The Players Theatre Company's 'Bedroom Farce': You'd Be Wise to Exercise

CONROE, TX -- If you are looking for a little bedroom action on the weekends until February 9th, I know of a place in Montgomery County, where you can get some. Wait a second!! That came out wrong. But there is one place in Conroe, where you can see some bedroom action, that will make your cheeks sore before you leave the place. What the heck is wrong with this opening?!! Yeah, that’s not gonna fly either. Let’s just tell you, before anyone gets into trouble, that The Players Theatre Company in Conroe has a wonderful production of ‘Bedroom Farce,’ which involves three bedrooms and four couples. Hmm, yeah, you can guess what's gonna happen; but truly there's no real hanky-panky going on. Well maybe a kiss, and a wife in a towel after a shower. But that’s it. Really. Phew! The play was written by British playwright Alan Ayckbourn in the mid-1970’s, so you will hear references to ‘tea,’ eating fish in bed, as well as see real rotary dial phones ringing that have actual lines to the wall. Oh, and we meant the ‘cheeks’ on either side of your nose, and not the other. You know. lol.

If you love to laugh, which is exercise by the way, you are gonna love Bedroom Farce. Bedrooms are generally private, thank goodness; and contain things like beds, bed bugs, and people. Scratch the second one for this review’s sake, and don’t forget phones, dialogue, and some nice costumes. You got to have something funny said to laugh, and the cast loves laughter, since it lets them know they are doing an excellent job. Some call it instant gratification. Which is good for the good folks on stage, trying not to laugh themselves. You know, unless the delivery is absolutely perfect.

Three bedrooms make up the set with imaginary walls, the same color as Wonder Woman's invisible jet, which looks breathtaking hanging in the Smithsonian. The actors take great care not to hit the walls, because with the furniture placement like in Ernest (Mark Wilson) and Delia’s (Peggy Sampson) bedroom, well, it can get a little tight. E and D’s room is on the right by the way, and they can be classified as the more mature couple celebrating an anniversary night. In the middle you have Nick (Shawn Havranek) and Jan (Erin Wright), with Nick confined to bed with a back injury. Poor guy, does that hurt? They are a younger couple, but haven't been together all that long. On the left, you also have a younger couple, Malcolm (Jeff Merriman) and Kate (Cindy Sipple), who are readying to throw a party, in a room that needs some attention. You ought to see the invisible walls, there is a lot of work needed. They kid around with each other, which is lovable. The fourth couple in this tale, Trevor (Jamie Ballard), and Susannah (Mandy Hall), we’ll see them in a few seconds. Hang on.

The play starts as Ernest and Delia prepare for their anniversary dinner night out, but Ernest is concerned with all the rain, and the state of his gutters and moisture gathering in the house. There is some small talk of their son Trevor and his wife. When the action shifts to the left bedroom, Malcolm and Kate, who are in the midst of preparing for their housewarming party, realize that they have both invited the infamous fourth couple, which causes a stir, because of the constant disruptions that Trevor and Susannah cause at parties. Right after Kate finishes her shower, and is in nothing but a towel, Trevor pops into the bedroom to start venting, forcing Kate to seek shelter under the cover of the bed. In the meantime, Trevor, unaware of her predicament, jumps onto the covers right beside her. All we can say is, be prepared. We then move to the middle bedroom, where Nick has hurt his back, and is bedridden unable to move. His wife Jan is Trevor’s ex-girlfriend, which makes it even more interesting. She arrives and readies herself for Malcolm and Kate’s party, planning for a short stay. Jan leaves Nick a book to read as, but it falls to the floor, and eventually results in his painful drop to the floor that makes the situation even worse. And those Old English hardwoods make a distinct noise when a human thuds onto it. It’s a wonder Nick’s not paralyzed. Nappy time, bro. Back at Macolm and Kate’s we find Susannah in bed with covered Kate, with Sus panicking about getting old and unattractive. Really? Switching back to Ernest and Delia’s side, they’ve arrived back from dinner, deeply disappointed with complaints galore. They finally settle on ‘Sardine on Toast in Bed,’ in bed? Yuck. And there is talk of s-e-x, but I’ll leave that to you to get the joke. Plus there is so much more that will have you rolling.

Bedroom Farce guarantees you’ll have a great time, and you might actually want to do some preparatory stretching. Be sure and exercise your neck, jaw, and cheeks, you know; the ones to the left and right of your nose. The action and laugh points are constant, so be ready at all times. You’ll be amazed who winds up in bed with who, and what happens in a particular bed. Here’s an idea, make a bet amongst your party, about who winds up in Ernest and Delia’s bed. You’ll find out who is a clutz in assembling things, and which couple contorts themselves, and so much more. It’s clean and honest fun, and it will give you a great frame of reference to use, should you ever wind up in a situation just as what happens on stage. Hopefully you have no troubled couples in your family.

Director Jean Ciampi did a wonderful job with her actors, and brought out the best in them. The vision she had for her players delivered some powerful unique characters, with comic abilities that pleased the audience with boisterous laughter, all for the object of creating fun, and, with just a little hint of pain. Ow! Ciampi is an accomplished writer herself, and it would be nice to see a production of her work someday at The Owen. The set was nicely done, and The Players Theater continues to impress in that arena. The bedroom walls that are not invisible represent the houses that are maintained by the individual households. Malcolm and Kate are in a fixer-upper, so their bedroom wall has some wallpaper that is falling down, and walls that need a coat of paint. Kudos to Set Designers Roger Ormiston and Jeff Merriman, Costume Designer Amy Bogan for some awesome evening and nightwear, and to Props Mistress Amanda Louchart for actually finding some rotary phones. Good job all!

The Players Theatre Company production of Bedroom Farce will set you up for a pleasant night's sleep. It’s another home run for The Players 2024-2025 Season, and MCN highly recommends you take in a show. So, if you are looking for a little bedroom action on the weekends. Oh, don’t get started with that again!. Bedroom Farce runs until February 9th.

For more information and tickets, visit: playerstheatrecompany.com or 936-539-4090 for tickets.

Ruben can be reached at: ruben@montgomerycountynews.net