Farewell my Underpants: All good things must come to an end... Oh my God what an appropriate allusion

This is what we look like in our underpants...

Hey look, a review!

I suppose I should link the review. The very good review.

Funnyman Steve Martin has given us "The Underpants," a lowbrow, highly witty look at scenes from a marriage with lots of digs at society.

Germantown Community Theatre's giddy production directed by Chris Davis lives down to the premise with a fine cast and good pacing that keeps the hilarity flowing.

Martin adapted the story from a 1910 satire by Carl Sternheim that examines the deep question of what happens when a young housewife, waving to the king at a parade, unintentionally drops her knickers. They are at her ankles only seconds, but the effect is rollicking.

Louise (Aliza Moran) becomes somewhat celebrated, to the utter dismay of her prig of a husband Theo (Randal Cooper) who believes his job as a government bureaucrat is doomed and that the couple will never be able to rent out their spare room. Her misadventure, however, attracts a slick poet (Grant Hatton) and a milquetoast barber (Kent Mathis) who saw her and were so overcome that they now compete for the room.

Moran is splendid as the flustered wife who is embarrassed but who also finds the attention stoking her desire. Not much comes from her husband who prefers to pontificate on any subject rather than tend to Louisa's needs. Cooper hits the Teutonic target dead-on in his wild-eyed portrayal of the obsessive boaster.

Louisa's only confidante is neighbor Gertrude (an excellent Denise Turner Barton) whose nosiness gets her more than she bargained for.

Characters run in and out of doors; misunderstandings and mistimings rule the day. I wouldn't have minded even more choreographed slapstick to give some of the gags a bit more time to play out.

Those gags also take a few digs at anti-Semitism (barber Cohen insists to Theo that Cohen is spelled with a K), elitism, gender prejudice and the uberpower of fame.

With an amusing set and fine costumes, the show provides some good, naughty fun, not for all ages, but worth a peek.

Go Underpantsers! Go!

For the historical record. As an ensemble we took a big leap forward tonight. Here's a little thank you card. Not dirty, but probably not work safe.

A Schedule

Yes, I know there may still be some conflicts here, but we'll work around them

Thursday March13
Pages 48-80 and pages 94-120

Friday March 14
Pages 60-93

Saturday March 15

Sunday March 16
2-3:30
Pages 121-end of show

Monday March 17
All Versati’s scenes. Plus finish any scenes we haven’t worked on (TBA).

Tuesday March 18
Stumble through

Wednesday March 19

Thursday March 20
Work trouble spots TBA

Friday March 21
Run

Saturday March 22
Sunday March 23
HAPPY EASTER

Monday March 24
Work through first half

Tuesday March 25
Work through second half

Wednesday, March 26
TBA (for trouble spots w/versati)

Thurdsay, March 27
Work trouble spots

Friday, March 28
Run

Saturday March 29
TBA (if needed)

Sunday, March 30
Run (Maybe twice)

Monday, March 31
Work trouble spots TBA

Tuesday April 1
Run
Wednesday April 2
Run
Thursday April 3
Work trouble spots TBA
Friday April 4
Run
Saturday April 5
TBA (if necessary)
Sunday April 6
Run (twice for sure) Full Dress all tech
Monday April 7
Run
Tuesday April 8
Run
Wednesday April 9
Run
Thursday April 10
Preview
Friday April 11
OPENING

I'LL PLUG IT INTO GOOGLE TONIGHT TO MAKE IT EASY FOR EVERBUDDY.

Sunday: Theo, Louise, Cohen

Monday: Theo, Louise, Cohen, Gertrude.

Still no confirmed Versati. Stay tuned. Keep your ears open. Ask all your friends in the theatre that could do Versati, why the heck they aren't doing Versati.

I'm going to take this to the folks at GCT on Monday. I need some help because I've run out of options and ideas, and only now am I beginning to panic.

Monday

Full call on Monday at 7.

We will be taking measurement for costumes and the women will be trying on pieces borrowed from Rhodes.

Once all the measuring etc. has been accomplished I'll turn everybody loose but Louise, Theo, and Gertrude.

We're still without a Versati, and may remain without one for this first few days. But I've spoken to several prospects and hope to spend Wednesday evening interviewing/auditioning and getting this last piece of the puzzle in place.

I should be freaked out. But I've got a great deal of confidence in the cast we've got. And as omens go, this whole experience rhymes with a production of The Lion in Winter I did with Jim Ostrander at GCT many years ago. We had a Richard, then we lost our Richard, then we didn't have a Richard, then -- after some period of Richardlesness--we found a much, much better Richard. It was worth dealing with a bit of terror on the front end. And I'd rather do that than cast the first available body that walks through the door. I think I've got some good prospects. But am still open to suggestions if you have any.

Lysistrata, Room Service, and an unanticipated student production of Shakespeare's R&J have sucked many of the Y chromosomes out of the greater metro area.

Read through & Table Work Sunday, February 24

At 244 Looney Avenue, Uptown Memphis. The northwest corner of Looney & 5th.

Very excited!

6:30 pm.

Yes, there will be snacks and cold drinks.