Summer Theater: Out of Chaos – Comedy

Last weekend, Creede Repertory Theatre’s unforgettable production of “Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein” managed that complicated alchemy.

Heralding a summer of entertaining offerings, Creede Rep began its 59th season last weekend with not one, but three very different approaches to comedy.

“Young Frankenstein” has an indominatable pedigree. The 2007 musical grew out of the improbably idiotic 1974 black-and-white parody of Hollywood’s fascination with horror movies. And ultimately, the musical stands proudly with a cockeyed smile on top of the bedrock tale written by young Mary Shelley in 1818. Her now-classic story of a mad scientist creating a new creature out of old body parts resulted from an evening of competitive storytelling. So, the provenance, as they say, is not only historic but mixed.

Director Amanda Berg Wilson and her players have brought forth a sharp, smart frolic that just doesn’t quit. So thoroughly prepared was the company for opening night, that not one joke or a knowing glance got lost. From Graham Ward’s eager and knowing Dr. Frederick Frankenstein of the title to Anne Faith Butler’s shrewd and severe Frau Blücher, the cast heightened the genius of the Brooks and Thomas Meehan musical. Overacting welcome.

By the time the players strut out the big song-and-dance number, “Puttin’ on the Ritz,” you think you’re laughed out. There’s more to come.

To mark the 50th anniversary of Creede’s Grande Dame, Christy Brandt, the company has cast her in several productions. Look closely, and you’ll detect Brandt’s inimitable range when she appears as the Old Hermit in “Frankenstein” – a comic bit unto itself. Trooper that she is, Brandt has played many an ingénue as well as a wizened old man.

Brandt is more recognizable as Lady Bracknell in “The Importance of Being Earnest.”

Creede’s summer tutorial on the history of comedy is complete with Oscar Wilde’s arch comedy of manners.

Set in 1895, “Earnest” brims with witty dialogue, as the playwright pierces the fake armor of class, status, false friendships and youthful dalliance. From the beginning, Director Kate Berry heightens Wilde’s quicksilver dialogue by establishing a presentational style. Berry has the actors address the audience more than each other. That enhances Wilde’s wit and word play. Berry also has the ensemble moves in subtle, stylized ways that punctuates the action further with a subtle humor.

The third comedy opening weekend, turned out to be Ken Ludwig’s “Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery.” This fast-paced work shows off CRT’s versatility with a theater in the round presentation at the Humphrey’s venue. Bubbling over with action, the story harks back to one of Conan Doyle’s most famous mysteries, which Ludwig spoofs from every angle.

Kudos to Director Shristy Montour-Larson and her creative team for ratcheting up sound and light effects. Costumer Tony Sirk and his backstage crew enable the small cast to run, jump, tumble and spin as a multitude of characters. Erik Sandvold’s Holmes and Cameron Davis’ Watson, anchor the shifting personas and keep the theatrical mayhem on a solid storytelling trajectory.

If you plan well, you can catch all three of these shows in a two-day trip to Creede. CRT’s fourth play, “Prima’s Guide to Funerals,” opens July 12. It’s a world premiere by Leonard Madrid that grew out of the company’s annual, new play festival. It’s a dramedy about three cousins (primas), an urn and one telling day.

In addition, Creede has salted into its schedule evenings of Sondheim’s music, “Boomtown,” a late-night improv, a show written for kids and other tantalizing bits. Check the website for a detailed calendar and ticket prices. The drive from Durango is beautiful.

Judith Reynolds is an arts journalist and member of the American Theatre Critics Association.