Chase Me, Comrade!

Through Sept. 12, $22-$25, Hedgerow Theatre, 64 Rose Valley Road, Rose Valley, 610-565-4211, hedgerowtheatre.org.

by Mark Cofta

theater

You'd think that after eight straight Ray Cooney farces, the quality of Hedgerow Theatre's summer comedy event would start to slip. But their ninth, Chase Me, Comrade! — a 1966 forgotten gem inspired by Soviet-era ballet star Rudolph Nureyev's defection to the West — shows no signs of slack in script or production. Director Jared Reed employs Hedgerow mainstays Zoran Kovcic and Susan Wefel as amusing support, but Comrade! showcases energetic young resident company members in a madcap kerfuffle skillfully built on a teetering tower of lies. Comrade! is instigated by dancer Alicia's (Rachel Holmes) scheme to rescue randy Petrovyan (David Polgar, speaking no English but pirouetting ridiculously), and the efforts of friend Nancy (Tara Haupt) and her boyfriend Gerry (Carl Smith) to hide him from Nancy's naval commander father (Bob Liga). Even more fun than the spiraling tizzy caused by deceit, drink and naughty innuendo is Cooney's loony wit, from nonsensical exchanges ("He's an agent."/ "Travel or estate?"/ "Secret."/ "Oh, you can tell me!") to tossed-off gems ("You should have a rest."/ "A rest? Silly girl, I work for the government"). It's a hoot.