We were wowed before the comedy even began. One look at the set told us we were in for a great experience. The set looked like an authentic office from the 1930s. The long-time ticket holder I sat next to pointed out that the mechanical device on the secretary’s desk was an ancient Dictaphone from the 1920s. I love attention to detail.
The run time is 90 minutes with a twenty-minute intermission. The 90 minutes flew by quickly with the help of the skill and delivery of the actors and the laughter of the audience. Even near the start we were able to envision a successful future.
The story: Paul (Matt Shimkus) and Max (Nathan Rice) are just getting by as they struggle to keep their architecture company afloat after the Stock Market Crash, but Max accidentally hires the mob to build a police retirement home. Their secretary Trixie (Emma Brown Baker) seems to be a ditsy ornament to the dis-organized organization, but no, things change and outcomes differ from what we expect. Trixie holds her own . . . plus.
In selecting this play for the 2023 season, Harlequin takes the opportunity to produce a new voice from this region. In an interview with playwright Kate Danley, she writes:
“I’m so excited to see my words brought to life by the professional team at Harlequin. As a playwright, I have found a script is never done. It is always a conversation, and each production deepens my understanding of the characters and the world and enlightens me in ways I never would have seen on my own. It is what makes this art form so exciting. When you publish a book, that’s that. But when you send a script out into the world, it’s just the beginning. It becomes greater than you and a conglomerate of each person who touches it.”
Following the afternoon Sunday production, the audience was treated to a gathering of the cast and playwright Kate Danley. Members of the audience had an opportunity to ask questions of both the playwright and the actors. I thought the most interesting comment came from Danley. I had been bothered by not quite hearing and understanding some of the dialog. It turned out this was done of purpose. Directors increased the film’s speed to allow the audience to taste the intoxicating spirit of the speakeasies and the Roaring Twenties.
During and following the Wall Street crash of 1929 people were perplexed, dazed, and confused. Lives were turned upside down and people were far from normal. Actually, this strange time gave rise to women becoming more important in the workplace, and having a say in the way of the world. The set, the actors as their characters, the dialog, and the movements all work together as Trixie holds her own ‒ plus.
Sometimes we got lost in who was chasing who, but it didn’t really matter.
Thanks to costume designer Melanie Ransom, they looked perfect for the era. Mathew Michael in charge of wig and hair design, seemed dead-on. It was interesting to see Helen Harvester as Gwen Gladwell and Emma Brown Baker as Trixie Fuller without their wigs on in a fun on-stage discussion with the audience following the afternoon production.
After the talk back, an audience member thanked the Harlequin Theatre, playwright and cast and crew for their persistence, energy and commitment to the art of theatre. An actor responded, “We do it because we love it.” We didn’t get to see all of the cast at the talk back, but the entire cast of Building Madness remains is my mind.
The time zipped by. I counted perhaps 14 empty seats. Ticket holders on both sides of us had a great time watching and laughing. Building Madness is one of those stories like the original “His Girl Friday” the most famous American screwball comedy of all times, that could eventually develop a huge following. In the meantime, you should order your tickets now and enjoy.
Building Madness – Harlequin (harlequinproductions.org)
Photos by Shanna Paxton Photography.
