BY ADAM M. SCHENCK
For us brusque and rugged Americans the British sensibility comes to us as a salve. In times such as these we want for nothing more than wit, banter and the literary turn of phrase in hopes they will take us from the unmitigated horrors of the day.
Theatre in the Round completes its 2016 season with “Jeeves Intervenes,” an adaptation of the characters of P.G. Wodehouse written by Margaret Raether. Longtime contributor Dann Peterson directs a zany, physical comedy of errors. If you liked “Frasier,” then this is your ticket.
John Adler portrays the consummate butler Jeeves, who can find a way out of any hijinks for society bachelors Bertram (Aaron Henry) and Eustace (Dietrich Poppen). Jeeves plays straight man to the antics of his charges, both of whom wish to escape responsibilities forced on them by their relatives.
Indeed the stakes are high even if the acting is slapstick. Bertram must escape marriage to Gertrude (Amanda Breininger)—his imperious aunt Agatha’s (Donna Porfiri) idea—and his friend Eustace needs to show himself industrious enough to avoid getting shipped to India by his uncle Sir Rupert (David Rinzema).
The action has us speculate on how Jeeves will put it all together. How will the characters and their desires come together like a jigsaw puzzle—how will Jeeves save the day?
The set design (John A. Woskoff) is understated owing to the arena-style 360-degree stage. Lighting design (Mark Halvorson) replaces a curtain and transitions the story. And these actors seem to have actual British accents; dialect coach Jean Wolff aids in this.
For me, an additional delight is how the story meets the criteria for Aristotle’s classical unities for poetics: The story is set in one place over the course of 24 hours with the action centered on one conflict: Jeeves getting Bertram and Eustace out of trouble.
As I enjoyed opening night, some mishandled lines were to be expected. If you attend one of the last two weekends of the show, expect crisp dialogue, shenanigans and all in all delightful entertainment. If Jeeves can get these jokers out of their tomfoolery, then maybe we can be so rash as to hope for better times in our society.
Shows are Fridays & Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 2 p.m. through July 31. Theatre in the Round is located at 245 Cedar Ave., Mpls. 55454. For tickets: www.theatreintheround.org or 612-333-3010.
Adam M. Schenck can be reached at [email protected].
