by Barbara Waldinger
Oxford Languages’ English dictionary defines farce as “a comic dramatic work using buffoonery and horseplay, and typically including crude characterization and ludicrously improbable situations.” For those, like this reviewer, who are not avid fans of slapstick comedians like the Marx brothers, Abbott and Costello, Harold Lloyd, Buster Keaton, or the whole genre of British sex farces, here is a warning: if you choose to skip Barrington Stage Company’s current production of BOEING BOEING staged by founding Artistic Director Julianne Boyd, you will be missing out on one of the zaniest, most effective doses of welcome medicine this Berkshire season has to offer.
Written in French by Legion of Honor-winning playwright Marc Camoletti and translated into English by Beverly Cross and Francis Evans, BOEING BOEING crossed the pond from London to New York City twice: debuting in London, 1962, where it ran for seven years, on Broadway in 1965 (short-lived), then successfully revived both on London’s West End in 2007, and on Broadway in 2008 (directed by Matthew Warchus, starring British actor Mark Rylance). In late 1965 Paramount released a film based on the play, starring Jerry Lewis, Tony Curtis, and Thelma Ritter.
The story is simple: Bernard (Christoper Innvar), an American architect living in Paris, manages to juggle three fiancees (stewardesses or “air hostesses” from America, Italy and Germany), each of whom visits him in his apartment, never knowing about the others because he calculates their arrivals and departures based on the airline timetables of all the different routes. But things become complicated when faster and more powerful Super-Boeing planes are developed, which allow the women to arrive earlier and stay longer, and by the arrival of Bernard’s friend Robert (Mark H. Dold), who moves into Bernard’s apartment while waiting to find a hotel room. The glue holding Bernard’s precisely designed plans together is his beleaguered housekeeper, Berthe (Debra Jo Rupp).
Despite their superb work in Boyd’s production of FAITH HEALER last summer, Christopher Innvar and Mark H. Dold, Associate Artists of BSC, are not obvious choices when casting farceurs. But this director believes, with good reason, that talented, well-trained actors can do anything. We gleefully follow Dold’s journey as Robert, who comes from quiet, calm Wisconsin, moves from awkwardness, speaking in an overly loud, affectless voice, repeating much of what is said, marveling at the gorgeous women who appear in Bernard’s apartment, to an all-out manipulator, outsmarting the women (who predictably begin arriving at the same time), and, like a circus performer, keeping all the balls in the air, including himself—his body seems to be made of rubber. While Innvar is less engaging at the beginning of the play, once he and Dold get together, there is no limit to their physical antics all over the stage—the floor, the couch, a much-used bean bag chair—and can-you-top-this insanity as Innvar, literally falling apart, loses his confidence while Dold obviously enjoys finding his—seeming to grow taller and more self-assured as the action continues. Thanks to Clowning Consultant Michael S. Toomey, these two actors emerge unscathed for their bows.
Debra Jo Rupp, also a Barrington Stage Company Associate Artist, has performed a variety of roles, both on stage and screen, but her prowess as a comedienne is legendary. Throughout the play she mutters to herself in her light French accent about the difficulties of Berthe’s job and domestic service in general, as she races to prepare meals for each air hostess according to the stereotypical preferences of their countries of origin, changing linens and photos several times a day, figuring out which room to assign which hostess, and complaining to whomever will listen (“But it isn’t easy you know. I find it very difficult to keep track of them all.”). Despite her rudeness, determination to quit, and demands for a higher salary, Bernard cannot do without her. Quiet, understated and professional while the world around her becomes more and more unhinged, Rupp is perfect in this role. With the slam of a kitchen door, she speaks volumes and when she and the two men get together, their gestures and reactions are priceless.
The three air hostesses do their best with only their nationalities to guide their choices, but they each manage to be outrageous in their own way: Gisela Chipe plays the athletic American, Gloria, who believes that women should rule the world, as she bounces around the apartment controlling her lovers sexually; Stephanie Jean Lane is Gabriella, the Italian sex kitten, who spends most of her time embracing her fiancé and trying to persuade him to set a marriage date; and Kate MacCluggage is Gretchen, a kind of German dominatrix, with her tall, powerful masculine body and a voice to match—a delightful scene-stealer. Because it is the sixties, each woman is dressed to the nines by costume designer Sara Jean Tosetti, in short eye-popping uniforms with boots to match.
Because this play is a farce, split-second timing and doors are essential. People must be entering just as others are exiting—seven doors are par for the course in a farce as madcap as this one. Thanks to scenic designer Kristen Robinson, as each door opens we are treated to a flashy neon color in the doorway of the room within. Robinson manages to place enough furniture on the set for the actors to use as their playground, while keeping open spaces to give them the freedom to move around. We see the Eiffel Tower in the background (lit by David Lander) and the coming and going of a model airplane. Before and after the play we are treated to the songs of Charles Aznavour and others, and during intermission the muppet theme! (Sound design by Fabian Obispo).
The production builds in intensity from somewhat civilized conversation to absolute lunacy. To manage a performance like this requires actors who are willing to risk everything, a director who brings in a dialect coach (Amanda Quaid), an intimacy director (Leigh Silverman), and the clowning consultant to help them, and gives them the license they need to try everything and anything. If only we could have watched this dream cast in rehearsal—just to be a fly on the wall would be such a treat! It’s not surprising to learn from the program that BOEING BOEING became the Guinness Book of Records’ most performed French play worldwide.
BOEING BOEING runs from July 17—August 3 at Barrington Stage Company’s Boyd-Quinson Stage, 30 Union Street, Pittsfield, MA. For tickets call 413-236-8888 or online at barringtonstageco.org.
Barrington Stage Company presents BOEING BOEING by Marc Camoletti. Director: Julianne Boyd. Cast: Christopher Innvar (Bernard), Gisela Chipe (Gloria), Debra Jo Rupp (Berthe), Mark H. Dold (Robert), Stephanie Jean Lane (Gabriella), Kate MacCluggage (Gretchen). Scenic Design: Kristen Robinson; Costume Design: Sara Jean Tosetti; Lighting Design: David Lander; Sound Design: Fabian Obispo; Wig Design: Mary Schilling-Martin; Clowning Consultant: Michael F. Toomey; Intimacy Director: Leigh Zimmerman; Dialect Coach: Amanda Quaid. Production Stage Manager: Ryan Gohsman.
The performance runs two hours and thirty minutes, including intermission.