Playhouse Opens 2012 Season With British Farce

The Riverfront Playhouse at 11-13 South Water Street Mall in downtown Aurora will preent their first production of 2012, "When Did You Last See Your Trousers? by Ray Galton and John Antrobus at 8pm on January 20. The farce will continue Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm through February 25th.

Under the direction of Gene Scheffler, "When Did You Last See Your Trousers?"" is a comedy with plotlines and sight gags reminiscent of any number of the farces that have become a staple of every Riverfront season. In this case, the main character Howard Swerling (Chris Dillman), an aging playboy who regularly cheats on his wife, awakes in his latest girlfriend's flat to find that a burglary during the night has robbed him of his clothes--most notably his pants.

Howard spends most of the play trying to figure out how to escape the apartment, first calling his trusted but clueless friend Captain Webber (Thommas Dickens) to bring him some clothes, then relying on his girlfriend's former beau, the dimwitted Jimmy (Joe Konopacki), to find him suitable attire. As one might predict, things don't exactly proceed swimmingly for poor Howard.

To begin with, Howard's girlfriend Penny (Kristin Duerdoth) grows increasingly annoyed with Howard's whining and eventually leaves him to fend for himself while she heads for a party. His Danish "au pair girl" Tove (Sarah Richardson) shows up as a friend of Jimmy's, worrying Howard that his wife might find out about his shenanigans.

Later there's a tangle with amnesic neighbor Roland (Brian Lefevre), whom Howard attempts to seduce after donning a wig and slipping into the beguiling guise of Margo, Penelope's roommate, in a desperate effort to steal his clothes. A horny constable (Robert Richardson) and an overeager inspector (Joe Chmill) further complicate matters.

The play also features the talents of Cherilyn Winters as Deirdre, Little Joe as Oliver, and Ron Anderson as the Burglar.

Tickets are $15 for Adults, and $12 for Students and Seniors.

For further information, please call the playhouse at 630-897-9496.

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