‘Scapino!’
By: Frank Dunlop and Jim Dale
Director: Pat Owens
Location: Olympic Theatre Arts, 414 N. Sequim Ave.
Opening night premiere: 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 8; Preview: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 7; Pay what you will: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 14; Other shows: 7:30 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays July 8-9, 15-16, 22-23; 2 p.m. Sundays, July 10, 17, 24
Tickets: $16 adults, $10 for 16 and under; group discounts available. Available at box office 1-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, or at www.olympictheatrearts.org. Call 683-7326.
If you’re in a pickle, turn to Scapino.
That’s what two desperate friends do in Olympic Theatre Arts’ adaptation of “Scapino!,” based on Moliere’s “Les Fourberies de Scapin,” starting with a preview night on July 7 and running for three weekends starting on July 8.
Danny Willis plays the titular character enlisted to help Ottavio (Brohm Dason) and Leandro (Mike Roggenbuck) after they’ve fallen for two women Giacinta (Kaylee Ditlefsen) and Zerbinetta (Sheenieka Dolan). The catch — the friends’ fathers Argante (Mark Valentine) and Geronte (Mike Carpenter) return unexpectedly from a trip and have betrothed their sons to other women.
So in one afternoon in Naples, Italy, Scapino seeks to dupe the fathers, resulting in a series of revelations for everyone.
“It’s a very action-packed show,” says director Pat Owens. “There’s a lot of stuff going on stage and it’s very fast-paced.”
Owens, who recollects his last production of “Scapino!” fondly from Spokane years ago, said he chose to direct it in Sequim because he’s always loved it.
“It’s a fun show,” he said. “It brings back a feeling of a different time back when people were more enthusiastic about theater.”
While the play is appropriate for all-ages, Owens said some of the cultural references may be lost on younger crowds but the action should keep people engaged. One example is a team of waiters led by Rebecca Horst with Luke Silliman, Mikaele Baker and Steve Schultz that Owens says are “fun to just watch on their own.”
“They don’t have any lines but they are an impetus who keep the action moving along,” Owens said.
Scapino, with Sylvestro (Sean Clark) and Carlo (Mike Fellows) also act at times, Owens said, like the Marx brothers providing non sequiturs playing around and acting generally silly.
Another element to the many layers is audience participation, which Owens said “there’s no fourth wall” as characters ask questions of the audience for feedback at a few points.
While “Scapino!” is an ensemble play, Owens said Willis in the lead is great, too.
“I’ve done a couple of shows with him before and he’s got a lot of imagination,” Owens said. “(Willis) doesn’t necessarily take a straight path.”
Willis, on summer break from Cornish College of the Arts, said Scapino is a creature of risk and adventure while weaving his way through many stories being told at once and he often has more than one character speaking to him at once due to all the threads.
Even with all the plot lines, Owens said they’ll give audiences a chance to catch their breath.
“I sure hope people come and see it because I think they’ll have a great time,” he said.
Other actors in the show are Kath Beecher and Emily Carol.
For more information on Sequim’s production of “Scapino!,” call Olympic Theatre Arts at 683-7326 or visit www.olympictheatrearts.org.
