STEPHENVILLE, Texas — Theatre at Tarleton’s “Buffo: The Traditions and Performance Theories of the Western Comic Actor” presented by guest lecturer Maestro Luciano Faccia di Mulo begins its six-performance run at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 3, in the Clyde H. Wells Fine Arts Center’s Workshop Theater.
The play, written by Dan Stone, an Assistant Professor in the theater department, is a chaotic and absurd comedy that intertwines academic satire with slapstick humor. The central premise revolves around Dr. Penelope Pettigrew, a professor attempting to host a lecture on comic traditions featuring the absent Maestro Luciano Faccia di Mulo. The part is played by Kay Grimstadt.
What unfolds is a farcical disaster as Pettigrew’s event spirals out of control due to a series of mishaps, culminating in a performance that’s absurdly funny yet frustrating for the protagonist.
The play blends multiple performance traditions, from vaudeville to ventriloquism, introducing exaggerated comic characters such as Shingles the Clown (Madison Freeman), Benny Ballyhoo (Caroline Bachofer) and Harpo Marx (Addy Brown).
The characters’ absurd and off-the-wall interactions create a whirlwind of confusion for the rigid, overly serious Pettigrew, who serves as the strait-laced foil. Her attempts to maintain decorum are consistently derailed by her unorthodox and unpredictable guest performers.
Others in the cast include Emily Fox as Nova Riot, Gabe Ramos as Marty Melvin and Lord Percival Fancypants, and James Stack as DJ.
“At its heart, ‘Buffo’s’ a meta-theatrical exploration of performance itself,” said Stone. “The characters constantly break the fourth wall, making the audience complicit in the unraveling of the event.
“Although I wrote ‘Buffo,’ students were given free rein to improvise during rehearsals while developing the work. This gives the play their own stamp on it.”
The curtain rises at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 3 through Sunday, Oct. 6, with weekend matinees slated for 2 p.m. Admission is $5 for students and $10 for the general public.
A founding member of The Texas A&M System, Tarleton State University is breaking records — in enrollment, research, scholarship, athletics, philanthropy and engagement — while transforming the lives of approximately 18,000 students in Stephenville, Fort Worth, Waco, Bryan and online. For 125 years, Tarleton State has been committed to accessible higher education opportunities for all while helping students grow academically, socially and professionally through programs that emphasize real world learning and address regional, state and national needs.