LCP

What took months of hard work and preparation is now just a memory, and what a memory it will be. Unnecessary Farce was a huge hit amongst the community this past weekend. A BIG Thank you to all who came out to see this great show and had some great laughs. I can not say enough about the cast, director and crew, you all were great to work with and I look forward to working with you all again. Ann Dolan, Tom and Lisa Nicolai, Eileen Dushek-Manthe, Shawn Steinhoff, Bill Mahaney, Bob McKelvey, Judy Felsenthal, Mike Steffel,Kristin Holman-Steffel, Bill Haskins, Mike and Angela Walters, Kim Martens, Gretta McKelvey. Thank You all again, I will never forget this great experience!!

Carson Smith –  Officer Eric Sheridan

Unnecessary Farce is that rarest of theatrical birds: a farce that is actually funny. Sure, it’s silly to the max, but it makes the audience laugh, the primary responsibility of a farce (and a goal rarely achieved.) Like the great comedies of old, Farce’s unbearably funny plot is not contrived but rather derives from character development. And what a bunch of characters!

The play opens as patently under-qualified cops Eric and Billie set up a sting operation in a pair of adjoining motel rooms “in a big town . . . somewhere in America.” Alerted to certain discrepancies in the municipal budget – a mere $16 million – they’re hoping that city accountant Karen Brown will, by calling the mayor on the carpet, prompt him to offer her an incriminatory bribe. Simple? Not on your life, as Murphy’s law takes effect and the sting goes south in a hurry when Scottish hit man Todd, security head Frank, and the mayor’s wife Mary arrive on the scene.

Directed by Ann Dolan, the cast is terrific, with a mix of favorite LCP veterans and some new faces, too! Cops Eric and Billie are played by Carson Smith and Lisa Nicolai; accountant Karen Brown is Eileen Dushek-Manthe; Scottish hit man Todd is played by Bill Mahaney, security head Frank is Shawn Steinhoff; and the mayor and his wife are played by Bob McKelvey and Judy Felsenthal.

Unnecessary Farce runs March 17 and 18 at 8 pm, and March 19 at 2 pm at the fabulous Grantland Theater in downtown Lancaster. Reserved ($10) and general admission ($9) tickets are available now by calling box office manager Angela Walter at 608-778-7726.

Unnecessary Farce, by Paul Slade Smith, will be playing at the Grantland Theatre March 17, 18, and 19. Showtimes are Friday and Saturday at 8p.m. and Sunday at 2p.m. Tickets are $10 for reserved seats and $9 for the balcony. Call 608-778-7726 for reserved tickets.

Unnecessary Farce is a very lighthearted fast paced play with tons of energy, movement and slapstick. The plot of the play is simple; two inept cops are sent to entrap the town’s mayor who is suspected of embezzling from the public’s budget. Working with an accountant, they set up a sting to get the dirt on the mayor. In the meantime they run up against the Scottish Mafia, a corrupt security officer and the wife of the mayor. The plan is flawless unless everything that can go wrong does – which is exactly what happens!

Auditions have been rescheduled for Tuesday, January 17 at 8:00 to 9:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers and Wednesday, January 18, 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers. Please call Ann if you have any questions or are unable to audition during those times but are interested in being in the show at 608-723-7955.

The Lancaster Community Players are planning for their Spring Production, Unnecessary Farce by Paul Slade Smith. Auditions will be held on Monday, January 16th at the Senior Center at City Hall in Lancaster from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. and again on Tuesday, January 17th 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. at City Hall in the Council Chambers on the third floor. There are 3 roles for women and 4 roles for men. Ann Dolan will be directing this rollicking slapstick farce and looks forward to casting men and women of any age. Production dates for the play are March 17, 18, and 19 at the Grantland Theatre in Lancaster.

The plot of the play is simple; two inept cops are sent to entrap the town’s mayor who is suspected of embezzling from the public’s budget. Working with an accountant, they set up a sting to get the dirt on the mayor. In the meantime they run up against the Scottish Mafia, a corrupt security officer and the wife of the mayor. The plan is flawless unless everything that can go wrong does – which is exactly what happens! This is a very lighthearted fast paced play with tons of energy, movement and slapstick. In addition to actors LCP is looking for folks to help with set design and building, costuming, and production help. If you are interested in auditioning but are unavailable to come during the two evenings or have any questions or interest in helping with production work please contact Ann Dolan at 608-723-7955. Scripts for Unnecessary Farce are available for check out at the Lancaster Public Library from now until the first evening of auditions.