The Oswego Players are proud to announce the cast of this summer’s production of the over-the-top, hilarious “Unnecessary Farce” by Paul Slade Smith, directed by Tom Briggs. As the title indicates, audiences can expect an evening of belly laughs, near misses, and larger-than life characters from this 2006 comedy, which takes the notion of rooting out a corrupt politician and puts it in the hands of the least competent people on all sides for the job.
“Unnecessary Farce” is set in a cheap motel room, where an embezzling mayor is supposed to meet with his female accountant, while in the room next door, two undercover cops wait to catch the meeting on videotape. But there’s some confusion as to who’s in which room, who’s being videotaped, who’s taken the money, who’s hired a hit man, and why bagpipes are necessary.
To keep things fresh for the Players’ audience, director Briggs was determined to cast a mix of familiar faces and new performers, and the size of the talent pool in Central New York gave him some difficult decisions to make. “Farce” features a tight cast of only seven characters, but enough people came out to audition for roles to fill the cast at least twice over.
Briggs’ final cast selection is sure to bring side-splittingly funny performances to the Frances Marion Brown Stage in July. Mayor Meekly and his wife, Mary, are being played by Players mainstays Matt Fleming and Tammy Thompson. Meekly’s accountant, Karen Brown, is played by Sarah Izzo, most recently seen as Titania in the Players’ production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”. Newcomer to the Players stage, Jeremy Herlowski, and “Midsummer” actor Shy Sims play the young police officers tasked with bringing Mayor Meekly down, Eric Sheridan and Billie Dwyer. Rounding out the cast are “Midsummer” actor Nolan Callahan as Agent Frank, head of Town Hall Security, and the multitalented Bill Cowham as the feared Scottish hitman known by many names, but most chillingly as Todd. Once assembled for the first read-through, Briggs discovered that the chemistry between the members of the cast was so electric that they could barely make it through the play without falling into breathless hysterics; the group cannot wait to take this energy and transform it into a fast-paced laugh riot for audiences.
Performance times and dates for “Unnecessary Farce” are 7:30pm on Friday and Saturday July 11th, 12th, 18th and 19th and 2pm Sunday July 13th and 20th. Tickets are $17 for adults, $13 for seniors and $12 for students. Tickets are currently on sale now at oswegoplayers.org/productions or by calling the theatre’s box office at (315) 343-5138.
UNNECESSARY FARCE is presented by special arrangement with Broadway Licensing, LLC, servicing the Dramatists Play Service collection (www.dramatists.com).
This project is made possible through the CNY Arts Grants for Regional Arts and Cultural Engagement regrant program thanks to a New York State Senate Initiative supported by the NYS Legislature, the Office of the Governor and administered by the New York State Council on the Arts.
For more information and ticket sales please go to https://oswegoplayers.org/ or for phone reservations please call the Box Office at 315-343-5138.
Pictured are:
Back Row L to R: Matt Fleming (Mayor Meekly), Jeremy Herlowski (Eric Sheridan), Bill Cowham (Todd), Nolan Callahan (Agent Frank)
Front Row L to R: Sarah Izzo (Karen Brown), Tammy Thompson (Mrs Meekly), Shy Sims (Billie Dwyer)