"Don't Dress for Dinner"

August 24, 2016 — When I made the reservation for "Don't Dress for Dinner" at the New London Barn Playhouse in New London, New Hampshire the day after "The Ladies Man" at the Peterborough Players, I wasn't aware of the similarities in these two comedies. Not that that's a disadvantage. Both were excellent, the Peterborough production perhaps a bit more polished, but the acting, direction and well-choreographed physical comedy in both was very well-done.

These plays fall into the category of French farce, merry mix-ups of deception, mistaken identity, misunderstandings, false accusations, infidelity, all at a frantic pace that leaves few breaks in the action or the laughs.

To me there's an important difference between the two similar plays. In "The Ladies Man," a perfectly innocent but suspicious-looking event leads to accusations of a secret affair, drawing others into its web as lies upon lies are told to cover up something that never happened. "Don't Dress for Dinner" is far from innocent. Extra-marital affairs are blatant and deliberate, more like what one would expect from what many perceive as the French casual acceptance of such behavior, deserved or not.

In "Don't Dress for Dinner" by French playwright Marc Camoletti, adapted by Robin Hawdon, Bernard (Drew Lewis) sees an opportunity to spend a weekend with his mistress, Suzanne (Kerry Ipema) when his wife, Jacqueline (Evyn Whiteley) goes off to spend a couple of days with her mother. Bernard's friend, Robert (Scott Cote), is also on the way. Robert was best man at Bernard's wedding. Robert will make a perfect cover for Bernard's tryst with Suzanne, so Bernard thinks. Bernard has arranged for a caterer to prepare a dinner for his guests. They send their chef, Suzette (Marie Claire Rousel). Notice the similarity in names, Suzanne and Suzette. They could both be called Suzie. Does this play into the plot? You bet it does!

All this might have worked except for a couple of minor complications. When Bernard's wife, Jacqueline, learns Robert is going to be there, she can't bear to miss him. So she calls her mother and fakes the flu and cancels her trip. That's the first minor complication. The second looms a little larger. Unknown to Bernard, Jacqueline and Robert have been carrying on an affair for some time. When all five of these people end up in the house at the same time, things get very interesting, and hilarious. Late in the second act, Suzette the chef's husband, George (Ben Salus) shows up to pick up his wife, and quickly gets drawn into the subterfuge and deception he has no knowledge of.

Kathryn Markey's direction smoothly guides the actors through this laugh-filled production, the final show of the New London Barn's 84th season. An appreciative audience gave the actors long and enthusiastic applause at curtain call. As is the Barn's custom, the actors lined up outside to greet departing patrons.