Photo by Joan Marcus
From l.-r., Jennifer Tilly, Ben Daniels and Spencer Kayden play farce and loose in ‘Don’t Dress for Dinner.’
Hidden identities, Freudian slips and splatting pratfalls are on the all-you-can-eat menu of the silly 1960s-style sex farce Dont Dress for Dinner.
In foodie terms, this modestly amusing 1991 play by Marc Camoletti would never be m istaken for a gourmet fare. Its nearer to Applebees than Per Se.
But there are a few good chuckles, an inspired sight gag involving a costume (lets leave it at that) and a delicious comic turn by Spencer Kayden (Little Sally of Urinetown). It all combines to goose things in the right direction.
If you dont find infidelity funny, Dinner isnt for you.
Its the name of the game as Camoletti revisits characters from his better work Boeing-Boeing, which won a Best Revival Tony in 2008.
The convoluted plot follows the laws of farce. Long story short: Bernard (Adam James, channeling Austin Powers), a horndog architect, is all set to do the tryst with his babelicious mistress, Suzanne (Jennifer Tilly),
when his wife, Jacqueline (a droll Patricia Kalember), gums things up.
Bernard uses his pal, Robert (Ben Daniels), as an alibi, unaware his BFF is boffing Jacqueline. A French cook, Suzette (Kayden), becomes the key to an elaborate charad e that keeps the antics spinning.
There are some dry patches, but veteran director John Tillinger keeps thing moving fairly lickety-split. One wishes hed found a way to make more out of the country-house setting.
Kayden, meantime, gets maximum laughs from Suzette as she tangoes, topples and tipples her way through the role.
Each time Bernard or Robert impose upon Suze to keep up their charade, she obliges but first sticks out her paw for payment. Its a fitting image for the actress who holds the show in her palm of her hand.
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