Laugh and learn: Timing’s right for BTE’s revival of political satire ‘The Outsider’

“The Outsider” — 2.5 stars

Buffalo Theatre Ensemble’s well-timed revival of “The Outsider” accomplishes several things. It delivers laughs, evidenced by the enthusiastic response from the audience on opening night. It explains in plain terms the function of government. And, at a time when many voters’ faith in elected leaders has waned, Paul Slade Smith’s modest satire on politics offers a glimmer of hope that dedicated public servants still exist.

Ned Newley is one such public servant. Played with affable nervousness by ensemble member Robert Jordan Bailey, Ned is an awkward, wonkish lieutenant governor of a small, unnamed state. Good at his job but bad at politics, Ned has trouble speaking in public, which proves problematic after a sex scandal forces the governor’s resignation, leaving Ned in charge.

After a video of his bungled swearing-in ceremony goes viral, chief of staff Dave Riley (an earnest Joe Bushell who recalls a young Ryan Reynolds) hires former colleague and pollster Paige Caldwell (Sara Mountjoy-Pepka) and campaign guru/cable news pundit Arthur Vance (Hugh Callaly, terrific as a self-assured schemer) to rescue Ned’s career.

Arthur has no intention of transforming Ned into a polished politico. On the contrary, he intends to exploit Ned’s ingenuousness (which reads as incompetence) as a way of propelling the neophyte governor into the national spotlight. As Arthur explains, Ned reminds voters of themselves and that’s what they want in a politician.

“Unqualified is the new qualified,” Arthur says. “People vote for idiots who look like leaders. But Ned’s a new phenomenon: a leader who looks like an idiot.”

In preparation for a live TV interview with reporter Rachel Parsons (Kristin Doty substituting for Lisa Dawn who was out with COVID-19 on opening night) and her cameraman A.C. Peterson (Zach Kunde), Arthur encourages Ned to adopt an “average guy” demeanor. And he coaches him to deliver empty platitudes — “It needs fixing,” “We have to find an outsider” — to Rachel’s softball questions.

Things go awry thanks to newcomer Louise Peaks (fine comedic work from Laura Leonardo Ownby), a cheerfully incompetent temporary secretary who becomes a media darling after crashing Ned’s interview. Turns out, she’s the politician of Arthur’s dreams. Unlike Ned, who is brilliant but acts clueless, Louise is actually clueless and acts that way.

“If the public is looking for leaders who are absolutely, totally unprepared for office … we’ve found our dream team,” he says.

Smith’s 2015 skewering of manipulative political operatives, social media sensations and undiscerning voters includes some funny wordplay and humorous bits involving Ned mastering the non-answer answer; Louise mistaking “a pollster” with “upholsterer”; and her inability to work an intercom.

The tone is inconsistent, and a romantic subplot introduced late in the play rings hollow.

Director Kurt Naebig’s production starts out a bit manic (the opening scene zips by like an Aaron Sorkin walk-and-talk) but settles down in the superior second act. That also applies to the performances, which in several cases start out overly broad then modulate in the second act, by which time everyone has calmed down.

While swift-moving, a necessity for farce, the production needs to be more truthful. One exception is a heartwarming scene late in the play during which Bailey’s true believer Ned explains government’s value to a distrustful A.C., who doesn’t believe it works for people like him.

“Doing things together that we can’t do on our own. That’s government,” says Ned.

It’s a simple reminder of the obligation elected officials have to their constituents. And it comes at the right time.

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Location: Buffalo Theatre Ensemble at the McAninch Arts Center, College of DuPage, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn, (630) 942-4000, btechicago.com, atthemac.org

Showtimes: 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday through Oct. 6

Tickets: $44

Running time: About 2 hours, with intermission

Rating: For teens and older, some adult themes