Review: THE EXPLORER'S CLUB at The Welsbacher Theatre At The WSU Metroplex
Runs through August 16, 2026
If you want to spend an evening laughing, and love Monty Pythonesque humour, hurry out to see ICT Rep’s The Explorer’s Club at the Welsbacher Theatre at the WSU Metroplex!
The Explorer’s Club was written by Nell Benjamin, who co-wrote the score to Legally Blonde, The Musical. The Explorer’s Club premiered off-Broadway at City Center Stage (i), and was a commercial success for Manhattan Theatre Club. Nell also adapted Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance, called PIRATES! (Or Gilbert and Sullivan Plunder’d)
The play takes place in London, 1879, where we find Botanist Lucius Fretway proposing to admit a female, Anthropologist Phyllida Spotte-Hume, to the all male Explorers Club! Phyllida has discovered a legendary Lost City, but Professor Sloane, An Archeo-Theologist, is dead set against letting a woman in the club, no matter how brilliant she is. Add in some of the most absurd British characters to fold in the most ridiculous obstacles and complications, and this hysterical commentary of colonialism and sexism (parallel on our modern political situation) rolls out like a blitzkrieg on sensibility.
As you walk into the theatre, you’re greeted by this gorgeous set designed by Julie and Stan Longhofer. It is impeccably dressed with the help of several local businesses, and includes exotic taxidermy, an Easter Island head, and a giant African Mask. The set is well lit, with many clever atmospheric moments courtesy Stan Longhofer. Sound designer Kirk Longhofer uses century appropriate music to add a lush landscape to the proceedings. Costumer Christy Cunningham Railsback makes sure all the academics are decked out in the appropriate tweed, whilst Phyllida and her sister the Countess have some luxurious, well detailed dresses.
There are many surprising plot twists in this play, so I’m not going to give them away and spoil your enjoyment. In fact, the less you know about this play, the better your initial enjoyment will be. Director Julie Longhofer puts her actors through their paces in this complicated farce, which is salted liberally with physical comedy, bits, and running gags, and the cast turns in some wonderful performances. Coleman Davis plays an Irish Assassin and Beebe, an expedition mate that club member Harry Percy left for dead on one of his many dubious exploratory mission. Beebe comes back to exact his revenge on Percy, and delivers a delicious monologue ala Kung Fu TV Star David Carradine, detailing “the way of a thousand deaths,” which is beautifully choreographed using all the surfaces on the set, aided by the cast.
Wichita Theatre Veteran JR Hurst is brilliant as Sir Bernard Humphries, Private Secretary to Queen Victoria. JR’s posh accent is impeccable, and his cadence is magnificent. His antagonist is arch as he plays the villain who is looking to find Luigi and bring him to justice, and wipe out his tribe, for an infraction Luigi committed against the Queen.
Deep voiced Nilo Reynoso charms as the macho, swashbuckling but bumbling, irresponsible, ill informed but lovable wannabe hero, Harry Percy, an Intrepid Explorer. He does nothing based on science at all, as evidenced by his East/West pole triangulation theory, calling National Geographic is a bunch of bounders as they reject his theory. Please watch for his Gilbert and Sullivan moment!
Torey Wilson plays the jocular Professor Cope, An Herpetologist, with great care and clean moves. He’s best friends with Professor Walling, A Zoologist, played by Jackson Dorris, a WSU grad with a BFA in Theatre Performance. Dorris’ Walling is meticulous and curt, which provides a beautiful contrast to the easygoing Cope. Unfortunately, a bitter fight ensues between them over unfortunate happenings at the big presentation to Queen Victoria. Hilarity ensues! How Dorris keeps a straight face in his monologue is beyond me.
Professor Sloane, an Archeo-Theologist, and arch woman hater of the group is played by Mathew Gwinner, a WSU Grad with a BFA in Theatre Performance. Gwinner is totally committed to Sloane’s devotion to his whacky theory about the Irish, and to making Phyllida’s existence a living hell. Gwinner’s bit with Luigi becomes a running gag, as does his Irish theory. Hilarity ensues!
Luigi (not his real name), a Tribesman brought to the club by Phyllida, from the lost city of NaKong. James Earlywine (BFA Millikin University), painted blue like an Avatar movie creature, nails the exotic native vibe, wandering around the room, exploring it like, discovering chairs and other oddities of cushy civilization we take for granted. At one point, the authorities come after Luigi, and he needs to be hidden. The club members agree Luigi should stand in for their absent bartender, who makes lousy drinks. Hilarity ensues.
Hunter Bartholomew plays Lucious Fretway, A Botanist, who invited Phyllida to present at The Explorer’s Club in the hopes that she might join. Lucious has feelings for Phyllida, and in turn names his most prized plant after her. Bartholomew’s Lucious gives leading man energy, with some cunning thrown in for good measure, as he plots and schemes through this outlandish minefield of a plot. This is Hunter’s last performance in Wichita, as he is moving to Chicago.
Holland Lee Kiser offers a clean, exacting performance as Phyllida Spotte-Hume, An Anthropologist who find the lost civilization of NaKong. She’s going to present her findings to Queen Victoria, and is bringing Luigi along as evidence. Due to an unfortunate miscommunication, hilarity ensues. Clearly she’s the most accomplished out of all the male explorers, but the men reject her. Phyllida rails against their misogyny, to hysterical effect, and comes out on top with her ingenuity and pluck!
If you’re in need of some good belly laughs, by all means see this play! Feisty audience members were finishing the actor’s lines and laughing so loudly the actors sometimes had to hold for their lines. The show runs until August 16th, so get your tickets on the ICTRep website at https://ictrep.org. The play is performed at at the Welsbacher Theater at the WSU Metroplex on 29th and Oliver.
What’s up next for ICR Rep? Gaslight, by Steven Dietz, which is based on the original play by Patrick Hamilton. The show runs October 2-11, 2026. The Location is TBA, so watch this space!
|
Misery Theatre Salina (10/16-11/01) |
|
Guys and Dolls Theatre Salina (9/04-9/27) |
Reader Reviews
To post a comment, you must register and login.