“Unnecessary Farce,” November 9 through 19

Thursday, November 9, through Sunday, November 19

Richmond Hill Barn Theatre, 600 Robinson Drive, Geneseo IL

A riotous stage work that inspired ChicagoCritic.com to rave that "You’ll leave the theatre reinvigorated and thoroughly entertained," Geneseo's Richmond Hill Barn Theatre closes its 2023 season with author Paul Slade Smith's hysterical comedy Unnecessary Farce, the show also enjoying the praise of Broadway World, which advised, "Get ready to laugh your heart out."

Two cops. Three crooks. Eight doors. Go. In the cheap motel room of Unnecessary Farce, an embezzling mayor is supposed to meet with his female accountant, while in the room next door, two undercover cops wait to catch the meeting on videotape. But there's some confusion as to who's in which room, who's being videotaped, who's taken the money, who's hired a hit man, and why the accountant keeps taking off her clothes. The show received its premiere at the BoarsHead Theater in Lansing, Michigan, in 2006 and has since enjoyed more than 240 productions to date throughout the United States, Great Britain, Australia, Singapore, Switzerland, Iceland, and Canada. Author Slade, whose comedy The Outsider made its area debut at Rock Island's Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse this fall, has stated, "“Farce, to me, is the purest form of comedy. It’s for people who like their comedies to never stop being comedic. It’s such an important part of theatrical tradition.” Reviewers have taken note of the playwright's skills, with the Boston Globe saying of Unnecessary Farce, "“Like the farceurs of old, [Slade] relies on character, rather than contrivance, to drive his increasingly frenzied, unrelentingly funny plot.”

Directing Unnecessary Farce for Richmond Hill is longtime venue favorite Jonathan Grafft, who also helmed last autumn's production of Vintage Hitchcock: A Live Radio Play and has been featured in such presentations as Flowers for Algernon, Escanaba in da Moonlight, and this past summer's Misery. Pat Kelly and Grafft's Misery co-star Jackie Skiles serve as the show's stage managers, with the creative team including set builders Mike and Jim Skiles and crew member Bella McConville. A gifted ensemble of seven, meanwhile, composes Unnecessary Farce's cast, with venue newcomers Scott Harl and Katie Orwig appearing alongside familiar faces Nathan Johnson (Doublewide, Texas), Dana Skiles (All My Sons), Mike Kelly (The 39 Steps), and married performers Chris and Jess White, co-starring at Geneseo's Barn Theatre for the first time since 2010's Wrong for Each Other.

Unnecessary Farce runs at Geneseo's Richmond Hill Barn Theatre from November 9 through 19, with performances Thursday through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. Admission is $12, and more information and tickets are available by calling (309)944-2244 and visiting RHPlayers.com.