Kept In the Dark at College of Marin

Being told before we enter the theatre, “If you want to use the restroom, you’d better do it now,” puts us in a very young frame of mind, and for this particular play, that’s a fine thing.

There’s also a practical reason for the admonition. “Black Comedy” begins in pitch-black, bottom-of-the-coal mine darkness, and entering late would be impossible. There are already people onstage. We can track their voices as they move about and hear them as they drop something heavy, but that’s all we know until the lights come on abruptly and plunge the actors into confusion. Peter Shaffer’s farce serves up a world in reverse. For the audience, it’s now light; for the characters, it’s a blown-fuse blackout. Where’s the phone? Where are matches, the candles? Carole will crawl up the stairs and search while Brindsley will attempt to find the phone and put in a call.

Their situation is all the more distressing because they’re expecting visitors. Carole’s “Daddy-pegs” is coming to meet his daughter’s new fiancé, and a wealthy German art lover will also arrive to see Brindsley’s sculptures. To impress both of them, the couple has “traded” Brindsley’s ratty furniture with some elegant pieces belonging to his decorator neighbor, Harold, who is out of town.

But first, an elderly neighbor, Miss Furnival, arrives because she’s terrified of the dark and seeking company. They offer her a drink, but she won’t accept anything stronger than a bitter lemon. Daddy too appears, and he has a lighter. A military man, he’s appalled that his future son-in-law’s home is so ill-equipped as not to have emergency lighting supplies. And then – oh, the horror! – Harold is back. Under cover of darkness, they will have to return all the furniture while holding Harold in place with a cocktail. (It’s entirely possible the drinks will get switched in the dark.)

Three more characters arrive, each of them subject to misidentification and miscues. Imagine someone secretly moving furniture over and around people already in the room. Enjoy civil-sounding conversations in which one sticks one’s tongue out at the other. Chuckle as a rocking chair is mistaken for a non-rocker. Be tickled when Brindsley’s groping around reveals the familiar bottom of an old girlfriend.

Shaffer had a lot of fun with this play. “Black Comedy” was produced in 1965, more than a decade prior to more serious works, “Equus” and “Amadeus”. Its present appearance is at the College of Marin’s Studio Theatre. Director Jeffrey Bihr has polished the physical comedy like the pro that he is. The farcical elements, however, could use some fine-tuning.

Less screaming and more deadpan would work well here. Carole (Caroline Doyle) should be the whiny debutante who always gets what she wants from Daddy-pegs, and Daddy (Dennis Crumley) should be part of “Dumpling’s” game. Brindsley (Daniel Labov Dunne) needs a different giggle; this one’s too closely identified with “Amadeus.” Miss Furnival (Marilyn Hughes) feels her liquor immediately, while Harold (Jasper Hirose) should be awarded the only scream of the evening; he has earned it.

The parts with accents get special recognition. Leilani Meng as Clea shows what she can do with her darkness-disguised portrayal of the Cockney cleaning lady. And Maurice Thouvenin as Schuppanzigh reveals a contented man completely at home in dark, even when he’s mistaken for someone else. Ryan Martin as Georg needed a bigger part. And Light Board Operator (Frank Cardinale) worked flawlessly in an especially important role.

“Black Comedy” will be at College of Marin through May 15. Performances are Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 8 PM and Sunday at 2 PM. The play is a one-act with no intermission, so if you need to use the restroom, you’d better do that now.