'Black Comedy' brings light to otherwise dreary month

"BLACK COMEDY," through Jan. 29, Pioneer Theatre Company, 801-581-6961, running time: 1 hour, 30 minutes (no intermission)

When the lights go down during "Black Comedy," running now at Simmons Pioneer Memorial Theatre Company, one gets the distinct impression that things might get a little bit crazy.

Which is exactly what happens. And, what a delightful way to spend 90 minutes.

Going into too much depth about the premise of Peter Shaffer's comedy might risk giving away some fun twists, turns and reveals. So quickly, Brindsley Miller is an artist wanting to make a great impression on both his future father-in-law and a visiting millionaire art buyer. In order to do so, Brindsley and his girlfriend swap his tattered furniture with his neighbor's — a man with great taste who, conveniently, is away for the weekend.

What could happen, right? Needless to say, the earlier-than-expected return of the neighbor, the arrival of Brindsley's former girlfriend and a blown fuse make for a night of hijinks.

PTC's production succeeds first and foremost with the wonderful direction of Jeff Steitzer, who has mined the script for all possible gags, puns and moments for brilliant physical comedy, which the cast pulls off to perfection — convincing falls down a flight of stairs, superb spit-takes and flawlessly choreographed furniture moving. It is absolutely delightful to witness.

The cast is led by returning actor Michael Brusasco as Brindelsy, who does a marvelous job of handling the over-the-top humor while endearing himself to the audience.

But it's hard to just pick one standout in this solid ensemble cast. Rachel Moulton (the ditsy fiancée), Joyce Cohen (the teetotaler), Laruen Elise McCord (the sultry ex-girlfriend), Greg Thornton (military man and future father-in-law), Donald Corren (the neighbor), Lenny Wolpe (the art-loving electrician) and Steven Fehr (the hard-of-hearing art buyer) all turn in wonderfully fun performances.

This comedy is a fun farce at its finest. And, at only 90 minutes long, you'll find yourself wishing for more. Thank you, PTC, for a few good belly laughs in such a dreary month.