Zany comedy of Bingo is secret to its long-lived success
Two sisters serve as the focal points in this hilariously funny and uncomplicated stage play. Through infectious humor the show captures an entertaining slice of life that plays out weekly on game boards in communities everywhere.
The sisters are well recognizable, both plying their luck on games of chance while laughing, listening, caring and shrewdly observing. Their points of view contain elements of experience both unique and commonplace and also peculiarly American.
Expect a frolicking, zany comedy experience from The Queen of Bingo, which respectfully draws deep from a huge reservoir of American culture.
“There are more people playing bingo in this country than who attend Major League baseball, NFL, college football, NBA games combined,” said Rowan Joseph, who plays the younger sister “Babe.”
The game of chance serves as the vehicle conveying the rollicking banter between the two sisters who feel most at ease examining the context of their lives amid their favorite recreational activity. And everyone gets reeled into the jocularity as the audience participates in the actual game being acted out on stage.
In the end, some lucky audience member wins a 10-pound frozen turkey from the bingo outing, while the two sisters deepen their bond toward each other.
“After doing research for these roles, it absolutely blew my mind how huge the (bingo) culture was out there,” Joseph added.
“Babe” is in her 50s, battling weight issues, among other personal insecurities, which are revealed through exchanges with her older sister “Sis,” played by Shane Partlow.
“There is a significant age difference between the two sisters, about 15 years,” Partlow said. “Sis comes into the action as a crazy and larger than life figure. And she serves as a ‘rock’ (of support) for her younger sister (Babe).
“However there’s a wonderful vulnerability to ‘Sis,’ and as everything unfolds the audience begins to understand a deeper meaning behind her antics,” Partlow added.
The Queen of the Bingo has seen success. The production has been running for eight years, and during this open-ended national tour, the troupe keeps getting booked, Joseph said. It runs for three shows at the Manship Theatre, Friday-Sunday, Feb. 24-26.
Two local actors round out the cast for the Baton Rouge shows. Cameron Brexler, an LSU alumnus, will play the roles of “Father Mac” and the “Bingo caller” on the Friday show, while Ross Britz, of New Orleans, assumes the same roles for the Saturday and Sunday performances.
The production contains the further dramatic component of having the female leads portrayed by male actors, which Joseph said gives the audience further depth to the comedic delivery.
In fact, the stage dynamics parallel the hilarious — and venerated — classic skits from The Carol Burnett Show, and Burnett’s comedy sidekick team of Harvey Korman and Tim Conway.
“We don’t have the answers why it all works so well,” Joseph said. “The idea of using male actors for female parts go all the way back to techniques used by the ancient Greeks and Shakespeare.”
Both actors are very respectful of the characters they assume during each performance.
“We are not two men poking fun at these characters. ‘Babe’ and ‘Sis’ are dynamic women with real feelings that both men and women share. The fact that two men play the roles adds an element to the comedy that makes it pleasing and different,” Partlow said.