It's seldom very sophisticated. Its never given credit for having any kind of substance.The script of a television situation comedy has a very short shelf life. It's kind of a disposable art. If a writer is particularly lucky, something he will have written will get aired more than a few times before passing into obscurity, where people might occasionally stumble onto it online.
This is too bad. In some circumstances there is some particularly good comedy that occasionally flashes through what is essentially uninspired work-for-hire. Most sitcom humor that gets lost. Locally there have been a couple of different projects that have made use of old sitcoms. The Underground Collaborative has, as a part of it's regular Retro Comedy Night, performed stagings of old sitcom episodes. Also, Theatre Unchained has staged and entire program episodes from Cleese and Booth's Fawlty Towers. After a successful run of an original program of three episodes, Theatre Unchained returns this fall with three more episodes.
The intimate studio theater just south of downtown is the type of space that can really amplify the difference between TV and live performance. Sit in the front row and you are surrounded by the sets that form the 1970s hotel where is the sitcom, took place. The actors aren't perfect analogues for the cast of the old TV show, but they don't have to be. As written, the comedy works well enough that it doesn't have to be performed by a specific ensemble in order for it to work. Indeed, there are certain strengths in this cast that may not have been present in the original TV cast. And though some of the transitions between scenes feel a little bit abrupt, reaction flows pretty smoothly across the stage.
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The beautiful thing about this kind of format with respect to the space at the Theatre Unchained is the fact that the production allows for an intermission between each half hour episode. So with a program of three episodes, you get two intermissions. That's two opportunities to go back to the bar for drinks. There at the bar you are served by the actors playing Polly and Manuel onstage. Here they are out of character performing similar service industry-type activities. It makes for a pseudo interactive theater experience. They're not in character, but you are interacting with them. And they will be onstage saying witty thing just after getting your beer or your mixed drink or whatever. It's a really fun atmosphere. And it allows for a really cool rhythm to the theatergoing experience.
It's not brilliantly clever high comedy. It's not Cleese's best work. But it's a lot of fun. And shows like this add to the diversity of what's available on stage in Milwaukee. This type of thing could be done more often and probably turn a fairly decent profit over time. And maybe even bring in people who wouldn't normally go to see a show. Broadening the audience base of live theatre really benefits everybody. I hope this sort of thing continues to be a success.
Fawlty Towers continues through November 3 at Theatre Unchained.
For ticket reservations by phone, call 414-391-7145
