The Fort Lewis College Theatre Department will stage its opening show for the new school year in two weeks, and the show’s director will be teaching almost right up until the curtain rises.
Felicia Lansbury Meyer, a visiting instructor of writing at theater at Fort Lewis, will give the first “Theatrically Speaking” event Wednesday at Open Shutter Gallery. Meyer is the director of this month’s production of “You Can’t Take it With You” and will speak about the classical farce style typical of 1930s comedies found on the New York stage and in Hollywood movies.
In theatrical terms, a farce is a comedy that aims at entertaining the audience through situations that are highly exaggerated, extravagant and improbable.
Farces are often highly incomprehensible plot-wise (because of the large number of plot twists and random events that often occur), but viewers are encouraged not to try to follow the plot in order to avoid becoming confused and overwhelmed.
Farce is also characterized by physical humor, the use of deliberate absurdity or nonsense and broadly stylized performances. Farces have been written for the stage and film. They are often set in one particular location, where all events occur.
“You Can’t Take it With You” is a an example of the genre, with all of the action set in the New York City mansion of an eccentric family.
If you go
Fort Lewis College Theatre Department will present “Theatrically Speaking” with visiting professor Felicia Meyer at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Open Shutter Gallery, 735 Main Ave. Admission is free. For more information, call 247-6769.
