Review: BOEING BOEING at Albuquerque Little Theater

When I heard the Albuquerque Little Theater was presenting Boeing Boeing, I knew I needed to see it. Living in Santa Fe, I don’t often make my way to “the Big City,” but I’m glad I did.

I first encountered this play in college, working wardrobe on a production where I watched nightly from the wings as my then-roommate navigated the play’s romantic chaos in her caftan and red wig, while simultaneously juggling a real-life love triangle with the two male leads. While her situation didn’t have a neatly packaged ending like this play, it was an early lesson in the absurdity that fuels farce.

That production was also my introduction to the genre itself. Since then, I’ve worked with a European physical theater ensemble that draws on many of the same techniques required to execute farce well: precision, timing and total commitment to heightened circumstances. When those elements align, farce can feel effortless, but it’s anything but. This play, to me, is one of the best examples of this genre (outside of the operatic canon), and when the skills of farce are mastered, an actor can perform anything.

I’ve seen (and made) a fair amount of political theater lately *gestures broadly to everything.* It’s timely and necessary, but I’ve been missing the kind of theatrical experience that offers pure release.

Boeing Boeing, a farce written in 1960 by French playwright Marc Camoletti, offers this escape and then some. The premise is deceptively simple: Charming Parisian bachelor Bernard has three fiancées, all beautiful airline stewardesses,  each unaware of the others, thanks to carefully staggered flight schedules. The arrival of faster Boeing jets, however, throws that system into chaos, bringing all three women to his apartment at once. Enter Robert, Bernard’s visiting friend from Wisconsin, who quickly becomes entangled in the increasingly frantic effort to keep the illusion intact. What could possibly go wrong!

Albuquerque Little Theatre’s production shines in several design elements. The set is attractive, of the era and highly functional for the play's circumstances. The props were realistic and handled beautifully by the actors. Bernard’s home felt, though aesthetically sharp, lived-in and comfortable, thanks to scenic designer Jason Roman, prop designer Calleigh Fife and the actors who believed in their circumstances. Costumes by Rachel Capener were uber stylish and character-specific, and the overall production design was cohesive. Sound by Sani Doolittle immediately placed us in the mid-century. Lighting Designer Emma Ziegler’s transitions between acts are slick, though I found the overall brightness a bit high, and I would have appreciated a stronger shift from Act II into Act III as the play moves into evening.

Performance-wise, the evening begins somewhat unevenly. Gloria, played by Darby Kolwyck, opens the play in a breakfast scene — pancakes and ketchup, how American — before heading off to her job with TWA. Her chemistry with Bernard (Isaac Dean Carrillo) didn’t immediately convince, and Bernard himself initially lacked some of the effortless, oozing charisma needed to make the premise plausible. That said, he quickly settled into the role and ultimately delivered an energetic performance with several strong comedic moments. Gloria returned for Act 3 and also delivered a highly enjoyable performance, in which I said, “Good for her.” Her alimony speech was chef’s kiss.

In the setting of the exposition, we meet Berthe, the exhausted and bored French maid, played by Alli Marie. She is responsible for *also* keeping track of the comings and goings of the three women, and most importantly, making up their rooms to their individual likings. It’s a wonderful role: dry, deadpan and full of ennui. She proved to have great instincts, and there were some genuinely sharp comedic beats, though at times the pacing lagged, and moments that should have snapped instead lingered, disrupting the rhythm. 

Then comes Robert, played by Timothy Chivalette, and the production finds its engine. From his first moment on stage, he filled the house with energy, sure, a sort of character-appropriate-nervous-energy, but GLORIOUS ENERGY! As the outsider drawn into Bernard’s increasingly unmanageable scheme, he provides a clear and effective contrast, and the duo is set up for delicious hijinks with this casting. What impressed me most was that Mr. Chivalette was able to not only maintain, but build this high energy throughout the 2.5-hour evening, and even came beautifully undone as the façade came to a boil.

Gabriella, the fiery Italian fiancée played by Nicee Brown, is written as a fast-moving force of energy, but here the performance struggled to meet the needs of the show. The accent was heavy with a tendency for a downward cadence, paired with a slowed vocal delivery that made dialogue difficult to follow and, more importantly, disrupted the pace and momentum of the ever-heightening stakes and action. I did find her very believable in her disdain for Robert, her frustration with and love for Bernard, and her ability to stand her ground.

Gretchen, the German fiancée played by Sarah Kesselring, is a standout. From her first entrance, the performance is bold, grounded and fully in control of everything. Every single choice lands, and the arc from stern authority (and sometimes hostility toward Robert) to unexpected romance is wunderbar. I looked over at my friends and saw genuine tears in their eyes from the top-notch, hilarious performance.