Where’s Oscar? Director Rob Berezay should know by now as he has done the Tom Gillespie adapted,  farce twice before in Milk River and Raymond and with do it again with Playgoers of Lethbridge in Feb. 20-23 in the Sterndale Bennett Theatre.
 Auditions take place at Casa, Sept. 25 and 26.

“ It’s a convoluted story,” summarized director Rob Berezay.

“I’ve played the lead role and directed it in Milk River and Raymond, so when the opportunity came up to do it for Playgoers, I took it, though I did pitch it to them,” he said.
“I’ve already asked some of them to reprise their old characters, but I’m excited to work with new people,” he said.

In a nutshell, the farce is surrounds the adventures and misadventures of  cosmetics tycoon Bernard Millard who is about to have the worst day of his life. He is disturbed “far too early” in the morning to learn his accountant has been stealing from the company, his unwed daughter is pregnant and his maid has quit to marry millionaire “DeWitt the Zit.” 

The laughs come early and mount with false marriage proposals, a bag of jewels that magically, and persistently change into a bundle of ladies underwear and a mysterious woman from his past with a big secret.

“ It ends happily ever after but it takes a a lot of twists and turns to get there,” he said.

 The play requires a big cast of 11 people playing an assortment of characters including the quick tempered cosmetics tycoon  Bernard Mallard, his cute, but dim wife Isabel, their  young daughter Colette, shifty accountant Christian who is in love with  lovable Bernadette, the feisty maid Trixie, Spanish butler Manuel, self absorbed body builder Phillipe, lovelorn chauffeur Oscar, Russian chauffeur Vladimir and the mystery woman Charlotte.
The play requires a variety of ages from 18 and up.

“It’s a farce and it’s fast paced which is what I’m drawn to. It’s just so funny as things spiral,” Berezay enthused.

“It’s a treat,” he continued, adding people auditioning will be asked to do a cold read from the script.
Rehearsals will begin on Jan. 8 and will take place likely Tuesdays, Wednesday and Fridays at Southminster United Church.
 Auditions are 7-9 p.m., Sept. 25 and 26 at Casa in the Playgoers meeting room..

— by Richard Amery, L.a. Beat Editor