According to advertisements, Shear Madness is a whodunit, but the focus of the actors and directors appears to be to make the audience laugh more than to engage them in a mystery. The actors remain entertaining and in character even during intermission, and they engage directly with the audience throughout the show. While the play may not make a lasting impression in its viewer's life, it certainly serves as a few hours of entertainment away from the doldrums of daily life.

All of the action in the play takes place in a barbershop that shares its name with the play. When the body of a tenant in the same building is found dead, investigators enter Shear Madness and detain the people present for questioning. Although the outline of the story and the majority of the plot tangents are scripted, the actors do a great deal of improvising in both actions and dialogue.

Shear Madness actually begins about fifteen minutes before its scheduled starting time. The actors enter the stage to music from the '60s through '80s and proceed to set the scene with exaggerated movements and gestures, causing laughter well before the first words are spoken. The music and ever-tacky yellow wallpapered set--full of actual styling products--is well-done and one of the play's strongest assets. Actors take every advantage of shaving cream, shampoo and a sink.

In the middle of the first act, the audience is invited to participate by correcting the characters on their recollection of past events as the events leading up to the crime are recounted. The audience participation is very casual; during the first act members simply shout out when they notice an error, and can then speak to the "detectives" individually during intermission to discuss crime theories. After intermission, audience members become investigators themselves and can ask questions of any of the actors.

The cast of Shear Madness varies slightly from night to night. Michael Fennimore, who normally occupies the role of Detective Nick Rossetti but was instead playing the part of barbershop owner Tony Whitcomb, is particularly gifted in hysterical antics. His outlandish gestures and quick comebacks matched his hot pink shirt and shoes and caused his fellow cast members to lose their straight faces. Richard Snee, playing the role of antiques dealer Edward Lawrence, became more animated as time went on contributing many amusing sarcastic facial expressions to the show and retorts to the audience. Chandra Pieragostini could have done much more with her character, Tony's assistant, Barbara DeMarco. She seemed a rather silent sidekick in a role that could very easily have been more dominating and flamboyant.

Boston jokes are frequent in the beginning of the first act, as is making fun of current topics such as Firestone tires and the television show "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire." (Note: If you are a college student from out of town, the majority of the Boston jokes will go right over your head.) After the crime has been committed and the investigation commences, the actors' interactions with the show and each other continue the relaxed, light-hearted atmosphere.

Some of the errors that the actors make in their recollections are so deliberate that it feels insulting to participate at times, but suspending one's sense of realism will add to the enjoyment and experience of the interactive show.

Unfortunately, instead of ending in an explosion of confusion and humor, the conclusion of Shear Madness falls flat. In the second act, when the questioning of the characters has ceased, the audience is asked for their input one final time and then the actors turn serious. The conclusion of Shear Madness is without a doubt its weakest part; the audience suddenly feels like they are being subjected to a forcibly scripted scene despite the previous casualness, and the show cannot pull off the sudden twist to drama.

The acting and directing that was over-the-top funny becomes simply overdone, and one wishes for a return to the lost comical "madness."

SHEAR MADNESS

written by

Paul Portner

directed by

Bruce Jordan

20th Anniversary

Charles Playhouse