Little Theatre's 'Underpants' Frayed Around the Edges

Enjoying Little Theatre of Alexandria's production of "The Underpants," the 1911 lampoon of German bourgeois sensibilities from German satirist Carl Sternheim, might be primarily an exercise in managing expectations. The version staged here is an adaptation by Steve Martin, the comic actor and writer. Sternheim is probably not going to attract many theatergoers, although having the Martin name attached to the play is a definite draw. However, those who come expecting to see either Martin's "wild and crazy" stand-up comedy sensibility or the witty and cerebral playfulness of his wholly original play "Picasso at the Lapin Agile" will be disappointed.

Sternheim's satire has been rendered obtuse by Martin, the sharp edges blunted and replaced by broad punch lines and a contemporary American ambiance that swaps satire for snickering. What was once a farce blending social and marital themes has become a look at the complications of fame. That's not so bad, but Martin, usually a thoughtful and gently provocative writer, seems interested mostly in cheap laughs here. And the audience does laugh. But the overall effect is that of a diversion that is only mildly amusing and instantly forgettable.

Martin's version retains the original time and Dusseldorf setting, where the household of a pompously puritanical bureaucrat named Theo Maske (James Chandler) becomes undone after his pretty, young wife, Louise (Claudia Love Petty), becomes the center of public attention. This is the result of Louise's undergarments falling to the ground accidentally while she attends a parade honoring the king. The ensuing notoriety undermines Maske's devotion to conformity and prompts libidinous men to make Louise the object of their desires. Benjamin Cohen (Mario Font), a barber embarrassed of being a Jew, and Frank Versati (Marcus Dunn), a dandified poet, pursue Louise by renting a room at the Maske apartment.

Louise has been depressed by her husband's inattention in the bedroom. She enjoys her sudden fame, which provides her with a sense of empowerment. Soon she is flirting madly and has Cohen and Versati all but jumping through hoops for her favor, even as the clock starts to run out on her 15 minutes of notoriety.

LTA's production has several things going for it. First is director Eddie Schwartz's energetic pacing, which keeps the farce moving along swiftly so weaknesses in the artless dialogue are glossed over. He has the actors working at a uniform level of appropriate overacting, a big plus. This contrasts nicely with Chris Feldman's realistic, multi-dimensional set, which provides a framework hitching the silliness to the real world, exactly the area where Martin fails.

Chandler attacks the role of the stiff-necked bureaucrat with gusto. No ridiculous pronouncement is too small to avoid accompaniment with motion exemplifying Teutonic certainty, as Theo obliviously blunders through the chaos in his household. Petty's charms are hindered considerably by a hideous wig latched onto her head with Trump-like ferocity. (Perhaps when Petty loosens the straw-like matting and lets it fall to her shoulders in a style inappropriate to the time and place, it is a sign of Louise's burgeoning sexuality. Or maybe hair designer Paul Morton had an old mop he wanted to get rid of.) Still, Petty gets her share of laughs with a lively, coquettish performance.

Marianne Meyers is quite effective as a nosy upstairs neighbor who aids Louise in her amorous adventures, and Font offers the most nuanced work with his portrayal of the nebbish Cohen, creating unexpected pathos by mixing sad and silly elements into the character's persona. Dunn seems uncomfortable as the poet, his body language awkward, but Bill Brannigan scores with several brief appearances.

In brief, so to speak, "The Underpants" has its moments, but Martin's adaptation is hardly top-drawers. Uh, drawer.

"The Underpants" concludes this weekend at Little Theatre of Alexandria, 600 Wolfe St., Alexandria. Showtime tonight, Friday and Saturday is 8 p.m. For tickets or information, call the box office at 703-683-0496 or visithttp://www.thelittletheatre.com.