David Beeson, Jackie Patterson, Jessica Moore, and Samuel Carrington in Ken Ludwig's A Fox on the Fairway
Once again, Geneseo’s Richmond Hill Barn Theatre is serving up farcical fun, this time with Ken Ludwig's A Fox on the Fairway. Full of romance and rivalry, the play revolves around a high-stakes golf tournament between two rival country clubs. Henry Bingham (Samuel Carrington), manager of Quail Valley, and his rival Dickie Bell (David Beeson) of Crouching Squirrel wager $200,000 on the game. When Bingham discovers that his assistant Justin (David Shaffer) is an undiscovered golf wiz, he’s confident that victory is in the bag … until, that is, Justin’s personal drama starts to interfere with his game, leaving Bingham anxious and scrambling. With constant plot twists and lighthearted comedy, director Tom Morrow’s production is farce for the course, and we were at opening night on Thursday, July 10.
Kitty: Okay, I have a confession: I still don’t know what “A Fox on the Fairway” means. Spoiler: There is no fox. There is also no hound, but that’s another thing.
Mischa: I was racking my brain, too, but I’m convinced that it’s meant as a reference to Justin’s girlfriend-then-fiancée Louise (Sarah Carrington), as the final plot resolution revolves around her. You know – she’s a fox? Who ends up on the fairway?
K: Ah, yes. The objectification of women. A classic farcical trope. That actually makes sense.
M: The comedy relies a lot on broad stereotypes, if you know what I mean.
K: (rolls eyes)
M: So this show took a little while to get into its stride. But soon enough, everything was careening toward the utter chaos of the end of Act I, and then toward the quick succession of improbabilities that draw all those chaotic threads together in the end. I half expected we’d find out that Justin had been left in a handbag in Victoria Station!
K: And rather than tea and cucumber sandwiches, there was a scene in Act II where the characters were feasting on champagne and oysters, which resulted in another classic – if a bit worn out – trope of farce: the drunken romp.
M: That went on an awfully long time. They did take the opportunity to deliver some good fun comedy, and Samuel Carrington and Jessica Moore (as Pamela) showed they were all in and willing to go for broke.
K: There is a random subplot involving a valuable antique. But it’s a vase, not a cow creamer.
M: That’s the object especially dear to the heart of Bingham’s wife Muriel, and Jackie Patterson's stage-commanding bossiness in the role made this, probably, my favorite over-the-top character portrayal in the show.
K: I thought Patterson’s performance was especially good because the script paints Muriel as an overbearing ogre of a woman, and rather than play on the cliché that Muriel is physically unattractive (which Patterson certainly is not), she created a formidable female with a booming voice who dominates whatever room she enters.
M: I also enjoyed Samuel Carrington’s ability to turn on a dime, going from exuding confidence to shouting frantic orders to all and sundry as things fall apart all around. Also, Shaffer engagingly presented Justin’s bumbling yet eager and earnest persona.
K: Shaffer and Sarah Carrington were a charming duo with their characters’ sweet naïveté. Their wholesome, guileless dynamic was endearing. And of course, their relationship troubles serve as a key plot point. Still, it was a bit difficult to fully invest in their relationship drama, given that their brief rift lacks real substance.
M: They do their best, but I’d be willing to bet $200,000 that this is not actually Ken Ludwig’s best material.
K: I don’t have that kind of cash, but I’ll lend you a tenner that says you’re right.
M: Oof – and I thought I was scraping the bottom of the barrel!
K: Sorry! We’re talking about farce. Puns come with the territory. But it’s not just about the jokes and physical gags. There was a fair bit of magic happening behind the scenes.
M: On the technical side, I want to give a shout out to sound designer and board operator Dana Skiles. There were a lot of well-chosen sound cues, from mic feedback to balls falling into holes, and they were all flawlessly executed and timed.
K: Absolutely. The technical precision really enhanced the overall performance, bringing a necessary sharpness to the chaos of it all.
M: If you see this show, you’ll probably find a lot to laugh at, a lot to groan at, and maybe even a surprise or two. To quote an audience member I overheard near the end of the play, “I did not see that coming!”
Ken Ludwig's A Fox on the Fairway runs at the Richmond Hill Barn Theatre (600 Robinson Drive, Geneseo IL) through July 20, and more information and tickets are available by calling (309)944-2244 and visiting RHPlayers.com.
