A Flea In Her Ear, recently produced at Rivertown Repertory
Theater, was a splendid example of an audience pleaser.  This
popular wacky Georges Feydeau farce was well directed by Gary
Rucker who seems to have found each actors wild side and just let
him/her run with the role.  With fine pacing, they did, and the
full house of patrons laughed early and never stopped as the
performers sailed and ran and fluttered and fanned across the
stage with gleeful abandon.

The plot?  The usual mistaken identities, mistaken situations,
and mistaken mistresses as wives, husbands and husbands and
mistresses bounce around in the amatory pursuits of true and un
adulterated love. Or just get caught up in laughable lust.  The
time: 1910, the set, a sitting room and the Pink Pussy Hotel in
Paris.

T. Joe Seibert in the role of the secretary Camille Chandel
almost stole the show from every one.  He played a guy caught in
the middle of all the fun and farcical situations.  His character
suffered from a speech impediment.  Every time he opened his
mouth he got a laugh.  His performance was excellent. 

Jason Kirkpatrick did the male lead in the role of the innocent
husband, Victor-Emmanuel Chandel plus the role of a look-a-like
character Poche, a porter at the Pretty Pussy Inn.  He was quite
simply marvelous.  His jealous wife, Yvonne Chandel was played by
Lisa Picone with fine effect.  She did many an over the top turn
and twist tossing a white feather boa to the winds for emphasis.
It was camp comedy at its best. These two performers were in
excellent company among the other actors. All fourteen of them
gave funny-good top notch performances of a high standard.  Liz
Mills (Antoinette, Kyle Daigrepont (Etienne), Vatican Lokey
(Finache), Angie Joachin (Lucienne), Keith Launey (Romain), Randy
Maggiore (a memorable and energetic Spaniard), Mark Burton
(Ferraillon), Morrey McElroy (Eugenie), Mary Pauley (Olympe),
Roland “Butch” Caire  (Baptistin) and  P.J. McKinne (a lusty
vibrant Rugby).

The set, in keeping with the style of the farce, was a visual gag
and a delight.  Done in violets, pinks, and reds mostly, the well
done constructs of Chandel’s home and The Pretty Pussy Inn
were an impressive and workable testament to the multi talents of
Vatican Lokey. Once again Linda Fried did a collection of fin de
scicle costumes worthy of any professional show.  This show was a
great success for a community theater production.  Director Gary
Rucker showed vision and talent in this example of “fresh farce
on toast points” meaning he was able to serve old ingredients in
a classy and delightfully elegant manner.  Much better than the
usual “bland tuna on stale bread.”