SCAPIN Revival Plays Theatre Row's Studio Theatre, Now thru 6/8

Molière's boisterous romp Scapin hits the New York stage this summer in a visionary revival helmed by Scott Ripley. The show runs today, May 28 - June 8 at Theatre Row and is produced by Adele Domo/Varano Produzioni.

With such recent hits as Broadway's One Man, Two Guvnors and CSC's The Heir Apparent, the city has shown a renewed interest in the lost art of grand old world comedy, but none pushes the boundaries of form quite as magically as this Scapin. A spirited hybrid ofcommedia dell'arte, contemporary musical, and pop culture improvisation, this production promises to be a revelation of gut-busting laughter.

Working from an adaptation by Shelley Berc and Andrei Belgrader with songs by Rusty Magee, this version embraces Molière's unabashedly goofy story of love, greed, and gleeful mischief. The play follows two servants, the endlessly crafty Scapin (Josh Tobin*) and the perpetually dumbstruck Sylvestre (Desi Domo*, The Conjuring), as they hatch a plot to ensure that their masters Leandre and Octave can marry the women they love. The key curmudgeons standing in their way are two miserly (and conveniently oblivious) fathers, played by Ripley* and Jimmy Kieffer* (Peter and the Starcatcher).

The production uses traditional commedia masks, allowing the actors to fully inhabit a rollicking style of physical performance. Ripley has also directed the play to allow for countless lazzi, a device that keeps the show completely different every night. Ripley says, "Lazzi are improvised comic dialogue and/or action, varying in length from a few seconds to several minutes, which do not advance the plot of the story. Our troupe employs many conventions made popular by commedia dell'arte, including lazzi, not only to pay homage to the first professional actors, but also because the essential premise of our work is that it is for and with the audience."

Rounding out the dynamic cast of Scapin are Kelsey Didion*, John, Dreher*, Suzanne Lenz, Waylen Roche, Scott Vicari, and Brett Bolton*. The show runs two hours with one 10-minute intermission.

Tickets for Scapin are $18 (students and seniors $12) and are available at telecharge.com. There will be one preview performance May 28 at 7:30 with an opening night slated for May 29 at 7:30. Showtimes for other performances are: 6/1 at 7pm; 6/3-6/5 at 7:30; 5/30-5/31 and 6/6-6/7 at 8pm; and 5/31, 6/1, 6/7, and 6/8 at 2pm. The show may be inappropriate for ages 12 and under (adult language, sexual innuendos); children under the age of 4 are not permitted in the theatre.

*Member of Actors' Equity Association

For more information, visit scapin-nyc.com.

Scapin: Share the JOY from Team Scapin on Vimeo.