Prince George's Little Theatre to Present THE FOX ON THE FAIRWAY, 5/2-18

Prince George's Little Theatre will present Ken Ludwig's ingenious "The Fox on the Fairway" at the Bowie Playhouse at White Marsh May 2-18. The performances on Friday and Saturday evenings May 2-3, 9-10, and 16-17 are at 8 p.m. The Sunday May 4, 11, and 18 performances are 2 p.m. matinees. Tickets are $20 ($15 for seniors and those 18 and under). For more information, call 301-937-7458.

"The Fox on the Fairway," which premiered in 2010 at Signature Theatre, is a tribute to the comic anarchy of the traditional farce, endowed with characters of such zany idiosyncrasies that the audience can't help but being carried along on the wave of inspired silliness taking place at Quail Valley. There are two plot strands to be unraveled in the course of the play. When the amiable but hapless Justin (Alex Hyder), gets the job of assistant to the head of the Quail Valley Country Club, he can finally afford an engagement ring for his somewhat erratic and highly emotional girlfriend Louise (Erica Mueller), who works as a waitress at the club. However, as Justin tries to hold onto his job in the midst of total madness, the course of true love does not run smoothly.

The second theme surrounds the rivalry between the head of the Quail Valley Club, Henry Bingham (Brian Binney) and his nemesis Dickie Bell (Andy Negri), who heads the Crouching Squirrel Golf and Racket Club. A big bet is riding on the outcome of an imminent tournament between the two clubs, and each man is determined to win, with no holds barred and no trick too small to try. There are also two women who figure in their lives - and strategies. The champagne-swilling Pamela (Rosalie Daelmans) is Dickie's ex-wife and vice president of Quail Valley as well as a master of snide repartee. Muriel (Carole Long), Bingham's domineering wife, stands to lose something of great value to her if her husband's bet goes awry.

Ken Ludwig's whimsical and brilliant imagination is on vivid display in the mischief and misdirections of this frothy, madcap romp. Sometimes the target is the general insanity of golf 's manic hold on its devotees, which will amuse both those who love the game and those who have never picked up a club. Primarily, the play highlights the ability of men (and women) to complicate their lives while attempting to manage events that have gotten far out of their control, with plot twists coming at warp speed as things fall apart.

Audiences at the Playhouse will be familiar with Ludwig as the man who crafted such other comic delights as "Moon Over Buffalo," "Lend Me a Tenor" and "Twentieth Century." This production is directed by John Degnan and produced by Keith Brown and Estelle Miller.

PGLT has announced that its next season will begin with "Brighton Beach Memoirs" August 29 - September 13, followed by "A Shot in the Dark" (January) and "Suite Surrender" (May).