Review: ON THE FARCE DAY OF CHRISTMAS at Ottawa Little Theatre

Ottawa Little Theatre’s festive play this season is Ken Levine’s On the Farce Day of Christmas, directed by Sarah Hearn. Levine is an Emmy-award winning comedic writer who has penned episodes for hit television series like M*A*S*H, Frasier, Cheers, and Everybody Loves Raymond. The plot follows Wendy (Amy Kennedy) and Gary (Josh Sparks), who divorced over the last year, to Wendy’s parents’ (Dianna Renee Yorke and Michael Kennedy) Christmas celebration in her home stoate of Utah. Wendy’s parents are deeply religious, with divorce forbidden. Not wanting to disclose her secret or the fact that she is dating another man (Jonathan Morel), Wendy pays Gary to accompany her and pretend they are still happily married. Predictably, from the moment they arrive, things start to go horribly wrong, and the more Wendy and Gary try to keep up the pretense, the more things descend into chaos, especially when the Wendy’s super hot, philanthropic, childhood Best Friend, Karen (Laura Hall), enters the picture.

Quick-paced and witty writing keeps the plot moving and the laughs coming throughout the entire play. Sparks channels Hawkeye Pierce as Gary, delivering his one-liners with impeccable timing for maximum impact. Kennedy plays Wendy’s horny Dad mooning after Karen with glee, incorporating just enough ick to be hilarious. Hall plays the self-assured, but lovable Karen as if she were born to the role. Yorke plays Wendy’s Mom in an assured and motherly but no-nonsense kind of way that as endearing to the audience as it is infuriating to Wendy. Morel embodies Chip with an equal measure of pompousness and cluelessness.

This cast of characters is a madcap assortment, but the actors are well-cast, and up to the challenge that this type of screwball comedy presents.
The stage and set design works well to impart a sense of really being inside someone’s family home (set design by David Magladry; properties design by Barbara Merriam). Details like the staircase to the upper levels, front door, windows, and fireplace, together with a lovely decorated and lit Christmas tree and various holiday decor items work wonders to add to the homeyness of the setting.

The direction and use of lighting (designed by David Magladry) for the flashback scenes is perfect, and the characters directly addressing the audience adds a fun element to the show.  

Anyone who has ever been part of an awkward family get together will recognize and appreciate the back and forth banter and inevitable bickering that comes with these gatherings. On the Farce Day of Christmas is great fun and highly recommended to make your spirits a little brighter this holiday season.

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