Theatre Macon dishes up farce comedy with 'Don't Dress for Dinner'

A planned weekend tryst in the French countryside is the setting of Theatre Macon's newest production -- a farce comedy that's been described as one of the best.

"Don't Dress for Dinner" opens tonight and runs through Feb. 27.

"It is some of the wittiest, some of the most firecracker dialogue, and it's just great, great fun," said Jim Crisp, who is directing the play. "The comedy is physical as well as verbal and (the cast members) are good, strong, seasoned actors."

The play was written by Marc Camoletti and adapted by British playwright Robin Hawdon. Crisp said he first heard about it 20 years ago when some friends saw a London showing and came back to Macon raving about it.

"They said, 'You have got to do it. It's one of the funniest plays we've ever seen,' " he said. "I immediately ordered a script ... and I just laughed out loud all the way through it, which doesn't always happen."

Farce comedies typically feature both physical and verbal comedy. They have their roots in the work of George Feydeau, a French playwright who wrote a lot about philandering husbands and wives.

"The deal is nobody ever really gets to consummate and cheat so audiences could laugh and relax," Crisp said. "But the first act of a Feydeau farce always took place in somebody's home while husbands and wives made assignations. Act Two was either a hotel or a restaurant or some other place where it was slamming doors and running down hallways and up and down stairs and mistaken identities."

"Don't Dress for Dinner" follows a similar framework. The show's six characters find their marriages and love interests intersecting when plans at a weekend country home get mixed up.

"It's a formula for great fun, great laughs and a wonderful evening of delightful entertainment," Crisp said.

Theatre Macon did the show 20 years ago and Crisp thought it was a good time to bring it back.

"I wanted to do something just for fun for our audience and this season overall," he said. "I was looking to keep this season lighter, very strongly entertaining, keep the material lighter in tone and kind of drifted all towards comedy and lighter fare."

September Carter, who is a founding member of the theater company, was in the production 20 years ago and is back again playing "Suzanne," the mistress of Bernard.

"She's one of our best actors," Crisp said. "She's played many of the great, great roles."

Crisp described the rest of the cast as "seasoned actors" and it includes Scot Cooley, Gail Johnson, Tony Kemp, Maggie Rogers and Jeff Lintz.

"They are very strong," he said. "I've worked with all of them a lot."

"Don't Dress for Dinner"

When: 8 p.m. Feb. 19-20, 26-27; 7:30 p.m. Feb. 24-25; 2:30 p.m. Feb. 21

Where: Theatre Macon, 438 Cherry St.

Cost: $25 adults, $20 seniors (60 and up), $15 children/students to age 22

Information: www.theatremacon.com; 478-746-9485

This story was originally published February 18, 2016 at 9:37 PM with the headline "Theatre Macon dishes up farce comedy with 'Don't Dress for Dinner' ."