ART/WNY Presents Steve Martin's THE UNDERPANTS

In a time when America needs a good laugh, American Repertory Theater of WNY will present Steve Martins hysterical adaptation of the 1910 German farce DIE HOSE by playwright Carl Sternheim, entitled THE UNDERPANTS. Artie Award winning director Jeffrey Coyle (FLOYD COLLINS; BLOODY BLOODY Andrew Jackson) returns to ART/WNY to oversee this romp.

Theobald Maske has an unusual problem: his wife's underpants won't stay on. One Sunday morning they fall to her ankles right in the middle of town--a public scandal! Mortified, Theo swears to keep her at home until she can find some less unruly undies. Amid this chaos he's trying to rent a room in their flat. The prospective lodgers have some underlying surprises of their own.

The original work DIE HOSE, penned by Sternheim, takes a strong look at the snobbish and repressive mindset of the bourgeois in 1910 Germany. The piece was so poignant that later in his career this work and much of Sternheims works were banned by the Nazis due to to disruptive comic reflection of German culture and society. Under Steve Martins contemporary comedic insight, he adds the right amount of his trademark hilarity to this farcical tale. As seen in the ART/WNY production of Martins PICASSO AT LAPINE AGILE, THE UNDERPANTS certainly will see a fair-share of the humor and comedic timing that is classic Steve Martin.

David C Mitchell will return to ART/WNY as the stodgy Theobald Maske who is trying to overcome the public scandal of his wifes, Louise (portrayed by the talented and ART/WNY alumni Candice Kogut), inability to keep her undergarments unexposed when the King passes by. THE UNDERPANTS also features an assortment of characters including the enamored team of 'Frank Versati' played by Ben Caldwell (last seen in AMERICAN IDIOT), and 'Benjamin Cohen', played by Rich Kraemer (last seen in BBAJ). Pamela Rose Mangus (ART/WNY productions include FLOYD COLLINS) will also make her return to the ART stage as the upstairs neighbor 'Gertrude Deuter' and rounding off the cast as 'Klinglehoff' is the multi-talented, Michael Starzynski.

This exhibitionist romp opens on March 9th and runs until April 1st at Tickets are $20 general admission and $15 for military veterans and students, Visit THE UNDERPANTS for ticket details and information of Subscribers Night.

Performance Nights

March 9th, 10th, 11th

March 16th, 17th, 18th

March 23rd, 24th, 25th

March 30th, 31st, April 1st

Showtimes

8 pm

Prices

$20 General

$15 Students/Military Veterans

$10 Thursday Nights

For more information on tickets please visit www.artofwny.org or call 716-697-0837.

Online tickets purchases visit http://underpantsatart.brownpapertickets.com/

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