Review: CONDO-MONIUM at New Theatre & Restaurant

The North American Premiere engagement for CONDO-MONIUM opened last week at Overland Park's New Theatre & Restaurant with a super cast and direction by Dennis D. Hennessey for an extended run through April 8. CONDO-MONIUM is an updated farce from a very similar British show called FLAT OUT. Both versions are by UK Journalist and Playwright Jennifer Selway.

Director Hennessy has assembled an excellent cast headed by Barry Williams of Brady Bunch fame and supported by Cathy Barnett, Craig Benton, Ashlee LaPine, Jennifer Mays, Carmen Roman, James Wright, and Matt Williamson.

Farce is a particular kind of comedy that isn't written much today. These plays feature crazy plotlines, broad, bawdy jokes, and gut busting audience reactions.

It is because of how extreme the form is that the difficulty of timing all the sex jokes, intrigues, and pratfalls become evident and all the funnier.

Farces go back until at least the time of William Shakespeare with his "Comedy of Errors," "Mid-Summer Night's Dream," and "Taming of the Shrew."

CONDO-MONIUM tells a story that is familiar in today's world. A real estate investment trust (REIT) has purchased an apartment building on the upper east side of Manhattan. The new owners plan to get rid of all the current tenants and turn their former apartments into condos.

There is a level of legal protection for the long-term tenants. Their leases continue at current rates as long as they abide by the terms of their contracts. Should the new owners force the previous occupants out; the old tenants get extraordinary compensation for their trouble.

Historically, the folks forced out in these situations are those least able to afford it. The REIT has assigned a young man named Tim Forrester (Matt Williamson) to spy on the current residents and eventually evict them for cause. The apartments are supposed to be primary residences and current contractees are forbidden to sublet.

Two middle-aged couples occupy the two apartments most affected. Hugh (Barry Williams) and Claire Carmichael (Carmen Roman) appear to be well heeled and prosperous. Their friends Phil and Trudy Gibson live directly below them. Appearances are not always what they seem.

Hugh has been a Wall Street Banker for many years. Besides this upper east- side apartment, they have additional homes on Fire Island and out on Long Island. Hugh is a bright guy, but has not kept up with all the latest debt instruments and takeover strategies. He is found out and escorted from his big time office. Hugh is fiscally embarrassed. He must sell some of his assets and sublet the apartment. Hugh has not yet told Claire that he has lost his job. And oh yes, we discover Hugh has a well-known hobby of dressing in women's clothing.

Phil (James Wright) and Trudy are likewise interesting tenants. It turns out Phil is a gangster. He claims to be a fountain pen mogul. Trudy (who we guess to be his moll) has suffered an accident. She has fallen off an airboat in the Florida everglades only to be devoured by a hungry alligator. Phil has not reported this tragedy to the police for fear his fountain pen enterprise might not stand up to police investigation.

Phil has another problem, too. He and Trudy have never been actually married. Her name is on the lease and her revealed death will cause Phil to lose his home without REIT compensation. Because Tim always sniffs around, Phil asks Hugh impersonate Trudy (in drag) until the apartment compensation settlement.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Claire has agreed to lend the apartment to a friend of hers for an assignation or an "afternoon delight." That should be OK because Claire's friend Angela (Jennifer Mays) is a widow. She is beginning a fling with a married attorney named Niles Fletcher (Craig Benton). Angela believes she is more attractive as a cheating spouse than a grieving widow to a prospective lover.

Simultaneously (if you are not confused enough already) Hugh has a prospective sublet tenant for the apartment named Sandrine (Ashlee LaPine) to whom he is about to show the apartment. Hugh is unaware that Claire has lent the apartment to Angela and Niles. Niles (it turns out) is Sandrine's Dad. And unbeknownst to almost everybody is that Sandrine is only posing as a prospective tenant. She is really Tim's girlfriend.

Oh... and the roof leaks into the electrical system, the apartment has rats, and the comedy maid Jade (Cathy Barnett) from Croatia knows everyone's secrets and is a smart Alec to boot. Hilarity ensues! There is a twist of a big reveal as the play ends, but I will not spoil it for you.

By now you can see the humor of the situations. I have not revealed the one-liners or the spoiler. The set by Joe Burkard has five doors, so most of the characters entering and exiting never run into each other. The farce depends on timing.

What we have is a well-acted, well-scripted, early version of a funny situation and farce comedy. You will enjoy yourself, but I suspect this show will grow and become even funnier. "Hadestown," which just played KC after winning eight Tony Awards, went through nine iterations before it assumed its ultimate form. This is version two of CONDO-MONIUM.

Tickets are available on-line or by telephone at 913-649-SHOW.