‘Charley’s Aunt’ a Victorian romp at Vanguard

Tom Titus

Few genres of theater are more difficult to master than farce.

Though the end results appear freewheeling, bordering on

improvisation, the ensemble timing to pull off a farce must be to the

fraction of a second.

One of the primary examples of this style -- and one of the oldest

-- is Brandon Thomas’ “Charley’s Aunt,” written 110 years ago and still capable of sending audiences into howls of laughter. Its

central plot line of cross-gender depiction dates back to Shakespeare

and beyond, and it provided inspiration for future funnymen such as

Milton Berle.

Basically, “Charley’s Aunt” focuses on a college student dressing

in drag to become a chaperon for two of his buddies and their lady

friends in 1892 Oxford, when young men simply did not entertain young

women in private. What ensues is a Victorian romp that becomes even

more frenzied when a pair of older gentlemen take a fancy to the

“aunt,” whom they believe to be exceedingly wealthy.

At Costa Mesa’s Vanguard University, director Susan Berkompas has

taken this chestnut of a play out of the trunk, spiffed it up and

turned it loose -- even employing a few “sound effects” that would

have been unthinkable in 19th century England.

Berkompas has honed this antique comedy to the point that even the

ostensibly mundane, talky sequences are calculated to delight. The

role of a student’s valet, for instance, as sardonically played by

Steve Limones,becomes a source for much of the show’s humor.

The title role of the pseudo-sophisticated dowager from Brazil is

masterfully interpreted by Rene Scheys. The actor spends most of the

play garbed in feminine attire (although sporting long sideburns) and

setting up a succession of sight gags.

Michael Mulligan, as the primary general on the romantic

battlefield, skillfully depicts the frustration of his character as

one outrageous event is followed by another. His comrade, played by

Landon J. Orcutt, successfully seethes as his erstwhile auntie charms

“her” way into Orcutt’s girlfriend’s heart.

The objects of their affection, demurely played by Elisabeth Rose

and Amy Maier, operate in tandem as delicate flowers winsomely

holding their prospective lovers at bay. Their characters are, in

effect, interchangeable, but both actresses turn in winning

performances.

Adding a splash of kerosene to this comic conflagration are Dean

Hart as Mulligan’s military colonel father and Carey Curtis Smith as

the uncle and guardian of the two young ladies. Both are somewhat

repelled by the “aunt,” but each changes his mind on learning of her

supposed fortune. Smith in particular becomes an aggressive suitor

and the butt of Scheys’ physical humor, playing Wile E. Coyote to

Scheys’ Roadrunner.

The arrival of the real aunt from Brazil, elegantly played by

Louise Rawson, puts another spin on the already convoluted plot and

completes the romantic scenario. She’s an old flame of Hart’s

character, and her young companion (alternately played by Cambria

Holford and Kristina Hamann) has a history with Schey’s young

nobleman.

The three immaculately appointed backdrops in the show are the

work of scenic designer Tim Mueller. Lia Hansen provides the

ultra-formal Victorian costumes, while Dan Volonte’s lighting

enhances the comedy.

Director Berkompas has added a sort of tableau prelude for each of

the play’s three acts that set the tone for the proceedings. Well

over a century old, “Charley’s Aunt” still tickles the funnybone,

though the play could be pruned somewhat for modern audiences. It may

be a real “drag,” but only in the more modern application of the

term.

* TOM TITUS reviews local theater for the Daily Pilot. His

reviews appear Thursdays and Saturdays.