If you are reading this, you are probably planning on seeing Shear Madness which is a play written by Paul Portner. In this review, I would like to prepare you for the comedic experience of a lifetime! To get you started, let us just say that the title of the play is a drastic understatement. This is truly a performance requiring opera glasses.
The play begins in a unisex hair salon; there are many types of people at coming in and out of the salon. We see many stereotypes, we see the dumb blond, homosexual hair dresser (played by John McGivern in the performance I attended.), the police officers, a high class woman, and of course the traditional red hot hunk of a man, which makes John McGivern's character giggle with delight. In this scene we get the first bits of comedy. All of the characters seem to be sharing the most well guarded secrets with the hairdressers; much like as is found in the real world.
Shear Madness is truly an evolutionary play; this is because it is always changing! What I mean by this, is that many of the words that are spoken in the play are not actually in the script but rather are given as improvisations by gifted comedians, in fact, much of the things talked about in the play focuses on current local and world news, you will never know what to expect. One of the things I found most amusing about this performance, is that many times, actors are caught off guard by the other actor's improvised lines, and you see them trying to contain their own laughter. For this you will surely want to bring your opera glasses as not to miss a beat!
Shear Madness is very much an interactive play. As you attend, you will find that performers will periodically ask the audience for their opinions about the developing story. Many in attendance will shout out their answers which often vary wildly. This aspect alone will make this play unforgettable in your mind. If find that your seat is in the first few rows, be prepared, as you may find yourself as centerpiece of a joke. Remember, that all jokes are just in good fun.
Besides running a beauty salon and all of the gossip that it entails, Shear Madness' plot pertains to a murder. The person murdered is the owner of the salon. The owner lived upstairs of the salon before she was murdered. As a member of the audience you are enthralled trying to figure out who the murderer is. Looking back at the play, each character in the play could possibly be the correct killer. You will find yourself squinting your eyes and eyebrows and scratching your head trying to figure out who committed the murder. Use your Opera glasses often to help you choose who the guilty murderer is.
There is one last twist me must tell you about this improvised performance, although the owner of the beauty salon is always the one who gets murdered at the beginning, the person who actually did the killing is different every time! As the plot develops the actors ask members of the audience for their opinions, and toward the end, a vote takes place in which the murderer is chosen. This development is always very comical, and you will love to hear the different reasons the killers give to justify their actions. There is one catch though, if you want to see why each murderer kills the owner, you will have to see it multiple times, as there is only one murderer in each showing!
This play is often called the longest running, or second longest running non musical performances. Many critics have given this play wonderful reviews, because of the witty comedy and wonderful performances, which is why of course; this play has been around for so long.
You will want to bring your Opera glasses as you will not want to miss one entertaining moment of Shear Madness. Opera glasses will ensure that you will capture each and every laugh.
Before you attend any performance make sure that you have a good pair of opera glasses. Here you can check out Opera Glasses with handle, flashlight, chain and more!
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