Boeing-Boeing at Flat Rock Playhouse
Originally written by Marc Camoletti and translated from French to English by Beverly Cross along with Francis Evans, Boeing-Boeing is a hilarious, emotionally muddled demonstration of the consequences and rewards of polyamory; the geometrically perfect/imperfect love-square-triangle, if you will. Eventually the full circle of this convoluted and deceitful plight arrives at a very distinct and clear destination.
Currently on stage at Flat Rock Playhouse, the comedy is directed by Reggie Law and actually presents itself to be more about the negative and positive rewards of honesty over dishonesty in relation to being true to one’s self and desires.
The setting, although exclusively confined to a beautiful, posh high-rise in Paris, manages to achieve a magnetic and dynamic momentum. In this 1960s-era play, the inertia is carried by the six characters fluttering in and out of scenes, ushered in by Law with a bold and occasionally subtle yet constant comedic rumble.
Bernard (Keith Rubin) is an American businessman, his elegant oval-shaped Paris flat complete with a background view of the Eiffel Tower, serves as the setting for all of these odd and oftentimes manic shenanigans. Dennis C. Maulden’s period-accurate set, which includes a boldly hanging chandelier as a major centerpiece, is reminiscent of the decor found in the classic ’60s film The Graduate, or perhaps one of the popular progressive sitcoms of the era, although one may argue just a bit more obviously chic and bright in certain respects.
Initially happily stricken with an infatuation with “air hostesses,” Bernard has falsely claimed devotion to all three flight attendants that he’s currently seeing: New Yorker Gloria(Jessica Mosher), ItalianGabriella (Carissa Florillo), and German Gretchen(Maddie Franke).
The true “woman” of the house, however, may be the maid, Berthe (Marcy McGuigan). Her duties prove to extend far beyond the basic expectations of the standard housekeeper, for by default she is automatically enlisted in Bernard’s elaborate cover-up. And she is not alone in being tasked to help secure the appearance of such a sugar-coated lie: one of his longtime close friends — Wisconsin native Robert (Grayson Powell) — unexpectedly stops in on his way to visit family in a smaller French city and quickly finds himself embroiled in the cover-up.
Bernard invites Robert to stay longer after he meets the first mislabeled “fiancée” of the bunch. Robert comes across as very awkward and naïve at first, but he ultimately finds himself swayed by the finer tastes that the Parisian lifestyle has to offer.
Ultimately, all of these quirky and entertaining characters are revealed to each other and the audience for who they really are. Moreover, they are exposed for what and how they really are, thus surprising each other and themselves even with twisted naked truths. If you'd find yourself at all interested in such a fast-paced soap opera of a comedy, I recommend Boeing-Boeing as a fine way to spend a couple of hours of your time freely chuckling and smiling.
Boeing-Boeing runs through Sunday, Aug. 25, at Flat Rock Playhouse. For details and tickets, visit flatrockplayhouse.org
(Photos: Scott Treadway/Treadshots)
