'One for the Pot'

The Brown County Playhouse's most recent production hits the stage today, continuing every weekend through the rest of August. "One for the Pot," written by British playwrights Ray Cooney and Tony Hilton, is a "riotous farce" set in 1950s England. Jonathan Hardcastle (played by George R. Bookwalter) decides to give £10,000 to the son of his late business partner, provided he's the only living relative. With so much money on the line, a colorful cast of characters show up to try to get their hands in the pot.\nDirector Bruce Burgun said in a press release that farce is difficult to pull off on stage because of "the chaos in which (it) thrives."\n"Chaos per se is not funny," he said. "It must be highly organized chaos to be effective."\nBurgun has directed eight other farces for IU before "One for the Pot," four of them by "Pot" author Ray Cooney.\nOther cast members include Geoff Wilson as the son in question, Robert K. Johansen as his "solicitor" Charlie Barnet and Melissa Joy Nedell as Hardcastle's "fun-loving and attractive daughter" Cynthia. Behind-the-scenes work includes scenic design from Namok Bae, costumes by Rebecca S. Jarell and lighting and sound design by Robert A. Shakespeare.\nThe Brown County Playhouse is, according to its Web site, a "not-for-profit professional stock theatre operated in conjunction with the Indiana University Department of Theatre and Drama," now in its 53rd season. The play opens today and continues Wednesdays through Sundays through August 25. Curtain time at all performances is 8 p.m. Tickets are $13 ($7 for 12 and under) on Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday and $15 ($8 for 12 and under) on Fridays and Saturdays. For more information, visit www.indiana.edu/~thtr/bcplay.html