The Riverfront Playhouse, 11-13 S. Water St. Mall, Aurora, will present Mass Appeal by Bill C. Davis on Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, August 26 to October 1. Winner of a Tony award for its Broadway production and later the basis for a feature film starring Jack Lemmon, Mass Appeal is the story of a charming but complacent Catholic priest whose world is shaken when he meets a young firebrand from the seminary who isn't afraid to challenge his elders. Director Tim Curtis says that the play is indeed a drama, but has so many laughs that it seems like it was written by Neil Simon. "Like life, this play goes back and forth between comedy and tragedy, sometimes from one line to the next, " says Curtis, "So, without sacrificing any of the dramatic tension, it manages to be one of the funniest plays I've read in along, long time." Curtis adds that, while the action of the play centers on a priest, it is not really a religious story. "The theme of Mass Appeal is spiritual rather overtly religious. The real question that is explored is how far we can compromise without losing our convictions. The story could really take place in any large organization or any place where office politics predominates." The plot is straight-forward: Father Tim Farley (Gary Puckett) leads a comfortable life as head of a prosperous Catholic congregation. Without realizing it, he has resorted to flattering his parishioners and entertaining them with sermons that skirt any disturbing issues, in order to protect his Mercedes and the generous supply of fine wines that grace his table (and his desk drawer). His well-ordered world is disrupted by the arrival of Mark Dolson (Frank Warpeha), an intense and idealistic young seminarian whom Father Farley reluctantly agrees to take under his wing. There is an immediate conflict between the two as the younger man challenges the older man's ideas about being a priest, while Father Farley struggles to save Mark from sabotaging his career by being too abraisve and too honest about his sexual past. Ultimately, their confrontation is a touching yet funny examination of friendship, courage and the nature of love. Staging a two-character play can be risky, but Curtis believes his actors are more than up to the challenge. He notes that this cast is a nice mixture of old and new, as Puckett has been with the Riverfront from the beginning and Warpeha just joined the Playhouse this year, with roles in Yankee Tavern and Golem: The Monster of Prague. "And it is a tribute to the author's skill," says Curtis, "that we really come to believe in the reality of several of the off-stage characters, such as the villain of the piece, Monsignor Burke, the autocratic head of the seminary, and Margaret, Father Farley's virtuous housekeeper, without ever actually seeing them." Designer Gene Scheffler believes he can accommodate the action of the play in the Riverfront's small space, creating the illusion of a pulpit for the play's sermons, then using light and sound to quickly shift between this church setting and Father Farley's office. "The trick, " says Scheffler, "is coming up with a design that is simple but still interesting enough to sustain a full-length show with only two characters." Assisting Curtis and Scheffler with this production are Kristen Duerdoth as stage manager and Cheri Anseth, who will run the lights and sound from the booth. For reservations, call the Riverfront Box Office at 630.897.9496 or visit the Riverfront website at riverfrontplayhouse.com
