‘Tenor' a fun farce

In theater, a farce is a comedy that aims at entertaining the audience by means of unlikely, extravagant and improbable situations. All of this and more are on tap at the River Campus the next two weekends.

"Lend Me a Tenor," which will be performed at 7:30 p.m. March 22 to 24 and March 29 to 31 in the Rust Theatre at the River Campus, is set up as a madcap, screwball comedy that takes place in the 1930s.

"You can expect a great show and a great time. If you don't leave laughing, we haven't done the show justice," said Amy Fritsche, the director of the production and assistant professor of theater and dance at Southeast Missouri State University. "We chose this particular show to give our student performers some experience with farce comedy. But we also think it will be a big hit with audiences."

The show is set in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1934. The Cleveland Opera Company is excited because the greatest tenor of the day, Tito Merelli, is performing "Othello" with them. Saunders, the company manager, is particularly nervous about the show going off without a hitch. And when Merelli disappears, Saunders has no choice but to cover for the absence by sending someone to go on in his place. Add to the mix Saunders' attempts to placate Merelli's hot-tempered wife and distract Merelli's passionate fans, and the stage is set for chaos.

"It's a hysterical farce," said Kenneth Stilson, professor and chairman of the Department of Theatre and Dance at the River Campus. "It's definitely a fun show to see. A person coming to the show could expect something in the same vein as Neil Simon's ‘Rumors.'"

The play, written by three-time Tony Award winner Ken Ludwig, was produced on both the West End in London and New York's Broadway. The show has garnered seven Tony Award nominations, winning once for Best Actor in 1989. "Lend Me A Tenor" has been translated into 16 languages and produced in 25 countries.

"I really love the show. You don't see that kind of energy every day," said Rhonda Weller-Stilson, interim chairwoman of the School of Visual and Performing Arts at Southeast. "It's not difficult to find a way to relate to these characters. And the laughs help really engage the people in the seats."

Fischer and Kenneth Stilson both see this as an example of success in the theater department, and believe it will be one of the more heavily attended shows this season.

"No question I expect a good turnout. We do so many entertaining shows here, but this one is right up there with other comedies especially," Fritsche said. "The hope with the two separate showings is that maybe we get some word-of-mouth about how enjoyable the play is after opening weekend."

"You're talking about a show that was a huge hit on Broadway. I would think that might pique some curiosities," Stilson said. "If we sound proud of this production, it isn't a coincidence. Amy and our students have done some excellent work here."

Tickets may be purchased by calling the River Campus box office at 651-2265, or online at www.rivercampusevents.com.

jsamons@semissourian.com

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