Two cops, three crooks, eight doors and the Scottish mafia get tangled together in the comedy, "Unnecessary Farce," staged by the Department of Theatre and Dance at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Oct. 14-16 and 19-22.
Performances will be held in the Studio Theatre in the Noel Fine Arts Center at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 14 and 15, and Wednesday through Saturday, Oct. 19-22. A 2 p.m. matinee will be offered Sunday, Oct. 16. Due to adult situations, it is for audiences of high school age and older.
"Unnecessary Farce" takes place in adjoining motel rooms. In one, an embezzling mayor waits for his female accountant, and in the other, two undercover cops wait to catch the meeting on video. Along the way there are unexpected revelations, many doors opening and closing and an appearance by the mafia.
"It's fun to see the story unfold," said director Tyler Marchant, an associate professor of theatre. "If you are looking to laugh and enjoy a night of theater, this is your kind of show."
Marchant is excited about working with students on a farce, which has plenty of physical comedy and impossible situations. While he enjoys being able to laugh nightly for five weeks of rehearsals, the farce is technical challenging as well.
"The show is an ensemble piece with seven great roles that require everyone to be at attention," said Marchant. "With a farce, the challenge is working on the timing. You have to land the joke without being obvious. It's not a punchline, it is a cadence."
Farces feature a world of exaggeration, he said. Even so, actors must believe in their characters so the audience does.
"People think of a farce as being simple," Marchant said, "but it is more technical than a drama. It is important for our students to dive into that world and find the line between ridiculous and credible."
Tickets are $22 for adults, $21 for seniors, $17 for youth and $4.50 for students with UW-Stevens Point ID. Tickets are available at the UW-Stevens Point Information and Tickets Office, located in the Dreyfus University Center concourse, by calling 715-346-4100 or at http://tickets.uwsp.edu.
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