'SEE IT,' HE WHISPERS IN YOUR 'EAR'.Byline: Evan Henerson Theater Critic THE BED SPINS, the innuendos are tossed, and the dental plate flies - you read that right. It's an important plot point - with equal abandon in A Noise Within's rendering of ``A Flea flea (fle) a small, wingless, bloodsucking insect; many fleas are parasitic and may act as disease carriers. flea (fl )n. in Her Ear.'' The pace and timing of George Feydeau's tried-and-true farce are on the button and a couple of performers - predictably those cast in the choice comic roles - separate themselves from the rest of the performance's loony bin. Surprises? Not particularly, but so often is this play staged, it's hard to expect the unexpected from it. That said, the rhythms of Geoff and Julia Rodriguez Elliott's production are tight and focused and the casting hasn't a weak link. ``A Flea'' flies along on its merry and occasionally bawdy way, easily enticing us along for the ride. And what a zany ride it is. Yvonne Chandel (played by Dorthea Hanrahan) mistakenly believes her husband Victor-Emmanuel Emmanuel, Byzantine and Portuguese rulersEmmanuel. For Byzantine and Portuguese rulers thus named, use Manuel.Emmanuel, in the BibleEmmanuel, in the Bible: see Immanuel. (Stephen Weingartner) is stepping out. So, setting a plan to prove her suspicion, Yvonne dictates a perfumed love letter to her husband from a secret admirer proposing a rendezvous at the Pretty Pussy pus·sy (p s![]() )adj. Inn. If Victor-Emmanuel shows up for it, he's guilty. Containing or resembling pus. Because Yvonne has her best friend Lucienne (Jill Hill) write the letter and since everyone in the household - secretaries, doctors, jealous husbands - somehow ends up at the Pretty Pussy at inopportune moments, the result is farcical chaos. Particularly winning are Louis Lotorto as the sometimes speech-challenged secretary Camille and Richard Soto as Lucienne's crazy-jealous Spanish husband. Evan Henerson, (818) 713-3651 evan.henerson(at)dailynews.com A FLEA IN HER EAR - Three stars Where: A Noise Within, 234 S. Brand Blvd., Glendale. When: 8 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday; through Dec. 1. Plays in rotating repertory. Call for specific show days and times. Tickets: $20 to $40. Call (818) 240-0910. In a nutshell: Fast and zany. A crack ensemble easily handles the mayhem. |
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