Buffalo Theatre Ensemble Will Present Paul Slade Smith’s UNNECESSARY FARCE At The Mac

Buffalo Theatre Ensemble will present UNNECESSARY FARCE by Paul Slade Smith, directed by Ensemble Member Kurt Naebig, at the McAninch Arts Center.

The production will include a preview performance on Thursday, Jan. 29, followed by a press opening on Friday, Jan. 30. The farce centers on two inept police officers whose attempted sting operation in adjoining hotel rooms leads to escalating mix-ups involving an embezzling mayor, a confused accountant, and a series of unexpected plot turns.

The show incorporates the genre’s familiar mechanics—slamming doors, misplaced clothing, and misinterpreted intentions—while unfolding a narrative driven by physical comedy and rapid pacing. Stage and Cinema wrote that “all kinds of absurd choices and circumstances throughout add up to such great fun that ‘Unnecessary Farce' took me back to the feeling of the last ten minutes of the best of 'I Love Lucy' episodes – except that we're in that zone for most of the show.” Additional critical responses have described it as “The funniest two hours of theater I have seen in several years” (The Post-Standard) and “Dazzlingly funny” (City Pulse).

The play premiered at BoarsHead Theater in Lansing, Michigan, in 2006 and has since been produced more than 350 times in the United States and internationally, including stagings in Great Britain, Australia, Singapore, Japan, Switzerland, Iceland, and Canada. Naebig previously directed Smith’s The Outsider, which opened BTE’s 2024–2025 season. “I had a blast directing ‘The Outsider' so I am really looking forward to working on this play,” Naebig said, noting the need for a cast with precise comedic timing.

Cast and Creative Team

The cast will include Bryan Burke+* (Agent Frank), Lisa Dawn+ (Karen Brown), Doreen Dawson (Mary Meekly), Rob Koon (Todd), Brad Lawrence (Eric Sheridan), Frank Nall (Mayor Meekly), and Laura Leonardo Ownby+ (Billie Dwyer). Naebig+* will direct. The design team includes Sarah Lewis (scenic design), Aly Greaves Amidei+^ (costume design), Garrett Bell (lighting design), Christopher Kriz+^ (composer and sound design), and Kimberly Morris (properties design). Caitlin I. Quinn* will serve as stage manager, with Chris Yee as assistant stage manager and Morgan Erickson as student ASM.

Playwright Paul Slade Smith is a Brooklyn-based actor and writer whose work includes Unnecessary Farce, The Outsider, and Theatre People, or The Angel Next Door. His acting credits span major Chicago theaters, Broadway productions such as Finding Neverland, Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, and My Fair Lady, and touring productions of Wicked, The Phantom of The Opera, and My Fair Lady. Smith appeared with BTE in the world premiere and revival of Hotel D’amour and expressed enthusiasm for having a second work produced by the company.

Ticket Information

Performances will take place at the McAninch Arts Center, 425 Fawell Blvd., from Jan. 29 through March 1. Shows will run at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 3 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets are $45 and may be purchased at AtTheMAC.org or by calling 630-942-4000. An ASL-interpreted performance will be offered at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 19. Please note: the production includes adult themes and language.

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