Issue date: 7/10/08 Section: ARTS & LIFE

photo credit Carli Baylor

photo credit Carli Baylor

photo credit Carli Baylor

Opinion

The slapstick comedy routines and awful accents in "Tom, Dick, and Harry" will leave any audience short of breath and teary-eyed from laughter.

Tom and Linda Kerwood are an uptight couple yearning to adopt a child. While prepping for the arrival of Mrs. Potter, the adoption agent assigned to review their home, Tom's incompetent and idiotic brothers, Dick and Harry create massive chaos, resulting in unfortunate consequences. Housing smuggled cigarettes, a cadaver and two illegal Cuban immigrants, the brothers won't leave the audience bored for even a moment.

The set design of the Kerwood living room was boring. With bare maroon walls and empty tables, the furniture could have used more detail, but maybe the director created a plain atmosphere to reflect the boring lifestyle of the young couple.

Although the plot and climax of the play were interesting and exciting to watch, the setting of the story contrasted with the actors' European accents. Originally an English play, this particular performance was set in Flower Mound and Lewisville. This would have actually made sense had the actors spoken with Southern accents.

Unfortunately, they decided to all speak in a British dialect that was not at all consistent. At some point, every accent was broken and sounded American. The mix-up of geography may confuse the audience. It confused this reviewer, at least.

However ridiculous and inconsistent the accents were, the comedic timing of each actor was spot on. The actors playing the Kerwood brothers knew exactly when to enter a room at the most inopportune moment, and their attempts to keep the living room couch from unfolding were done in an effortless manner.

Tim Irle, who portrayed Tom Kerwood, was able to pull off several long-winded explanations without pausing to take a breath. Nick Haley, who played Dick Kerwood, used crisp and sharp movements when communicating with the illegal immigrants.

The silly humor, including Dick's "What the Duck" t-shirt and the fifth-grade jokes about flatulence, gave the audience several laughs. The jokes will remind anyone of his or her own family, and the camaraderie between the three brothers was refreshing to see.

Clever references and satiric jokes about the pronunciation of Flower Mound and Texas' illegal immigration issues transformed the English play into a unique American version of the story.

"Tom, Dick, and Harry," no matter how ridiculous it may seem, is chaotic, crazy and conventional and will have its audience peeing in their knickers.

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