Review: THE EXPLORERS CLUB at Everett Theatre

THE EXPLORERS CLUB first came to town (Wilmington, that is) in April 2016 with a frenetic, gut-busting staging by Delaware Theater Company. The Everett's production isn't quite up to the standards of the professional DTC production, but it still turns in a very entertaining evening of theater.

London, 1879 and The Explorers Club is in crisis: not only does the all-male club employ the world's worst (and now missing) bartender but, Acting President and smittened horticulturist, Lucius Fretway (Max O'Neill), wishes for female explorer and recent discoverer of the NaKong Tribe of the Lost City of Pahatlabong, Phyllida Spotte-Hume (Kathleen M. Kimber), to join, much to the disapproval of senior member, Professor Sloane (Wade Finner), an "archaeo-theologist" who professes of women, "Your science is adequate, but your sex is weak with sin and led astray with diverse lust," and theorizes that the lost tribes of Israel ended up in Ireland, while members Professor Walling (Dave Hastings),a zoologist with an unordinary emotional attachment to a guinea pig, and Professor Cope (Bret Ioli), a herpetologist who proudly escorts his pet cobra, Rosie, around his neck, agree to meet the young lady.

Phyllida doesn't arrive at the club alone; she brings with her a member of the NaKong tribe, a young warrior whom she's named Luigi (because she names all her pets Luigi), a large silver spoon (which the NaKong identify as a God), and a few stories of the tribe's strange ways, including their greeting (a slap in the face) and a recipe for toad jerky (boiling it in urine until almost all of the poison is removed). In the midst of all this, club member Harry Percy (Patrick Ruegseggar), the dashing adventurer and master of witty quips ("Girls get these little whims. That's why we call them women.") returns from expedition sans travel companions (because he notoriously loses them) to announce his next adventure - discover the elusive East Pole.

And, because we're in London, the Queen must be involved. For some odd reason, the Queen extended her hand to help Luigi up from genuflecting, which, in turn, gave Luigi (Kevin Austra) the opportunity to offer the Queen a tribal greeting, whereby England declared war on Pahatlabong. The Queen dispatches Sir Bernard Humphries (David Fullerton) to The Explorers Club to arrest Luigi and secure Phyllida so that the crown may learn where to find the Lost City of Pahatlabong and level it.

The only bits missing are a Irish assassin and an explorer turned stealth-like, revenge seeking monk (Austin Topper). Oh, wait...they're here too.

THE EXPLORERS CLUB is a wonderful ensemble piece requiring all actors to act and react with feline nimbleness to each other and their surroundings. Everyone in this production does their work quite well. My one peeve is the age difference between Mr. O'Neill and Ms. Kimber. It tended to get in the way for me due to his boyish looks and stature. Also, there is a bit of room for the actors to dig a little deeper into their characters and mine all of the comedic gold of this sparkling script. THE EXPLORERS CLUB embraces Gilbert & Sullivan-esque word play to engage audiences in a topsey-turvey world of bawdy, laugh out loud fun.

Playwright Nell Benjamin, better known for co-writing the score to LEGALLY BLONDE: THE MUSICAL, fills the script with frivolity enjoyable by all ages. Gail Wagner's stage direction is well-paced. Ms. Wagner also provides suitable period costumes and a well-appointed set design complete with many dead animals and toxic plants.

If you have the chance, don't miss this very funny and entertaining show. Huzzah!

THE EXPLORERS CLUB
Written by Nell Benjamin
Directed by Gail Wagner
Everett Theatre
51 W. Main Street
Middletown, DE 19709
(302) 232-6338
www.everetttheatre.com

Runs February 9 through February 18

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