Wilson's World

Whose Wives cast members -- Standing L to R: Geoff Wehner, Tony Targan, John Boufford;
Seated L to R: Alisha Gellin, Mary Ann Tweedie, Laurel Stroud, Diana McSweeney, Maureen Mansfield
Photo by Mike Mansfield

Imagine an alternative reality where, whenever you enter a room, people expect something funny to happen. Everything you say makes people laugh out loud.  Every facial expression – a raised eyebrow or an eye roll – evokes giggles and guffaws.  And, as if you were in some Seinfeldian Bizzaro World, women say provocative things to you like, “Has anyone ever told you, you’re a very attractive man?” … and try to kiss you.

Welcome to Wilson’s world.  For the past three weeks, during the run of Whose Wives Are They Anyway?, I have had the pleasure to play Wilson, the hypochondriac handyman who is always in the wrong place at just the right time to say the punch line.  I can honestly say that I have never had so much fun on stage.  The Farmington Players production was hugely successful, playing to 85% of capacity, and audiences thoroughly enjoyed themselves every night.  During certain scenes, usually involving the cross-dressing Geoff Wehner as “Mrs. McGachen,” we would have to hold for laughs that seemed to never end.

And yet, just as it was getting started, it is over.  After 10 performances, Whose Wives closed last Saturday night to a sell-out crowd.  Personally, I think we saved our best performance for last, especially in Act Two when the wigs fly, clothes come off, bodies collide, and Wilson ends up in bed with two beautiful women. (Inexplicably, he does not appear to enjoy their company.)   I am always a little sad when a show ends, and this one is no exception.  On Sunday morning, I shaved my beard (grown to make Wilson look older) and went to the Barn to strike the set.  Within four hours, the set where we had spent countless hours of rehearsal and performance time was reduced to lumber, the Barn stage was again a bare floor.   It is kind of like ripping off a band-aid;  it’s over suddenly, but it still hurts a little.

I will definitely miss every person in the fine cast and crew that put this production together and made it so much fun.   Thanks once more to my fellow actors (pictured above), director Dennis Broadhead, assistant director George Ulridge, producers Tim Timmer and Dave Reinke, stage manager Jill Jones, and countless others that made Whose Wives Are They Anyway? so successful.  To keep up with future happenings at the Barn, go to www.farmingtonplayers.org or call the box office at 248-553-2955. Find us on Facebook under "Farmington Players".