By Eva Trieger
POWAY, California — There are many things that PowPac Community Theatre does well. But one thing they do exceptionally well is have fun! This theatre, its producers, directors, actors and concessions folks know how to unleash frivolity. In case you don’t believe me, take yourself to see The Gods of Comedy.
Ken Ludwig’s uber-silly play of farcical magnitude actually premiered at The Old Globe theatre, right here in San Diego, in 2019.
Two Classics professors, Ralph (Kevin O’Connor, Jr.) and Daphne (Katelyn Slater), discover a long-lost copy of Euripides’ play, Andromeda. This discovery could well launch them into academic fame from their present relative obscurity. Well, it would have if it hadn’t gone missing! What would any young college professor do? Call upon the Greek Gods, of course. Enter Dionysus (David Dartt) and Thalia (Eliza Huff).
These are not your run-of-the-mill deities. These are the Gods of Comedy, and they put their own special twist on their machinations and manipulations of the humans. Whether its invisibility or shape shifting, these two certainly manage to wreak havoc, even accidentally calling for Ares (Chris Lange) instead of Apollo! To ramp up the histrionics and create a time-is-of-the-essence, the Dean of the university (Amy Dell) is hoping to wow potential donors with deep pockets with this rare find. To further mess with the mortals, alumna Brooklyn (Jamie Feinstein) has returned and is quite a distraction for Ralph, and a vexation for Daphne.
PowPac’s show is produced by Steve Murdock and directed by Melissa Malloy. Both have been actors and directors in previous lives, and their comfort and knowledge of the craft is obvious. The play moves at a fast-paced clip and all actors maximize the small space effectively. Clever set design (Christy Reid, Lynn Wolsey, Gunner Kruse and Jim Pope) transforms the finite space from Greek Island, to English department office to college campus seamlessly.
As one who frequents many local theatres, I must say, PowPac is truly an affordable gem. Visit the website PowPac.org to see if a subscription would work for you. This little company produces shows of incredible talent in a truly intimate space. They just recently became licensed to sell wine! However, I want to be very clear about PowPac’s endgame. Every production supports the community. They provide scholarships to Poway students who demonstrate a love of theatre arts, and always seek to entertain patrons.
The Gods of Comedy runs through December 7th and tickets may be purchased at boxoffice@powpac.org or by phone at 858.679.8085.
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Eva Trieger is a freelance writer specializing in the coverage of the arts.