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Entertainment
Comic relief, just in time
Potty with troubles, anyone? The Boor Hug speaks the language of a true French farce.
By BARBARA L. FREDRICKSEN
Published December 9, 2005
While other theaters are doing Christmas carols and Jingle Bells, the Avenue Players have decided to give their audience a real gift: the French farce The Boor Hug, a full hour of laughs, chuckles, outrageous situations and characters that have nothing to do with the holidays - except for the fun.
The production will have evening performances Thursday and Dec. 16, and matinees on Dec. 17 and 18 at the Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art auditorium.
"Farce has come to mean lots of door slamming and rushing about, but that's not what it was (originally)," said Diana Forgione, the director. "Ours is a French farce by George Feydeau, one of the masters of the farce in the true meaning of the word." That means extravagant exaggeration, improbable situations and stereotyped characters.
The Boor Hug's story starts with Casimir Ferret (Alexander Marais, Kelly in Strange Ways at Carrollwood Players), a handsome but rather callow young military officer fretting over a letter he is writing. Casimir is trying to rid himself of his beautiful and charming mistress, Mimi (Kimen Mitchell, Lady Kitty in The Circle), so he can marry the very rich (but never seen) Babette.
To assure himself of Babette, Casimir plays up to her gawky, stuttering mother, Madame Prevallon (Erin Heiden).
Casimir's plan goes awry after he hires an unkempt, uncouth country servant, Flugel (Victor Carr, Saunders in Lend Me a Tenor), a transplanted German who hasn't quite mastered the language of his adopted country, so he misinterprets and misunderstands nearly every word that is spoken.
Told by Casimir to go put on his livery, Flugel wonders aloud why anyone would want to wear liver. A delivery boy (Ligia Marcela Avila) who brings pate with truffles is sent away because Flugel thinks that he's trying to foist off a "potty with troubles."
Because he is scrupulously honest, Flugel messes up Casimir's romantic plotting, innocently telling the truth when Casimir tries to lie. In an effort to help the stuttering Madame Prevallon, he finishes words she gets stuck on with endings that are sometimes obscene but always hilarious.
The play will be followed by refreshments and an audience talk-back. One subject that may come up is the use of Madame Prevallon's stuttering as part of the comedy.
"We never make fun of the speech impediment itself," Carr said. "I play off of my being a dumb German."
IF YOU GO
WHAT: The Boor Hug, a farce
WHERE: Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art auditorium, 600 Klosterman Road, Tarpon Springs (half a mile west of U.S. 19)
WHEN: 7 p.m. Thursday and Dec. 16; 2 p.m. Dec. 17 and 18
TICKETS: $8; $5 students and museum members. Call (727) 712-5762
[Last modified December 9, 2005, 01:19:17]
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