“The Explorers Club”

Recommended *** Some theater companies know their audiences better than others and so the selections of plays they offer are selected for those who have supported them over the years. Citadel Theatre, a Lake Forest Institution is one of those companies.I have been covering this company for years and until a few years ago, when they began adding small versions of large musicals to their season, they did  smaller  comedies for the most part, and in most cases, did them well. Their current production, The Explorers Club” by Nell Benjamin, is a farce, but instead of using doors to broaden the comic touches, it does so with other sight gags  and gets its point(s) across with comic touches. The story is about a woman, who desires to be recognized by her peers, as indeed worthy of being a member of their club, “The Explorers Club”.

The first think I must tell you about this amazing little theater company is that they always have a great set design ( Jose Manuel Diaz-Soto has created a clubhouse that any club would be proud to call their home) and the costumes (Paul Kim) are up to the standards of any of Chicago’s professional houses. In fact, the entire technical staff is as professional as one could ever hope for: Matthew Wofford (lighting), Bob Boxer ( sound) and Mark Holly (props). Robert Tobin, who worked on the fight choreography and special movements is an “artist”!

Now, let’s talk about the solid cast of players to make these characters come alive .Our host, Lucius Fretway ( and incredible job by Nate Strain). He has invited the woman explorer Phyllida Spotte-Hume ( deftly handled by Elizabeth Rude) who he has a crush on to join the club as her sponsor. It seems that she has discovered an unknown land that is inhabited and has brought with her one of these men, Luigi ( played to perfection by Frank Gasparro, who supplies a great deal of the physical comedy touches in this play).

Of course, the other Explorers are anti women in their club and want her gone. They do become somewhat involved with Luigi and his ability to make a great drink ( over their regular barkeeper who has left them in the lurch) as later in the second act, Luigi pretends to be their missing barkeeper. This comes about when Luigi meets the Queen and due to some strange rituals in his land, ends up slapping her and having all of England out to declare war on his country and destroy his people. All of this is far funnier than it seems. Sir Bernard Humphries ( played to perfection by Edward Kuffert) comes to declare war and to take Luigi and Phyllida to trial, but ends up staying with the explorers and coming back when they go missing at the end of the first act.

The other characters/explorers are: Professor Cope ( Jacob Fjare) who has a thing with and about snakes, and Professor Walling ( Erik Pearson ) who has a thing with rodents and in particular his favorite, Jane , who has an incident with a snake. These two are like a comedy team and might be compared to characters from an Abbott & Costello story.  Professor Sloane ( a dynamic and energetic portrayal by Bob Sanders) is a professor of religion and has a theory that the lost ten tribes ended up n Ireland, but should have been in Palestine as they were all Jews. This causes the Irish people to picket their club and cause some problems. Harry Percy ( a solid performance by Guy Wicke) is the last of these men and is the wildest in ideas and ideals. He keeps losing his fellow explorers.  In act II, one of these returns  Beebe ( Scott Phelps, who earlier also plays a Irish Assasin) as a rescued Monk who is with his fellow monks for revenge, so outside of the club there are Irishmen, English militia and Monks, all seeking someone in that club.

Farce is made up of situational comedy and sight gags and it takes a strong director to make it all fit. Robert D. Estrin was up to the task making sure that there were o gaps in the flow of the action, and doing a great job on the drink serving scenes as “fake Roger/ aka Luigi” makes drink after drink for his explorers and serves them with the perfect slide and catch. Just watching that bit is worth the price of the ticket. There is also a great brandy and cigar scene ( the second of two) where the cigars are not normal, but in fact lace, and all who smoke them have a wonderful experience- so will you!

There are a few surprises in the show and one of those is the ending, as well as a visit from  Ms Spotte-Hume’s twin sister, making room for another farce item, mistaken identity.

“The Explorers Club will continue at Citadel Theatre located at 300 Waukegan Rd in Lake Forest thru May 27th

Show Type: Comedy

Box Office: 847-735-8554

Tickets range from $37.50

citadeltheatre.org/plays-events/our-15th-anniversary-upcoming-2017-18-season

Plenty of free parking. The building is located just South of Route 60 on Route 43, Waukegan Road

To see what others are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.com, go to  Review Round-Up and click at “The Explorers Club”.