Farcical 'There Goes the Bride' combines family, flappers

A wedding day can be stressful, but when the father of the bride starts seeing things like a 1920s flapper girl, comedy is sure to ensue.

“There Goes the Bride” is a farce – a play in which things happen to the characters causing comedy – and the Brown County Playhouse’s second show of the season.

“It’s the situation that’s funny,” said Sarah Fischer, who plays Judy, the bride-to-be. “Reading a farce can be very confusing and not funny, but when you see it, you get wrapped up in their lives and it’s hilarious.”

As a family of soon-to-be in-laws attempts to get to the church on time, the father of the bride, stressed-out advertising executive Timothy Westerby, begins to see things such as flapper girl Polly Perkins, played by Mandy Striph.

“He has a lot of stress on him, and he and his wife ... he’s let their relationship suffer,” said recent graduate student Matthew Buffalo, who plays Westerby. “He gets hit on the head and sees Polly. As the play progresses and everyone thinks he’s going crazy, he’s discovering that he loves his wife and what’s important to him.”

A lot of the comedy stems from Polly’s interaction with the characters who can’t see her.

“I work with everyone on stage because there are several characters that think he’s talking to them when he’s really talking to me,” Striph said. “I find everyone on stage fascinating, and I’m constantly causing problems and wreaking havoc on set.”

The play began July 10 and will run through Aug. 2. The cast had only three weeks to prepare for the show, practicing eight hours a day.

“Since it’s a comedy, when you rehearse, you don’t know when people will laugh,” Buffalo said. “The audience was really responsive. People can relate to it and its stupid family issues. It’s a very accessible show.”

The cast comprises IU students and professional actors, including IU theatre and drama faculty member Nancy Lipschultz as Daphne. Mike Price, Ken Farrell, Abby Rowold and Fischer are making their playhouse debuts this summer.

“Some of us have been in the business for 20 to 30 years, and some are still in their undergrads,” Buffalo said. “However, I don’t think there’s one person who thinks they’re better than anyone else.”

The production is directed by IU professor of theatre and drama Bruce Burgun, who has a history of directing other Ray Cooney-written farces at the Brown County Playhouse.

“The director works with us up to opening night, but then we’re done,” Buffalo said. “As the show goes on, you learn things about your character. You find more of the comedic elements as it goes on and it evolves throughout the show.”

Burgun directs a creative team that includes scenic designer Fred Duer, lighting designer Ryan Davies, costume designer Erica Greise and sound designer Mary Weber.

“It’s aimed towards people that want to laugh,” Striph said. “It’s a British play, and there’s two or three jokes that Americans won’t get, but besides that it’s pretty universal.”