This is a comedy about the Black Death, the power of the church, and the fact that a one-legged woman with dreams of becoming a professional dancer is always going to get a laugh. Yes, that's politically incorrect. Truthfully, most of the show is. Father Flote (John C. Bailey) is a monk attempting to minister to those stricken by the plague when a vision shows him that the way to truly help is with humor. What follows is an examination of faith that, at turns, evokes The Wizard of Oz, stories of Christ's disciples and off-market Monty Python. While shot through with the offbeat humor and postmodern winks this company is known for, there's no way around the fact that Red Noses is exceptionally strange. Pope Clement VI is sporting a gas mask, the rag tag band of friendly evangelicals are sporting red noses and the horny merchants are sporting gold lamé g-strings. Bailey and castmates Emily Webb, Heather Haney and Melissa Marie Hmelnicky, lead the ensemble gamely through the play's intentionally bad burlesque and inoffensive offensive humor. To July 20. Presented by Washington Shakespeare Company at the Clark Street Playhouse, 601 S. Clark St., in Crystal City. Tickets are $25 to $35. Call 1-800-494-TIXS or visit www.washingtonshakespeare.org. Read Tom Avila's full review here.
Red Noses as the WSC Clark Street Playhouse
This is a comedy about the Black Death, the power of the church, and the fact that a one-legged woman with dreams of becoming a professional dancer is always going to get a laugh. Yes, that's politically incorrect. Truthfully, most of the show is. Father Flote (John C. Bailey) is a monk attempting to minister to those stricken by the plague when a vision shows him that the way to truly help is with humor. What follows is an examination of faith that, at turns, evokes The Wizard of Oz, stories of Christ's disciples and off-market Monty Python. While shot through with the offbeat humor and postmodern winks this company is known for, there's no way around the fact that Red Noses is exceptionally strange. Pope Clement VI is sporting a gas mask, the rag tag band of friendly evangelicals are sporting red noses and the horny merchants are sporting gold lamé g-strings. Bailey and castmates Emily Webb, Heather Haney and Melissa Marie Hmelnicky, lead the ensemble gamely through the play's intentionally bad burlesque and inoffensive offensive humor. To July 20. Presented by Washington Shakespeare Company at the Clark Street Playhouse, 601 S. Clark St., in Crystal City. Tickets are $25 to $35. Call 1-800-494-TIXS or visit www.washingtonshakespeare.org. Read Tom Avila's full review here.
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