Preview: “See How They Run”

Next week, the Salomon Theatre stage will be shining its lights on the hilarious British farce, “See How They Run” by Philip King.

Directed by Ronda Winderl, a professor of communication and theatre and director of the London Program, the play can easily be described as a madcap British farce.

Winderl notes that although some components of the play were difficult to master, she has an incredibly talented cast who has been exceptionally hard-working.

“It’s a very physical show, and the lines are complex and delivered at sonic speed so it takes great concentration,” Winderl said.

The play takes place in England at the home of Lionel and Penelope Toop just after the close of WWII.

“The show will have you in tears from all of the classic British quips, physical comedy and the sheer hilariousness of the ensuing action,” said Alyssa Salter, a senior theatre major.

Stage manager Dillon Kane says the whole cast and crew is working hard to make the show as funny as possible.

British farces indicate a large amount of physical comedy. The physical humor in “See How They Run” includes characters fainting, rolling around, and getting knocked out. Kane, who has participated in PLNU’s theatre productions for the past year, said the most challenging and rewarding aspect of the process has been adapting the blocking — the way the characters move on stage — in a way that “makes the interaction or the scene more hilarious.”

“In this show, I am falling and being dropped as well as stage punched,” Salter said. “This requires me to be fully aware of my body, so I know how to do these stunts without hurting myself, but also it requires trust because I am falling into the arms of my fellow actors or being carried by them across stage.”

According to some cast and crew members, the preparation for the show has been running fairly smoothly. Samantha Watkins, a sophomore theatre and broadcast journalism double major, plays the character of a sergeant who enters the play in the very last act. Watkins has been enjoying the process, however there have been a couple of hurdles to overcome. Aside from the common struggle of line memorization and getting off-book, she comments on another aspect of the show that has proved to be slightly more difficult.

“We have a variety of accents in this show from British, to Cockney, to Russian, and when we are all on stage speaking in them, it has been a challenge to make sure you stay with your accent — but we have got it now!” Watkins said.

Winderl has directed a total of 115 shows in her career, about 21 of them at PLNU. She says “See How They Run” is one of the funniest shows she has directed.

“See How They Run” promises to be a night of hilarious comedy and fast-paced action.

The show runs April 8-12 at 7 p.m. The April 11 show begins at 5:30 p.m. Tickets can be found online or bought at Salomon Theatre the night of the show. Tickets cost $10 for faculty, staff, and students ($8 on April 8), and $13 for general admission.