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Moliere via vaudeville

by Diana Reynolds Roome

P asta with amore provide the main themes for Palo Alto Players' cannelloni comedy, "Scapino"! Set entirely in a red-checkered table-clothed Italian trattoria overlooking the Bay of Naples, it tells the story ... well, better describe it in terms of what it serves up. The fare is definitely of the old-fashioned kind -- a menu of creaking plot devices, confused identities, good-natured insults, flying spaghetti, thumping bologna sausages and dead (plastic) pigeons falling out of the rafters.

The tone is set from the moment the shuffling waiter Paolo (Dick Mallon) finally gets his coin into the temperamental juke-box, after repeated botched attempts. He smiles a triumphant grin as the first bars of his favorite music blare out, only to have the tune rudely switched to a romantic croon when the bossy waitress, Emmalinda (Margo McClimans), marches up and thumps the juke-box into submission.

From this moment on, the characters establish themselves as living cartoon characters, with exaggerated gestures, single-track emotions and hare-brained motives. The male characters stare fixedly at bosoms and scratch their crotches. The females teeter and kiss the air. Giacinta (May Nitschke) is a combination of Olive Oil and Blondie in her perpetual open-mouthed, google-eyed amazement. Papa Geronte (George S. Gemette) does a creditable imitation of Marlon Brando's "Godfather" growl and his predilection for fruit ends with a bag of oranges escaping all over the floor. Zerbinetta (Danielle Ozymandias) laughs until we fear for her vocal cords.

Scapino (Manuel Caneri) has the opportunity for a three-part tour de force when he impersonates Long John Silver (and his parrot), a Japanese potentate and a British regimental officer in quick succession. Like the rest of the cast, he faces the audience head-on, and invites their participation in the familiar traditions of comedy going back to "Punch and Judy" shows and commedia delle'arte.

Soon the cast is not only talking to the audience but joining them in the auditorium -- running up and down the aisles, sitting on someone's lap and even borrowing a cell phone (OK, that was planted) to check on the status of a character kidnapped by pirates off the coast of Naples. By the end of the play, barriers are quite broken down, with Scapino inviting everyone to join in a sing-along of "That's Amore" to the creaking of the old juke-box (which almost warrants a place on the cast list, thanks to sound board operator Avi Kushlan).

Though allegedly inspired by Moliere, the script by British and Broadway theatre veterans Frank Dunlop and Jim Dale shows few signs of the French playwright's acid satirical wit. This play is of the home-cooked kind -- with all ingredients familiar and no unusual flavors to startle the taste buds.

Even though much is familiar, not everything is clear. It's necessary to guess at the jokes (not too difficult) when they are spoken too quickly, though because most of the humor is slapstick, clarity hardly matters. There's no way to miss the spaghetti landing on heads, everyone banging noses on the swing doors and Scapino running all over the stage hunting for Geronte, who is right behind him all the time. This is Moliere via vaudeville.

"Scapino!" is not only the season finale (Palo Alto Players' 71st), but also a light-hearted fanfare for the arrival of summer -- a show for the kid in all of us.

What: "Scapino!" the season-ending production by the Palo Alto Players

Where: Lucie Stern Theater, 1305 Middlefield Road in Palo Alto.

When: Through June 30. Performances will take place 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, with a 2:30 p.m. Sunday matinee on June 30.

Cost: Tickets are $20 for Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday performances; $24 for Friday and Saturday evenings. Students and seniors receive a $3 discount for Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday performances. Special discounts of 20 - 25 percent are available for groups of 15 or more people.

Info: Call (650) 329-0891