Just another groovy love ... play

Soapbox Players will present “How The Other Half Loves” by Alan Ayckbourn and directed by Scott Tidaback.

This 1970s era comedy features an ensemble cast of local characters, including Jeff Chalmers, Michelle Meyer, David Oakes, Jesse Stewart, Marcy Watzl and Jacqueline West.

The show runs May 17-19 and 25-26 at 7:30 p.m. at the Hobgoblin Music Loft on Highway 19 in Red Wing. Reservations are not accepted and seating is limited; tickets are $10.

This farcical comedy is described as “just another groovy ‘70s love triangle” featuring secret phone calls, feeble excuses and suspicious boots.

“The script is refreshingly light and funny,” Watzl said. “We’re having so much fun; I believe that will be infectious. I can’t imagine coming to this show and not laughing through the whole thing.”

One of the challenges script presents is the tricky staging: two scenes overlap in one set, an amalgam of the homes of the wealthy Foster and the younger Phillips families. Bob Phillips (Chalmers) works for Frank Foster (Oakes) but is having an affair with Fiona Foster (Watzl). Teresa Phillips, the bored, frustrated young mother (West) is suspicious, but the oblivious Frank is none the wiser.

The second scene portrays dinner parties at both homes on two separate evenings that intersect in the same set. The Detweilers are the guests of honor at both parties.

New employee of Frank Foster’s, William Detweiler (Stewart) and wife Mary (Meyer) are caught in the middle of the deception. Both Bob and Fiona have used the unsuspecting couple as their respective alibis, setting off a chain reaction of misunderstandings.

"Each character in this show is quirky and different from each other and they draw you in immediately from the start. That makes it all the more entertaining and lots of fun to watch,” Stewart said.

“I recall this show from my younger days. It was directed by one of my favorite teachers for our local theater,” Director Tidaback said. “If you've ever had an inkling to see live theatre but have yet to pull the trigger, please come see this. It's an informal, affordable venue featuring a very funny show with a skilled, accomplished cast.”

Soapbox Players was established in 2004. The troupe’s mission is to offer sometimes juicy, always thought-provoking productions.

“In this show the writer throws in a little superhero, a little damsel in distress and many foolish assumptions,” Meyer added. “As a director, Scott is finding the nuances within the script and bringing the humor of it all to life with a lot of physical action.”

At a glance…

What: Soapbox Players present “How the Other Half Loves.”

When: 7:30 p.m. May 17-19 and 25-26

Where: Hobgoblin Music Loft, Red Wing

Cost: $10

More info: 651-388-8400 or www.soapboxplayers.org, for mature audiences. No reservations, limited seating

Tags: arts and entertainment, lifestyle, arts, entertainment