Photo via Sunset Playhouse - Facebook
Unnecessary Farce - Sunset Playhouse
Sunset Playhouse performs Paul Slade Smith's 'Unncessary Farce' (2026)
The title basically says it all. Unnecessary Farce is exactly that: a fast-paced, giggle-inducing comic mix-up of outrageous, over-the-top characters trying to hatch a scheme that goes completely haywire almost from the beginning. Unnecessary Farce opened this week at Sunset Playhouse; it continues through February 1 at the Elm Grove theater.
To really get into the spirit of Unnecessary Farce, consider the fact that the dialogue written by another playwright, Neil Simon (The Odd Couple, Plaza Suite, Barefoot in the Park, etc.), sounds like Shakespeare when compared to Paul Slade Smith (the guy who wrote Unnecessary Farce).
However, a steady diet of Shakespeare (or even Neil Simon) does not a contented theatergoer make. There’s always room for a different sort of comedy. The origins of farce stretch back centuries, but it can be argued that farce is needed more than ever in today’s world.
Besides, even though the characters are ones we may not relate to, doesn’t it make them all the funnier to laugh at?
Recognizable Faces
Frequent Sunset theatergoers will see many of their favorites onstage here. Actor Peter Brian Kelly stars as earnest-though-bumbling police officer Eric Sheridan. The officer is on a high-stakes stake-out in a low budget motel room. His goal is to get video evidence to prove that the town mayor has embezzled millions of dollars from city coffers.
Eric is accompanied on this mission by rookie cop Billie Dwyer (co-star Allison Chicorel). She’s basically a cop school drop-out who failed her training in handcuffs, guns, suspect interrogation and just about every element involved in a police officer’s job. But she makes up in enthusiasm for what she lacks in professionalism. Maybe that’s why she got this prime assignment from the chief.
Stay on top of the news of the day
Subscribe to our free, daily e-newsletter to get Milwaukee's latest local news, restaurants, music, arts and entertainment and events delivered right to your inbox every weekday, plus a bonus Week in Review email on Saturdays.
The realistic set (by Katie Johnson) consists of two adjoining motel rooms. There are no fewer than six doors. All of the doors are necessary to pull off this antic play, with characters popping in and out of them at a moment’s notice (make that an inappropriate moment’s notice).
One room contains the two cops (Eric and Billie) and a TV monitor. Eric has enlisted the help of an attractive CPA (Tanya Tranberg) who has the hots for him and has a lot of trouble keeping her clothes on throughout the play. The mayor has scheduled their meeting in this hotel room (don’t ask why this meeting isn’t at city hall.) The CPA is going to quiz Mayor Meekly (Ralph Garcia) about the irregularities she found in the city’s accounts.
Beforehand, the accountant has been briefed by Officer Eric on where to sit in the room so that a hidden microphone/camera in a nearby Ficus plant can record the mayor’s response. This exposition, though somewhat drawn-out, sets up the comic action that follows.
Parade of Dim-Witted Crooks
Photo via Sunset Playhouse - Facebook
Unncessary Farce - Sunset Playhouse
Sunset Playhouse performs Paul Slade Smith's 'Unncessary Farce' (2026)
Soon we’ll meet the clueless mayor, followed by his head of security, Agent Frank (Mike Owens), and a hitman from the Scottish mob, Todd (Nicholas Callen Haubner). The playwright has succeeded in crafting this crude comedy with enough finesse so that the improbable plot doesn’t totally spin off the rails. The play’s descent into comic madness has just enough probability to keep it amusing.
Happily, the entire cast of community actors is prepared for the physical comedy and precise timing that drives this two-hour play. On opening night, everything went off without a hitch, including Officer Billie’s impressive, mile-a-minute translation of Todd’s thick Scottish accent. On opening night, Billie gets a mid-scene round of applause from the audience.
The character who has the most fun with his part is undoubtedly Haubner as Todd. Before he commits a murder, Todd insists on following a specific routine. He dons full Scottish regalia (kilt, sporran, etc.) and plays a tune on his bagpipes to the intended victim before committing the murder.
In Unnecessary Farce, Todd is interrupted during various phases of his well-worn routine, and Haubner’s constant frustration is an endless source of amusement.
A late appearance by the mayor’s wife (Julie Rowley) offers some surprising plot twists that keeps the laughter going until the final curtain comes down.
Goofy Gunplay and Bedroom Athletics
Although many guns are tossed around during Unnecessary Farce, there’s never a fear that any characters will actually get hurt. Nonetheless, the adult nature of this play should be reserved for adults only.
Production elements definitely deserve mention. In addition to the sturdy set (think of all those slamming doors), costumes (by Kate Dombrowski) contribute a lot to the play’s comic moments. Martin Yates brings a realistic touch with his lighting and sound design.
If the plot of Unnecessary Farce sounds familiar, it was produced by another local theater company, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, in 2019. Whether audiences are encountering this play for the first time, or need an uplifting refresher, Unnecessary Farce is still a sure bet for nonstop entertainment.
Unnecessary Farce runs through February 1 at Sunset Playhouse, 700 Wall St., Elm Grove. For tickets, visit sunsetplayhouse.com, or call the box office at (262) 782-4430.
