Mrs. Schubert in the salon with the scissors? Don’t put it past “Shear Madness,” a comedic whodunit that is as entertaining and flamboyant as it sounds.
The longest-running non-musical play in America, “Shear Madness” is now showing at the Hippodrome State Theatre downtown with eight performances a week.
The script is meant to be flexible, so each show is completely up to date with local gossip and current events. Director Mary Hausch brainstorms with the actors on a daily basis to incorporate the latest news into the shows. A steady stream of jokes poke fun at everything from the Gainesville Police Department and Tim Tebow to Lady Gaga and British Petroleum.
The plot is as interactive as it is modern. At “Shear Madness,” the audience is part of the drama and attendees solve the mystery.
Tony Whitcomb (Cameron Francis), owner of the Gainesville Salon where the play is set, has the audience laughing from the moment they meet him in his pink sneakers, popped-collar polo and rhinestone belt.
Whitcomb isn’t alone in his banter and innuendo. He is joined by fellow hairdresser and employee, Barbara DeMarco (Jennifer Smith), whose taste in fashion is as wild as her taste in men.
The not-so-innocent beauticians are plagued by the incessant piano playing of their upstairs neighbor Isabel Czerny. Until they find out she has been murdered and they are the suspects.
Like the beauticians, the clients are also suspicious characters. Mrs. Shubert (Sara Morsey), the ridiculously wealthy cougar, and Eddie Lawrence (Kevin-Michael Chu), a sleazy antiques dealer, both have surprising connections to the deceased.
Detective Nick Rossetti (Gregory Jones), GPD, controls the scene and questions not only the characters but the audience as well. Rossetti uses intermission to gather more clues and investigate theories, so don’t be shy if you have some dirt.
The detectives don’t, however, decide who is getting arrested. You do. Though police detain Tony one night, Mrs. Shubert heads to the jail the next.
The cast delivers the comedy fast and doesn’t miss a beat. And if you talk to them, they’ll talk right back.
Hausch, who has directed more than 120 productions, traveled to Washington, D.C. in 2003 to participate in an intensive director’s training. While there, she watched eight performances of the play and learned all of the ins and outs that come with the improvisational wit of “Shear Madness.”
“The audiences observe different things,” Hausch said over the phone. “They push the actors in different directions, and that creates a whole new environment that most people don’t have a chance to experience.”
Tickets are available at 352-375-HIPP (4477) and thehipp.org. Regular tickets are $25 to $30. Tickets for seniors, teachers and those in the military are $20. Students with I.D. can get discounted tickets for $12.
