REVIEW: ‘In One Bed and Out the Other’ at Off-Broadstreet

BY STUART DUNCAN

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

N.J. THEATER REVIEW

"In One Bed and Out the Other" is an English adaptation of a French boudoir farce, originally titled "One Night at Your Place, Madame." And that tells you pretty much all you need to know about the holiday offering at Hopewell's Off-Broadstreet Theatre. Three more of less adventurous pairs plus a determinedly virginal maiden aunt do a lot of talking about love and sex for the first act, then spend considerable time and energy climbing in and out of a double bed in the living room for the second act in various couplings. By the final curtain everything has been sorted out and no one is any the less for wear — and since it is a British farce, nothing has happened.

It's the type of show that Off-Broadstreet does with great style and gusto; it has a delicious cast that can handle all the double and triple entendres with casual civility. It has strong direction by Bob Thick with breath-taking pace. It has nicely costumed (and in the second act, uncostumed) elegance by Ann Raymond. The only thing really missing is a script worthy of all that care.

The plot is too complicated for description (which, of course, is part of the problem.) We spend an autumn afternoon and evening in the Parisian drawing room of a home belonging to Gaston and Huguette DuBois. The couple seems to be having marital troubles. He (Barry Abramowitz) is apparently awaiting a lover (Adina Petro.) She (Victoria Czarnik) is just plain bored, but clearly open to suggestions.

Meanwhile the couple's valet/butler (Geoffrey Barber) isn't what he seems to be. In fact we learn that he is hiding from his aunt (Virginia Barrie) since she expects him to marry Rosine (Jennifer Newby) and he doesn't intend to. Now add in Didier (Johnny Ragazzo) who at one point takes up the valet's apron and assumes his tasks and Clara (Adina Petro) who is the lover Gaston has been expecting, and the audience is ready to yell "nobody move."

It's all pleasant enough, but the script doesn't really allow us to get terribly involved other than an intellectual curiosity as to how exactly the author hopes to get everyone back on two feet, fully clad and teamed up with someone. But, as usual, the desserts and beverages at Off-Broadstreet are superb and at least for one night we don't have to hear "Bah, Humbug." Or worry about Sugar-Plum fairies.

"In One Bed and Out The Other" will continue at Off-Broadstreet Theatre, 5 So. Greenwood Ave. in Hopewell through January 22. Fri. & Sat. eves at 8 p.m.; Sun. mat. At 2:30. The doors are always open one hour earlier for desserts and beverages.