Hidden Agendas, Mistaken Identities And Laughs Abound
By Shannon Cudd
With the world still reeling from the collective trauma of the ongoing Covid 19 pandemic and the stress of the holiday season, there is really no better time for a comedy to take the audience’s mind off of everyday life. Westminster Community Playhouse’s production of “One Wife Too Many” promises to do just that.
“Everybody could take their mind off of all the stress of the holidays and world politics and all that. So it's a good way to kind of unwind,” Assistant Director J. D. Rinde stated.
Jeremy Krasovic, who plays leading man James Holden, believes the show’s style is a cross between “Benny Hill”, a soap opera, and a sitcom.
Director Jim Katapodis thinks this play will stay with audiences long after they leave the theater. “I think that the audience is gonna drive away exchanging funny lines from the show and still laughing about it,” he stated.
The plot of this hilarious play centers around television star James Holden who has just returned home to his apartment from a less than ideal honeymoon with his fourth wife Alicia. The couple attempt to make up for it but soon learn that James’ 1st, 2nd, and 3rd wives might not be completely out of the picture. To further complicate the situation there are gangsters and auditions for James’ television wife to deal with. Mad caps, hijinks, and hilarity ensue.
The play requires spot-on physical comedy from its actors. They achieved this by getting off book quickly and rehearsing until the moments were in their bodies. “Well, I mean, it is all about timing, right? We definitely do trial and error, a lot of that. We try some things and I'm like, oh, that's perfect. And then we try some other things. I'm like, yeah, that's not funny. I'm not gonna do that.” Rinde and Krasovic both stated that “repetition is key.”
The play asks the question if you can ever truly know somebody. “There's all kinds of mysteries that everybody carries around with them and that you will think you know all you want about them. And then all of a sudden you find out things that you never knew before. There's surprises all along the way,” Rinde mused.
Katapodis believes audience members might think again before rushing into a marriage with someone after seeing this show. “Before you marry somebody, you probably should know a little bit more about them,” he stated.
“The lead character is a TV actor and he has four wives, although he doesn't realize until halfway through the play that he still has all four wives all at once. They all have a different reason to be married to 'em, you see. And they're all attracted to 'em for a different reason. There are definitely hidden agendas and everybody that comes in there has a well-defined character,” Rinde went on to say.
“Can you ever really know somebody, especially like a Hollywood type of somebody? Definitely not, but I think the core to this show grasps onto that like, real love,” Krasovic stated.
This play has many Hollywood and industry related elements. Krasovic finds it hard not to break during some of these moments. “I'm also in the process of auditioning for a TV show. I'm auditioning a new wife to play with me in a new TV show that I'm creating. And so there's these other girls that are auditioning to be my wife. Those different auditions are hilarious individually. It is difficult for me in parts not to laugh,” he revealed. These scenes are also a favorite of Katapodis and Rinde.
Katapodis believes audiences should come and see this show if they “wanna have a good time and laugh a lot. Some people might see themselves in this show especially when it comes to dating and getting married.”
Rinde believes audiences should come to support community theater which has faced a difficult time during the pandemic. “We do survive only through donations, grants and box office sales. So, you know, our box office sales are a really important part of how we can stay operating,” he stated. Krasovic agrees you should come and see the show because “it's funny.” He also believes the audience plays a special role in this production. They are part of the action especially given the fact that the show is staged in 3 quarter thrust. “You can consider it like a live taping of a show. It's like the audience is there as it's happening. You feel like you are part of the taping of a show,” he states. Audiences can be a part of the show and enjoy the visceral nature of theater for a night, instead of Netflix. “One Wife Too Many” opens on January 13th.
Shannon Cudd is a writer, actor, and theater lover in Orange County, California.
“One Wife Too Many” Westminster Community Playhouse 7272 Maple Street, Westminster, CA 92863
January 13-29, 2023
(949) 650-5269, www.wcpstage.com
Comments