Word: scapino
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...Scapino retains only the barest skeleton from the Moliere play. A standard comedy plot (a pair of lovers, hidden identities, knowing rogues, fodish parents) is used as a jumping-off point for an evening of slapstick and mime. Scapino is a showcase rather than a play; its success depends on the comic talents of the actors in a show which has no pretensions to dramatic integrity. The script demands a veritable catalogue of comedy skills, ranging from stand-up routines to sexual sightgags to circus acrobatics...
...production on Broadway a few years ago included some of the most versatile actors in the business; Jim Dale in the lead role of Scapino nearly made it a one-man show. But if the talents of the cast are not worth showing off, Scapino becomes no longer worth doing. This is where the Loeb production falls short...
...only slightly better than average, and by amateur standards at that? The cast at the Loeb is good but not great in a show that demands the superb. George Hamlin's meticulous direction has' molded a group of inexperienced players into an entertaining comedy troupe, but this Scapino was marked for mediocrity long before rehearsals began...
David Eddy (Scapino) is a case in point. Eddy is a fine actor and his pirate imitation in the second act marks the highlight of the show. But Eddy does not possess the polished energy needed to maintain two solid hours of high-flying farce. The part crys out for Jim Dale in a very special way. While certain parts have been stamped by the individuals who made them famous--Liza Minelli in Cabaret, Zero Mostel in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, to name two--rarely is a part actually created for a specific stage...
...Prince Spaghetti Day") seems an unnecessary intrusion. Unfortunately the set, with its scaffolds and dangling ropes, is never fully explored. John Magoun's lighting is downright incompetent; areas go dark and light quite abruptly for no discernible reason. Anne Higonnet's costumes help establish an endearingly seedy atmosphere, although Scapino himself should show a bit more panache and the two ingenues should, to be blunt, show a bit more skin...