Laugh away the winter blues with 'Leading Ladies'
Corrected run date to reflect play runs through Jan. 25
The dreary month of January can make for tough going, but Madeline Franklin, director of the Elgin Theatre Company's production of "Leading Ladies," thinks she has a cure.
"Not only is it a great show, but in January, when we have the blah weather, it's a real pick-me-up."
The play opens Friday, Jan. 9, and runs through Sunday, Jan. 25, at Elgin's Kimball Street Theater.
The show is a farce written by Ken Ludwig, who is widely known for the plays "Lend Me a Tenor" and "Moon Over Buffalo," among many others.
It involves two British Shakespearean actors who are down on their luck and working at a Moose Lodge circuit in the Amish Country of Pennsylvania in 1958. They attempt to win the fortune of an elderly woman by posing as her nephews when they discover her relatives are nieces.
"The audience will be falling out of their chairs," said Franklin. "It's beautifully written. I love Ken Ludwig; his farcical humor is so tremendous."
Both Franklin, who is the owner and program director at Long Grove Performing Arts Academy, and producer Richard Grieger, an Elgin real estate broker, had seen the play in separate productions - Franklin in Antioch and Grieger in Batavia - and considered it a perfect fit for Elgin theater goers.
"Initially it was my suggestion that our company needs to do this because I saw it in Batavia a year ago and it was just hysterical, and I took it to Madeline and she agreed," said Grieger.
"The Elgin community is very in tune with the arts, we're talking music, galleries, concerts, choral unions," added Franklin, who hails from Palatine. "It's full of tremendous culture, and this play will fit beautifully as a winter show."
Griever and Franklin agree that the actors in the production are top-notch.
"Every day I work with the actors, they're adding delightful and delectable humor and additional bits that work beautifully within the scope of the show," Franklin said.
That sense of timing and ability is what the company was looking for, according to Grieger, who has input in casting, with Franklin having the final say.
Griever describes his focus on actors who can " … show me the ability to create something to laugh about. There's movement, there are facial expressions, there are gestures," Grieger said. "And the ability to realize technique and ability that will get the required response from the audience."
Mark Brewer, who plays Jack/Stephanie, has all of that and some insight into the world of women's clothing as a result of his role.
"I'm learning a lot about women's undergarments and how complicated they can be to take on and off."
That complication has come to play at various times in the production, but one particularly quick change has Brewer a bit nervous.
"There are a few quick changes, there's one that I think I have about 30 seconds that I have to go from being Stephanie back to being Jack. We haven't tried it yet, but I'm anticipating it will be a really a group effort to get me back to my man costume."
For those interested in fashion, Brewer says he wears a woman's size 16/18 and has a wardrobe that is mostly outlandish and wouldn't be worn in any normal situation. Although there's one dress that makes an exception.
"There's one day dress that's really lovely," he said. "I feel like I can be in a Doris Day movie."
Aside from the wardrobe, Brewer, who resides in Mount Prospect, finds other challenges with his role.
"To me, the challenge is distinguishing between the male and the female, because there are times when I'm dressing as a woman but I'm talking to my friend as a guy and someone walks into the room and I have to switch into a female character again," he explained.
"Just a constant, who am I now? And where am I in the play? And which voice should I be using? It's really exciting, and then there's the layer that it's in a British accent."
Along with Franklin and Grieger, Brewer expects "Leading Ladies" to be well worth the trip to the theater on a cold January day.
"[Ludwig's) sight gags and his whole premise makes something that is completely illogical seem very logical and it works in the most delightful way," Brewer said. "It's fast paced and surprising. You really can't guess what's going to happen. It's hilarious, and it's the perfect anecdote to warm you up from a winter vortex. It's light, it's fun. It's a great way to start the New Year."
The cast of "Leading Ladies" includes: Marilyn House and Mary Kirkman of Elgin; Patrick Naugle of Gilberts; Richard Holloman of Hoffman Estates; Hadley Hill of Lombard; Mark Brewer of Mount Prospect; Miriam Mikhael of Northbrook; Scott Savage of Schaumburg; Jerry Wiel of South Elgin; Debbi Dennison of Streamwood.
Tickets are $12 to $15. For details, visit www.elgin-theatre.org or call (847) 741-0532.
If you go
What: Elgin Theatre Company's production of "Leading Ladies," a comedy by Ken Ludwig
When: 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Jan. 9, 10, 16, 17, 23 and 24; 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 11, 18 and 25
Where: Kimball Street Theater on the northeast corner of Kimball Street and Dundee Avenue, Elgin Academy campus
Cost: $15 for adults and $12 for seniors and students
Suitable for: The play is recommended for 12-year-olds and older, although there is no formal age limit.
Tickets: Email tickets@inil.com or call (847) 741-0532. Visit <a href="http://www.elgin-theatre.org">www.elgin-theatre.org</a>/.