit much for kids.
And speaking of channeling Steve Martin, let’s talk about Asa Sholdez who plays Theo Maske.
Sholdez’s performance produces a wonderful synergism of surging emotions — mostly irrational anger and physical comedy — as he commands the stage as the play’s protagonist.
As Maske, Sholdez produces a patriarch that is aggravating yet someone we identify with. Sholdez hits the mark on that Archie Bunker-type level: We love to hate him.
And Sholdez also delivers some of the best funny-bone busting lines such as, “A giraffe is a lot like poetry; neither make a whole lot of sense.” Or, “I can’t change my mind; if I did I’d have nothing to think.”
Maske is the central figure in “The Underpants,” set in 1910 Germany, a time when women in just a few daring cities wore their hemline slightly above the ankle.
Maske is newly married to Louise. Their conservative existence is shattered when Louise’s bloomers fall down in public.
The scandal has Theo shaking with fear that he’ll lose his cushy job as a government clerk. That doesn’t happen, but the incident does attract two infatuated men, a foppish poet, Versati, and a whiny hypochondriac, Cohen, each of whom wants to rent the spare room in the Maskes’ home.
When a third possible renter, Klinglehoff, enters the scene, the whole show busts into spasms of wild puns and amorous chase scenes.
The cast consists of a solid team of community theater veterans, which includs the talented Julie Jennings, wonderfully playing the much-beleaguered and sought-after Louise Maske; the dependably funny Michael McFadden, who fomented in foppishness as Frank Versati; Christopher Kapsalis, who we hope to see again after making his Sky debut as Benjamin Cohen; Tom Cook, who left us wanting more with his short stage appearance as Klinglehoff; and newcomer Leilani Aileene Saper, who was lasciviously charming as Gertrude Deuter.
Theresa Goffredo: 425-339-3424; goffredo@heraldnet.com.
“The Underpants”
8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays through Oct. 25 at Sky Performing Arts, 17072 Tye St. SE, Monroe. Tickets are $14 and $12. Call 360-863-1663 or go to www.brownpapertickets.com. Recommended for adults because of the ribald humor.
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