Louise Maske, a young woman on tiptoe, watched her King parade by her porch in Germany, 1910. From under her long skirt, her pantaloons fell to her feet. Her husband Theo, a self-important and self-absorbed prig, considers himself humiliated. What will everyone think of him, of the couple?
Two onlookers, bowled over by the sight of Louise (pretty, turning-adventurous Jennifer Joan Thompson), note a for-rent sign in the Maskes’ window. They bid for the room to be let, so it has to be divided to accommodate both. The men in turn hope to divide Louise from Theo. It shouldn’t be too difficult, for he’s insufferable, as well-illustrated by Gil Brady, the fault-finding husband par excellence.
To add insult to Louise’s neglect, Theo has been holding off sexual relations because he thinks they can’t afford a baby on his clerk’s pay. Boarders will make the big difference in their budget, Theo decides. Neighbor Gertrude, though, is more concerned with Louise getting her sexual due. (And maybe there’ll be someone or something left over for Mary Ann Conk’s nicky-nooky nosy upstairs gal.) Including the new men in the house, the anti-Theo trio works to liberate Louise from sexless captivity.
With the swagger that Danny Bernardy brings to Versati, he is sure he will get those underpants unloosed again. Versati pushes forward with poetry and panache. Easily frightened Cohen (denying with his ethnicity by insisting on the initial “K”) hopes his meekness will inherit the gal he hopes proves earthy. Daryl Embry quivers and quakes but keeps trying to hold his ground.
What will happen to everyone will involve, as well, an old man named Kinglehoff (Chet Carlin, proper and properly befuddled), who also wants that room . . . and???
What Carl Sternheim made an exaggerated comedy of manners Steve Martin has adapted into a sexy farce with all manners of silliness. Bruce Jordan once again at FST proves a master of directing same.
Bob Phillips’ period set is so detailed (entrance, kitchen complete with elaborate range and ice box, well-furnished living room, and that extra bedroom with much entered and exited door) that it really seems a full house -- not just fully occupied. Jeffrey Cady’s lighting serves actions and conveys changes in time.
Sarah Bertolozzi’s varied costumes notably include the notorious pants along with some that might become so. One costume is even fit for a king. All in all, a royal romp.
