The Dingdong
About the show
The Pearl Theatre Company presents the world premiere of a comedy celebrating romance, lust, and the magic of the theatre. More…
Vatelin is a faithful husband—mostly. Lucy is a faithful wife—kind of. And their 'fidelity' is about to be put to the test when a series of suitors and femme fatales invade their little world. Following the misadventures of one madcap night in a Paris hotel, this farce takes place in a world where opening the wrong door in the dark of night can lead to mayhem, laughter, and, maybe, a few truths about how to have a happy marriage. Playwright Mark Shanahan was inspired by Georges Feydeau's classic 'Le Dindon.'
"Hal Brooks’ direction is impeccable…But the great fun here is in watching this talented cast double and triple up on roles…And then, there is Kelley Curran! This brunette bombshell essays four different parts with the kind of comedic élan that made Carole Lombard a legend. Trust me, funny and sexy isn’t an easy thing to pull off. Ms. Curran makes it look like a day at the beach on Cannes. Vive La Kelley!" Full Review
"A first-rate farce…The ‘DingDong’ plays fast and loose and is often ferociously funny and somewhat surreal…Excellently directed by Hal Brooks…The Pearl Theatre Company of actors is highly skilled with the requirements of farce: facility with speed of dialogue and emotional changes, physical dexterity, and a balanced, light and yet authentic attention to characterization." Full Review
“Director Hal Brooks unbridles five actors in ‘The Dingdong’...He propels it even further into the absurd by having those five actors bring to charming, boisterous and nuanced life 12 distinct characters...George Feydeau is one of the most famous writers of bedroom farce, and Mark Shanahan’s adaptation is a remarkable homage. Witty banter, along with exaggerated physicality, are at the heart of 'The Dingdong.' Even the most pursed lip might be cajoled to laugh out loud.” Full Review
"I went in expecting a fun farce and The Pearl delivered. 'The Dingdong' is true to form and well executed. Technically this show does everything right; the blocking is great, the pacing on point...However, even though the show hits its mark, it lacks the danger and emotional stakes that would made it thrilling. But don’t worry, the brilliance of the text, snazzy costume changes, and slapstick humor makes 'The Dingdong' a lovely night out." Full Review
"Much of the fun of the play is seeing the same actors return over and over again in different roles often within a matter of seconds...While Brooks’ staging is stylish and elegant. The problem becomes that the stakes are not very high, and consequently we don’t worry or care enough about the possible tragedies for the characters if and when they are discovered...However, the rest of the production team is right on target." Full Review
“Occasionally hilarious and mostly harmless...Under Hal Brooks’s direction, there’s little emotional center, and the precision of the pacing comes and goes. With all the one-liners and quick changes and frothy lingerie and funny accents, however, you might not notice...However lascivious in its come-ons and varied in its penis jokes, ‘The Dingdong’ is ultimately conservative in its conclusions: a tease of a play.” Full Review
"'The Dingdong' is passable fun, providing a solid laugh for every two or three that fall flat. It's also easy to admire the cast as everyone goes through his or her paces, switching costumes and characters with abandon. But this is Exhibit A in the argument that light entertainment can be even more challenging than the most serious drama. The characters in 'The Dingdong' suffer from a lack of discretion; you could say the same thing about the people behind this production." Full Review
"The play's inherent funniness is stomped on by Brooks’s heavy-handed direction and the company’s frequent overacting. High energy is all well and good for playing farce, but there must be total conviction in the truth of each action...I’m afraid the Pearl’s production, apart from the delectable cranberry sauce and stuffing of Kelley Curran’s comical versatility, veers too closely to the actual meaning of ‘Le Dindon,’ i.e., the turkey." Full Review
"The farce spectrum can veer from crude to exquisite. Mark Shanahan tends to favor the lower depths: lots of puerile wink-wink wordplay and pratfalls both sexual and scatological...In casting ill-matched repertory members d’un certain age, director Hal Brooks blunts the spirit of the original...The stage sizzles to life every time Curran turns up...She embodies what we bourgeois theatergoers rather hope to see when attending a French farce." Full Review
See it if You like to laugh, enjoy witty, clever writing and are ready to have a good time. SO much fun.
Don't see it if You don't like to laugh!
See it if You love a good romp in Paris hotel rooms and a good laugh out loud sex farce.
Don't see it if You don't like absurd and silly play and sexual innuendos. This is not a drama.
See it if Classic French farce at its best is your cup of tea! Great fun all around; the cast shine in multiple roles & there is never a dull moment.
Don't see it if Youd like to watch a somber play or slower and less broad comedy.
See it if Great acting, set in the 1930s in Europe about men who want to sleep with their friends wife
Don't see it if If you are conservative
See it if You enjoy well-done farce, somewhat raunchy humor, and the comedy of actors playing multiple roles very well.
Don't see it if You want something serious, or just don't appreciate traditional farces (lovers, multiple rooms, mistaken identity, etc.)
See it if you enjoy farce, clever humor, quick wit, and puns.
Don't see it if You don't enjoy slapstick - though it's beautifully executed, it is lighthearted and silly humor.
See it if You like silly French farces. Enjoy low budget productions,enthusiastic actors,a versatile hillarious young actress -sit back and enjoy
Don't see it if You expect top quality sets and spectacular sound effects.
See it if You like farcical humor. Like to laugh at silly humor. The five actors switch roles with ease and the show is funny and enjoyable.
Don't see it if Don't like slapstick comedy or need elaborate staging.
See it if you like good acting and silly comedy
Don't see it if you expect special effects
See it if Enjoy farce. Plenty of doors...
Don't see it if You don't enjoy farce. It's supposed to be silly...
See it if You like madcap silliness.
Don't see it if You are prudish and are offended by plays with sexual overtones
See it if The Italian bombshell sounds Latino & the flirty Frenchman sounds British but it doesn't matter. It's fun! Just go with it.
Don't see it if You like serious plots & intense dramas, not mindless fun. It's full of sexual innuendo & bathroom humor, but no nudity or offensive lang.
See it if you like farce. This is kind of slapstick farce. Cleverly done and clever staging. Lots of laughs. The actors were very good.
Don't see it if you don't like a fast pace.
See it if a fast passed showed about a man carry on an adulteress affair in a hotel setting with his wife there will be entertaining for you
Don't see it if if you cannot keep up with fast moving acts
See it if you like farce.
Don't see it if you want to see something heavy.
See it if you need to unstressed with light entertainment, and a spectacularly staged play. The 4 actors switch characters at the speed of light
Don't see it if you like only thought provoking theater.
See it if you like boulevard farce Americanized with a cast of 5 each playing multiple roles, lots of laughs, & hope filled resolution at the end
Don't see it if you can't find the ridiculous in everyday marital problems, or don't like seeing actors in period underwear
See it if You like physical comedy
Don't see it if You are not a fan of silly shows
See it if you want to take a break from plays that aim to challenge the way you view life and just want to have a jolly good time in the theater.
Don't see it if realism is your thing and you want your theater to reveal layer upon layer of the complexities of human experience.
See it if You're looking for an entertaining fast paced show with great costumes/sets and terrific comedic performances (w/one poor casting exception)
Don't see it if You like your non-stop one-liners and physical comedy in bite size half hour sitcom chunks The silliness gets a little tiring after a while.
See it if You're in the mood for some light farce.
Don't see it if Your sensibilities are easily offended by low-budget, shabby sets.
See it if You want to support The Pearl, which does some great things. for Curran's performance. Great costumes.
Don't see it if are expecting to see first rate farce. Most of the jokes don't land. I sat there smiling occasionally but rarely laughing out loud
See it if you enjoy madcap farces in the spirit of Noises Off. And you enjoy slamming doors & excellent timing! & fake moustaches!
Don't see it if you are in the mood for a serious, thoughty drama.
See it if You want to have a laugh for a couple hours. You probably won't be laughing the whole time but there'll be at least a few laughs in there.
Don't see it if You desire a show with a lot of depth or don't care for slapstick, farce-type comedies. Acting abilities greatly varied.
See it if you enjoy classic farce with lots of doors opening and closing
Don't see it if farce is not your cup of tea
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