"Lend Me a Tenor"

July 8, 2015 — After the subtle humor and very British understatement of Alan Ayckbourn's "Intimate Exchanges" at the Peterborough Players, Ken Ludwig's "Lend Me a Tenor" felt like walking into a Marx Brothers movie. With all the broad slapstick, hysteria, running around and door-slamming that are Ludwig's hallmarks, this play caters to completely different tastes than "Intimate Exchanges," but I found much to like in both.

"Lend Me a Tenor" is being staged by the Papermill Theatre Company at Jean's Playhouse in Lincoln, New Hampshire. When an Italian tenor of international renown is booked for a performance of "Otello" in Cleveland is, shall we say "indisposed," chaos, panic and mistaken identities prevail as the theatre manager attempts to groom a replacement who will fool the audience. Almost anything I say about this play will be a spoiler, so suffice it to say the Papermill cast, led by Matthew Hager, Alex Levenson, Gary Trahan and Alex Canty, is brilliant and the laughs are non-stop. Set designer Al Forgione created a very stylishly furnished living room and bedroom set with lots of doors to be slammed, essential in any Ken Ludwig play.

This production was directed by Producing Artistic Director Scott H. Severance, a man who knows something about comedy. I enjoyed his work in a number of Barnstormers productions during his acting days. I hope he hasn't given up performing for good. He was one of the funniest men in New Hampshire summer theatre.