Mansfield Playhouse brings the laughs with 'Unnecessary Farce'

John Moser said about every show he's done at the Mansfield Playhouse has been a farce.

"It's the bread and butter of the Playhouse. That's what people want to see," Moser said.

That's what they will see the next two weekends with "Unnecessary Farce."

This is the synopsis on the Playhouse's website: "Two cops. Three crooks. Eight doors. Go. In a cheap motel room, an embezzling mayor is supposed to meet with his female accountant, while in the room next-door, two undercover cops wait to catch the meeting on videotape. But there’s some confusion as to who’s in which room, who’s being videotaped, who’s taken the money, who’s hired a hit man and why the accountant keeps taking off her clothes."

Moser plays Todd, the most feared criminal in town despite his unthreatening name. Moser sports a Snidely Whiplash mustache for the villainous role.

"I played the narrator in 'The Nutcracker' with the Ashland Regional Ballet," he said. "I grew the mustache for that. I decided to keep it for this show."

Moser said he would shave off the mustache after the show because his wife has run out of patience with it.

His character in "Unnecessary Farce" is Scottish.

Moser portrays 'Scottish Hitman'

"They call me the Scottish Hitman," Moser said. "Whenever I get angry, which is often, my accent becomes so thick that it becomes almost incomprehensible."

He said as soon as he read the script, he knew it was "screamingly funny." It was written by Paul Slade Smith.

"I've never done a Scottish accent," Moser said. "There's nothing subtle about this character."

While Moser is a Playhouse veteran, Duncan Hike is making his debut at the venerable theater. He plays Eric Sheridan, an undercover police officer.

"He is somebody I can relate to in a lot of ways," Hike said. "He's indecisive and very anxious about just about everything."

Before rehearsal Monday night, Hike had to run home to get a pair of boxer shorts for the first act.

"I've had to brace my family that I'm going to be in my underwear for the majority of it," he said.

Hike said he was inspired to try out for "Unnecessary Farce" by a friend who has been in several Playhouse productions.

"I decided to throw myself out there to see if I could get a spot, and here I am," Hike said.

Doug Wertz, the artistic director at the Playhouse, is again pulling double-duty. In addition to helming the production, he plays Agent Frank.

Wertz also built the set, which includes eight doors to connecting hotel rooms.

"This is a very fast-moving, very funny show," Wertz said, calling it "organized chaos."

Hunsinger plays mayor suspected of embezzling

Jacob Hunsinger plays Mayor Meekly, who is suspected of embezzling.

"I had so much fun with the last one," Hunsinger said of his appearance in "The Butler Did It."

He joked he tried out for the mayor's role because he's old.

"He is a very innocent sort of fellow, very enthusiastic about everything," Hunsinger said of his character. "I'm like the exclamation point at the end of a sentence."

Hunsinger performed in three plays at the Ohio State University-Mansfield campus some 30 or 40 years ago before resurfacing at the Playhouse.

"There was a big gap," he said.

There's been no big gap for Josie Burns, who recently appeared in a 2nd Stage production at the Playhouse. In addition to back-to-back plays, Burns got married in September.

"I need to take a break," she said.

In "Unnecessary Farce," Burns plays Billie, who is described as "excitable and entirely unthreatening."

"She's a cop who's trying her best," Burns said. "She and Eric are partners. They are trying to drag down the mayor for embezzling money."

Despite being undercover, Billie wears her police uniform.

Also featured in the cast are Hannah Oberlin, who plays the aforementioned accountant who keeps taking off her clothes, and Playhouse vet Candy Boyd.

mcaudill@gannett.com

419-521-7219

Twitter: @MNJCaudill

If you go

What: "Unnecessary Farce"

When: 8 p.m. Jan. 27, 28, Feb. 3 and 4; and 2:30 p.m. Feb. 5

Where: Mansfield Playhouse, 95 E. Third St.

Cost: $13 for general admission, $12 for seniors, $8 for students.

More information: Visit mansfieldplayhouse.com or call 419-522-2883. The box office is open from 1 to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and one hour prior to shows.

This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Mansfield Playhouse offering 'Unnecessary Farce' next two weekends