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The U.N. Inspector
By David Farr
Additional contributions to the
American version of the Play by James Sherman
Directed by Jason Loewith
At Next Theatre
927 Noyes Street
Noyes Cultural Center
Evanston, IL
Call 847-475-1875, www.nexttheatre.org
Thursdays at 7:30 pm
Fridays at 8 pm
Saturdays at 8 pm
Sundays at 2 pm
Special Saturdays matinee at 2 pm Oct. 4
Monday, Oct 6 at 7:30
Running time is 2 hours, 20 minutes with intermission
Through October 12, 2008
Updated political farce has a distinct Chicago flavor
Englishman David Farr updated Russian playwright Nikolai Gogol’s 1836 classic “The Government Inspector” for London’s Lyric Hammersmith Theatre in 2005. That production was a success. James Sherman, an iconic Chicago playwright based at Victory Gardens Theater, was called upon to make Farr’s main character ripe for American audiences. Sherman made the loser a Chicagoan named Mike Murphy (Joe Dempsey). This new version is set in a small ex-Soviet country rushing into democracy and capitalism yet ripe with political corruption.
The President and his bumbling ministers realize that a UN Inspector is in their country to weed our corruption before the UN will sanction more loans to the cash-strapped country. Murphy is the broke Chicago real estate entrepreneur who arrived to make a quick buck. Murphy and his pal Sammy (Tony Bozzuto) are scrounging to survive without prospects of making any money when the country’s president arrives to schmooze him believing that the Chicagoan is the UN Inspector in disguise. All mayhem ensues as bribes are paid to Murphy as he becomes a guest in the President’s villa. We see how incompetent the ministers and the President (Bill McGough) are. We also meet his social climbing wife Anna (Susan Hart) and his spoiled daughter Maria (Kathryn Hribar) each pinning to move to the West.
This play has funny moments and aptly satirizes the emerging former Soviet republics as it shows how cronies hustle to cover up their fraud and incompetence. They use bribes, coercion and conspiracies with confusion to survive. I liked the bumbling ministers that included staff aides Robchinski (Cliff Chamberlain) and Dobchinski (Alex Goodrich); Minister of Finance (Elizabeth Laidlaw); Minister of Justice (Mark Mysliwiec); minister of Education (Douglas Vickers); Minister of Health (Joseph Wycoff); and Minister of Intelligence (Will Schutz). However, the play is too long and much of the humor gets watered down with repetition. The Murphy character was written as unlikable loser with whom we don’t cheer for. That is a flaw that diminishes our involvement. Joe Dempsey does all he can with Murphy and he does land some fine comic moments.
Bill McGough also works hard to make the President more than a conniving crook. Susan Hart and Elizabeth Laidlaw convey their characters effectively. It’s the writing by Farr that I have trouble with. Letting one commit suicide and two main characters get murdered changs the tone of the play drastically. Going from light farce to dark realism didn’t flow too well. The many Chicago references early on seem like over kill, especially to a Chicago audience. This play needs editing, trimming and better pacing. I’d like to see a clear, more focused play performed with a manic pace in a 80-90 minute one act that allows the tension to build that would heighten the comic elements. I’d cut the deaths that Gogol never envisioned. Keep the farce elements and cut the morbid twists. The talented cast overcomes the material as they deliver a funny show. “The U. N. Inspector” is worth a look.
Recommended
Tom Williams
Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments
Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast
Date Reviewed: September 15, 2008
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