What: "Boeing Boeing"
Where: University Theatre
When: February 3, 4, 7-11 at 7:30 p.m.; February 5 at 2:30 p.m.
Tickets can be purchased by calling the box office at 765-285-8749, in person from noon to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday or online.
One man, three fiancées and Paris are all ingredients to University Theatre's next show, “Boeing Boeing.”
Originally written in French, “Boeing Boeing” is a classic farce. The show is set in the 1960s and follows Bernard, an architect who is engaged to three stewardesses at the same time. He uses their flight schedules to determine which woman he sees when — and to keep them all secret from each other.
However, things go awry when the airlines start using the newer, faster Boeing jet, bringing all three women to Paris at the same time. Not only that, but Bernard’s friend Robert comes for a visit, adding to the chaos.
Frank Zabilka, a junior musical theater major, plays Bernard. He said he prepared for the role by studying conmen and womanizers of the 1960s.
“One of the most relevant people in history to compare Bernard to would be Frank Abagnale, Jr., the protagonist of Steven Spielberg's ‘Catch Me If You Can,’” Zabilka said. “Abagnale was a real person, so there are multiple written and audible sources from him and how he conned everyone into believing him — and more importantly for ‘Boeing Boeing,’ how he conned the airline stewardesses.”
The show is Kelsey Skomer’s first comedy, and she said she thinks the mechanics of farce are fascinating. The junior acting major plays Gloria, the American stewardess.
“I personally really enjoy how all three stewardesses are so different from each other,” she said. “I worked hard to understand the structure and rhythms of each scene. I also listened to a lot of Frank Sinatra; I think Gloria is a Sinatra fan for sure.”
Senior acting major Sophia Foldvari is also performing her first farce with this show. She plays Gretchen, the German stewardess.
“She is loud, emotional, relatively angry and good-hearted. She is the last stewardess the audience meets and gives the audience a nice surprise at the end,” Foldvari said.
“Boeing Boeing” was guest-directed by Calvin MacLean, who is the artistic director of the Clarence Brown Theatre in Knoxville, Tennessee. MacLean said working with the cast and crew has been a great experience.
“I think we’ve all had a lot of fun,” he said. “I am proud of everyone’s work. We have had a lot of fun working out the ridiculous situations, the physical comedy and the very broad and varied characterizations. The audience, I think, will laugh a lot.”
Foldvari said MacLean brought an “outside energy” that kept everyone on their toes.
“He’s also just been so great with collaborating with us and really merging both of our ideas about the characters and the show itself,” she said. “Since the cast is so small, it’s also been great to develop a cool camaraderie with MacLean and the cast as a whole.”
As a comedy, the play required Skomer to be more physical than normal, she said. The larger space of University Theatre also required her to make adjustments.
“Economy of movement and knowing my objective backwards and forwards were big takeaways for me,” Skomer said. “I also learned a lot about how to project my voice and movement to fit the bigger stage in University Theatre. Prior to this role I have only performed in Strother [Studio Theatre] and the [Cave Theatre], so University Theatre has proven to be an exciting challenge.”
Zabilka said comedy performances thrive on the audience’s reaction, so rehearsing without one has been a challenge.
“We are really looking forward to having people in the seats,” he said.
Despite this, Foldvari said the cast still manages to have fun at rehearsals.
“I think it’s important to laugh a lot when rehearsing a comedy; that means it’s working,” she said.
“Boeing Boeing” opens at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 3 in University Theatre. A complete list of performance dates and ticket information can be found on the Department of Theatre and Dance’s website.
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