"Shear Madness" - by Paul Pörtner - Majestic Theater (West Springfield, MA.) - REVIEW
(Cover Photo: The CAST of "SHEAR MADNESS" by Paul Pörtner, now playing at the Majestic Theater in West Springfield, MA. through October 20, 2024. Photo Credit Kait Rankins)
By Kevin T. Baldwin
METRMAG Reviewer
# 774-242-6724
“Are you from Chicopee?"
- ("Nick") / Paul Pörtner
The Majestic Theater
Presents Paul Pörtner's
"SHEAR MADNESS"
Written by Paul Pörtner
Directed by Bob Lohrmann
Producing Director Danny Eaton
Cast Includes: Benita Zahn* as "Mrs. Shubert," Jeff Haffner* as "Nick," Jack Grigoli* as "Eddie," Elizabeth Pietrangelo* as "Barbara," Steve Sands as "Tony," Michael DeVito as "Mikey"
Additional Creative Team:
Associate Producing Director - Sue Dziura; Production Stage Manager - Stephen Petit; Associate Production Manager - Aurora Ferraro; Set and Lighting Design - Dan Rist; Costume designer - Dawn McKay.
* Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States
Performances:
September 5, 2024 through October 20, 2024
(Contact Box Office for Exact Times)
MAJESTIC THEATER, 131 Elm Street, West Springfield, MA 01089
TICKETS:
For tickets and more information, contact the MAJESTIC THEATER box office by phone at # 413-747-7797 or visit www.majestictheater.com
BUY TICKETS
COVID 19 PROTOCOLS
Contact Venue for Most Updated COVID-19 Safety Protocols and Information.
The Majestic Theater in West Springfield kicks off its 2024-2025 Season with the hysterically funny comedy-whodunit "SHEAR MADNESS."
"SHEAR MADNESS" concerns itself with a murder in a hairstyling salon.
The laughs come fast and furious, which is good, since the lead detective in charge of the case bears a striking resemblance to actor Vin Diesel.
During the hilarious course of the investigation, the audience must watch carefully as the action unfolds - they will be responsible for spotting the clues, questioning the suspects, and ultimately help solve the mystery.
The list of suspects includes the arrogant and aristocratic regular salon customer Mrs. Shubert (Benita Zahn), a coarse local antique dealer Eddie (Jack Grigoli), along with fun competitive hair stylists buxom Barbara (Elizabeth Pietrangelo) and flamboyant Tony (Steve Sands).
While you know one of these characters is a murderer, the actors make the two hours spent with them so much fun you find yourself not even caring about that little minor character flaw.
(Photo: Steve Sands as "Tony" and Michael DeVito as "Mikey" in the hilarious audience-participation farce "SHEAR MADNESS" by Paul Pörtner, now playing at the Majestic Theater in West Springfield, MA. through October 20, 2024. Photo Credit Kait Rankins)
Investigating the case are local policemen, the gruff lead detective Nick (Jeff Haffner) and his chipper young assistant Mikey (Michael DeVito).
All of the actors involved in the show expertly embrace the eccentricities of their respective characters, which aids in keeping the audience guessing as to the actual motivation(s) behind the killing.
"SHEAR MADNESS" by Paul Pörtner was voted "Best Comedy of the Year" seven times by the Boston Globe and recipient of the title "Best Play of the Year" by both the Chicago Sun-Times and the Philadelphia Enquirer.
Because "SHEAR MADNESS" is an interactive whodunit play, it became one of the longest-running nonmusical plays in the world.
The impressive set design of the hair salon is fully functional and immerses the audience into the location of the fictitious West Springfield salon.
(Photo: Benita Zahn as "Mrs. Shubert" with Steve Sands as "Tony" in the audience-participation farce "SHEAR MADNESS" by Paul Pörtner, now playing at the Majestic Theater in West Springfield, MA. through October 20, 2024. Photo Credit Kait Rankins)
"SHEAR MADNESS" opened in Boston at the Charles Playhouse Stage II in January 1980.
A second production, at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts's Theater Lab in Washington D.C., opened in 1987.
A third production opened in 2015 at the New World Stages Off-Broadway theater in New York City.
The Boston production is sometimes described as the longest-running or second-longest-running non-musical play in the world, although there are some non-musical plays which have run for longer.
With the cleverly-constructed Pörtner script, every performance the outcome changes.
This is a main reason why many audience members return repeatedly to the scene of the crime, to find out who the murderer will be THIS time...and because each time the finding out is just so much fun.
(Photo: Steve Sands as "Tony," Michael DeVito as "Mikey" and Elizabeth Pietrangelo as "Barbara" in the hilarious audience-participation farce "SHEAR MADNESS" by Paul Pörtner, now playing at the Majestic Theater in West Springfield, MA. through October 20, 2024. Photo Credit Kait Rankins)
"SHEAR MADNESS" received the Raven Award from the Mystery Writers of America and was inducted into the Comedy Hall of Fame, the first play ever to receive that accolade.
The flagship Boston company resulted in many subsequent productions across the U.S. and "SHEAR MADNESS" has been translated into 28 foreign languages, playing worldwide in a host of cities including Barcelona, Buenos Aires, Madrid, Paris, Rejkavik, Rome, Tel Aviv, Melbourne, Johannesburg, Seoul, and Shanghai.
In January, 2020 the Boston cast celebrated its 40th Anniversary (the show's 12,580th performance) at The Charles Playhouse Stage II just before the Boston production closed in March, 2020.
The story structure is deceptively clever with many contingencies accounted for by the author (and presumably through years of trial and discovery).
Amid the show's first act, the salon's landlady, Isabel Czerny, who lives above the salon, is murdered.
During the show's second act, audience members participate in the action by questioning the suspects in an attempt to solve the crime.
(Photo: The CAST of "SHEAR MADNESS" by Paul Pörtner, now playing at the Majestic Theater in West Springfield, MA. through October 20, 2024. Photo Credit Kait Rankins)
Much of the dialogue is improvised by the actors, and the humor tends to revolve around topical references to current events.
The ending of "SHEAR MADNESS" is different every night as audience members hear clues, question the characters, and then vote on who they think is guilty.
Whoever the audience votes to be the murderer, that person improvises dialogue along with the rest of the cast to reveal themselves.
With so much fun to be had, it would be simply criminal to miss out on the Majestic Theater's "SHEAR MADNESS" which runs in West Springfield, MA. until October 20, 2024.
Coming up next at the Majestic Theater will be "A MOON FOR THE MISBEGOTTEN" by Eugene O'Neill.
For tickets and more information, contact the MAJESTIC THEATER box office by phone at # 413-747-7797 or visit www.majestictheater.com
BUY TICKETS
Approximately two hours with one intermission.
Kevin T. Baldwin is a member of the American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA)
@MetrmagReviews
@Theatre_Critics
ABOUT THE SHOW
"SHEAR MADNESS" has been acknowledged by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest running non-musical play in American theater history. It ran for over 40 years in Boston!
It’s a day like any other in the local "SHEAR MADNESS SALON" until suddenly the lady who lives upstairs gets knocked off. WHOdunit?!
Well, the MAJESTIC THEATER audience will have to match wits with the suspects to catch a killer in this record breaking and interactive solve-the-crime comedy!
ABOUT THE MAJESTIC THEATER
Locally-produced professional live theater since 1997. Before it was a live theater, local residents may remember THE MAJESTIC THEATER as a movie house. It has since been renovated and reimagined to bring live performances to the West Springfield area, giving local performance and technical artists the opportunity to thrive. Every season at THE MAJESTIC consists of five productions (including at least one musical) featuring local actors. In addition to the subscription season, the summer includes children's theater, concerts, plays, open mic nights, and improvisational comedy shows. Recently named the best place to see live theater in the Pioneer Valley in the Valley Advocate Readers' Poll, THE MAJESTIC THEATER continues to offer great theater thanks to the support and generosity of its 4200+ subscribers.
131 Elm Street
West Springfield, MA 01089
# 413-747-7797
