It is listed in the 1991 Guinness Book of World Records as the most performed French play throughout the world. Written by French playwright Marc Camoletti, “Boeing Boeing” premiered at the Theatre de la Comédie in Caumartin, Paris in 1960, was adapted for the London stage in 1962, moved across the pond to America in 1965, and was turned into a movie starring Tony Curtis and Jerry Lewis.The University of Wyoming theater department will present “Boeing Boeing” at 7:30 p.m. beginning Feb. 11. Performances will run through Feb. 15.
This play is unique because unlike most other plays presented by the theater department, “Boeing Boeing” will not have a Sunday matinee.
The play is a comical farce about Bernard, a well to do Parisian architect with woman troubles. Three, to be precise. He is “engaged” to three airline hostesses, from Italy, Germany and America, and each one is unaware of the other two.
Bernard’s faithful housekeeper, Berthe, played by Amber McNew, plays her part in the ruse brilliantly. “I’m Bernard’s very dry, but saucy French maid,” McNew said, but emphasized that she was older and not sexy.
Berthe works to keep up appearances as she tirelessly goes around changing the décor and menus between the arrivals and departures of each of the three “fiancés.”
Chaos ensues when an unexpected storm causes one fiancé to be grounded an extra night, while the other who is flying over the Atlantic has to turn back. This brings all the girls to Bernard’s flat at the same time, Sean Higgins, who plays Bernard, said.
Things really begin to go wrong when Bernard’s friend, Robert, pays a visit. Robert “is not the brightest color in the box,” Higgins said. He adds that Robert’s story is somewhat central to the story as he continuously puts his foot in his mouth and accidentally confuses things with the different women.
Because of Robert, “Bernard is trying to desperately hang onto all these strings before they unravel,” Higgins said. Robert eventually catches on and helps Bernard by “harnessing the women” and working on ways to keep Bernard from being found out.
“While one woman is in the bathroom another is in the bedroom and another is in the kitchen,” Higgins said.
The turnaround time on Boeing Boeing is fairly short compared to other plays the performers have done. In total, they had three weeks to learn their parts and prepare the scenes.
“To put up a farce requires so much physical timing and verbal timing,” McNew said. “We really have to be on top of our game and trusting of each other in order for this to fall into place.”
Preparing for performances that involve different, and sometimes difficult, dialects starts with the class in dialect taught at UW.
Outside the classroom, performers rely on Lou Anne Wright for direction and guidance to make the accents convincing to audiences.
For ticket information for “Boeing Boeing” visit uwyo.edu/finearts or call 766-6666.
