Review: THE GODS OF COMEDY at Westport Community Theatre

There is probably no contemporary playwright who writes better theatrical farces than Ken Ludwig. What better way to close Westport Community Theatre’s 67th season than with Ludwig’s The Gods of Comedy?

The play is rich with witty dialog and mayhem that ties straightlaced modern day academia with the ancient Greek gods of fun.

On the Greek island of Naxos, academic Daphne Rain (Martha Hegley) saves the rambunctious young son of street vendor Aristede (Virgil Watson) and his wife Zoe (Paula Lacy), from being hit by a bus. He thanks her by giving her a necklace with a magic charm to summon the ancient Greek gods and goddesses.

Back home, she and her colleague Ralph (Henry Durham) stumble upon a treasure of a lifetime – Euripides’s lost tragedy, Andromeda. This will put them and their college on the map of academia and bring in the big drachmas at the upcoming annual fundraiser in which everyone comes in costume. Too bad Ralph carelessly put the ancient book of Andromeda at the edge of Daphne’s desk, and it fell into the waste basket. While she is out, Aleksi (David Victor) empties the bin, and that’s when things go haywire.

As Daphne vents her panic aloud, the talisman conjures Dionysus (Bob Filipowich) and Thalia (Marcy Sansolo). They were sent by the almighty Zeus with the mission of helping a mortal with an adventure and romance and they must succeed lest they suffer the consequences of his anger. “We’re the gods of comedy – Ta Da!” they introduce themselves. But they are hardly perfect. Thalia hopes that this time she won’t bungle their assignment as she bumbles her words. “I like to think of myself as a eunuch,” she says, but Dionysus corrects her by telling her she’s unique. They summon Apollo to help, but instead they get Ares (also played by Virgil Watson). The gods are in love with the college, especially Dionysus who discovers hamburgers and Ares who appreciates the college brutality and immediately wants to know “Who do I kill?” When she meets Ares, Dean Trickett (Jacqueline Carlsen), head of the classics department, she asks cordial questions such as what he does for a living and how many children he has. He deadpans, “Rape, pillage.” She doesn’t even blink at what would be taboo in the 2020s but responds with “like bankers.”  There is also a reference to Game of Thrones. These are totally new takes on classical mythology.

Remember that fundraiser? In addition to the announcement of the major find of Andromeda, alumna Brooklyn (Carin Freidag), a fading movie star, is there to boost donations and, hopefully, her career. While they’re waiting for the fundraiser to begin, there’s a lot of running around, disguises, and mistaken identities.

This is one farce where there are no slamming doors, but Dave Eger compensates with a beautiful and clever set design and Jeff Klein’s lighting design and projections are used well in both acts. Stage Manager Bill Johnson flawlessly kept the comings and goings smoothly under the deft direction of Frederic Tisch and assistant director Paula Lacy. Lacy and Kim Brachet came up with delightful costumes. David Rylander’s excellent sound design should not be taken for granted because of complaints we’ve heard about two widely anticipated Broadway shows that cost hundreds of dollars to see, but ticket holders struggled to hear what the actors said.

Martha Hegley gives a convincing performance as an academic who loses herself in her work to avoid dealing with her emotions, particularly a crush on Ralph. Henry Durham is equally convincing as a socially awkward professor. Carin Freidag was well-cast as the self-absorbed movie star who is hanging by her fingernails to her career for dear life. Jacqueline Carlsen was credible as the tough-as-nails Dean Trickett. Paula Lacy was unflappable in her small part as the vendor’s wife. David Victor played Aleksi with sympathy and humor. Marcy Sansolo was delightful as the bumbling goddess. But the two standouts in this production are Virgil Watson as the amiable street vendor and no-nonsense god of war and Bob Filipowich as Dionysus. Their timing and willingness to go over the top when necessary is what distinguishes farce from comedy.

This is not one of Ken Ludwig’s best farces, but it’s well worth seeing because Greek mythology is fun and interesting, and the world’s most coveted handbag comes from Hermès via France. (It’s a religious experience to open one of their orange boxes.) Also, the Andromeda Rock, jutting out the Mediterranean Sea (not the Aegean) in front of the old town of Jaffa in Israel. Fun detail: Andromeda was a gorgeous Black Ethiopian princess, not white European princess. Imagine how Euripides was so bedazzled by her that he wrote the first love story for the theater.