Orange Park Community Theatre presents hilarious
   THE SENSUOUS SENATOR
Theatre Review by DICK KEREKES
(dickkerekes@yahoo.com)

        What is certainly will be among the funniest plays of the year in the North Florida area, is currently on stage at the Orange Park Community Theatre.  "The Sensuous Senator", is timely as well, as we enter a presidential election year and all the primaries.  You won't learn much about politics from this play but you will laugh you socks off, I guarantee.

       Director Barbara Wells received the script for this play in the mail, unsolicited, and presented it to the play selection committee and it was immediately put on the schedule.
       Before I try to give you a brief idea of the plot, let me tell you a little about the playwright, Michael Parker, which in itself is an interesting story.
        Parker is from England and made his money owning a office-temp business in Canada in the early 80s. He retired to the Bahamas and returned to one of his love theatre. He had toured as a teenager with the National Shakespearean Youth Academy.
        Mr. Parker had encouraged a theatre group in Florida to do some of the British sex farces, that were so popular in the 60s and 70s, but they declined saying most plays were hard to understand and accents were hard to do. Parker decided to write an American sex farce, and the result was
"The Sensuous Senator".  I don't know his source of inspiration, but just before he wrote this, a presidential candidate Gary Hart was  photographed with Donna Rice sitting on his lap on a yacht out in the Atlantic on the way to the Bahamas. He did not get the nomination and lost to Dukakis.
Source of inspiration?,
Well, you can draw your own conclusion.
      "The Sensuous Senator" opens with a press conference where Senator Harry Douglas (Ray Chute) announces he is a candidate for president. At the conference are his young and very attractive and intelligent wife, Lois (Debra Smyers), his nephew, the young, handsome, naive Congressman Jack Maguire (Joseph Walz) and an older than dirt Congressman Clyde Salt played by John Archer (Jack) Lundgren, an actor who works so hard on the stage he deserves to have his full name printed no matter how long it is. 
       Douglas is running on the fidelity in marriage platform but a National Intruder reporter (Betty Morrison) questions his morals because there have been rumors. End of press conference.
        The remainder of the play takes place in Douglas's  Washington townhouse, designed by Director Barbara Wells, and is an absolutely gorgeous setting, complete with a living room and a bed room, tastefully decorated
      Douglas's wife, Lois , leaves for a 2 day trip to Chicago to campaign, and as soon as she leaves old Harry is on the phone to his mistress Veronica (Pamela Cunningham) to come over and spend the night.  She says she cannot come and Harry, intent on having " company"  calls an escort service, gives them a credit card number and says to  sent over someone young and shapely.
Meanwhile, Old Congressman Salt, arrives at the door, and announces he has locked himself out of his townhouse in the same building and is going to spend the night. Harry fixes him with a brandy laced with 6 sleeping pills and figures he will put the old guy in the up stairs bedroom and that will be that.  
    Meanwhile, young Jack the nephew arrives to keep Harry company, and accidentally takes the brandy with the  seditatives.. " The lady of the night arrives (Patricia Dascoli), and thinks Jack is the one who ordered her up and begins to warm up to him. She tells him the "agency:" sent her over, and he thinks it is the CIA.  In the mean time, Veronica, changes her  mind and arrives.
    The final two characters are, Travis Young, a policeman who is in and out of the house, looking for prowlers and making very making very astute and comical remarks on the unusual events happening in the apartment. Tymber Berg makes a cameo appearance as another reporter in the opening scene.
       Well, this is as far as I can go or I will be in too deep to get out. Needless to say all those typical things you expect in this type of farce occur. Three very attractive females in scant clothing,, lots of  mistaken identities, and door opening and closing. As in all farce, the wages of lust is frustration. Nothing really happens (or does it, behind closed closet doors?), but they do a lot of talking about it. Lots of double entendres but no dirty words.
       I don't think Director Wells could have cast this show any better. Mr. Chute looks like he is ready for the presidential primaries. St. Augustine actor Jack Lundgren gives an over the top performance as the seemingly confused old geezer, but watch out for the surprise ending.
   Joseph Walz, has a wonderful befuddled look on his face, like he was enjoying every minute of being manhandled by Fiona.
     I have already mentioned the 3 ladies, and I am so glad I arrived at the theatre early to get a front seat and enjoy the view close up.
     First-rate farce must start with a plausible premises and build to a fever-pitch delirium and madness and Michael Parker's "The Sensuous Senator" certainly does that. It must also be directed to razor sharp timing, and Director Barbara Wells and this very intelligent cast have that down to a science. In addition Wells has added all kinds of little business that milk every possible laugh out of this hilarious script. The show builds and builds and pulverizes the audience with its implausible but funny situations.
     The Orange Park faithful season ticket holders enjoy  at least one show like this every season, and the pen of playwright can keep OPTC busy for several seasons with such offerings as " The Amorous Ambassador", "Who is in the Bed with the Butler?", "Hot Bed Hotel", "There is a burglar in my Bed" and "Whose Wives are They anyway."
       When you go see this play, you might want to wear a bit of red, white and blue and get in the sprit of things. The lobby looks like one national conventions, with banners, flags, political signs, and music that will move  you to march. You will even walk out with a sticker on your clothing with your favorite candidate, honest Harry Douglas, of course!!

     Orange Park Community Theatre is on it's way to a record breaking 33rd year so call today if you are interested in seeing the very very funny "The Sensuous Senator".  Coming in March, a change of pace, the drama "Twelve  Angry Men", and their summer musical is "Gypsy".
The phone number is 276-2599, or visit their award winning website www.opct.org.