Divine Intervention: ‘The Gods of Comedy’ opening today at the Mid-Ohio Valley Players Theatre
Aristide played by Charlie Kiwacz and Zoe portrayed by Rachel Gaston are in “The Gods of Comedy” opening at 7:30 p.m. today at the Mid-Ohio Valley Player in Marietta. Tickets are $13. (Photo Provided)
George Faber as Aleksi in a scene from “The Gods of Comedy” opening at 7:30 p.m. today at the Mid-Ohio Valley Players. (Photo Provided)
Erin O’Neill as Thalia and R.J. Lowe as Dionysus in rehearsal for “The Gods of Comedy” by Ken Ludwig. The show runs at 7:30 p.m today, Saturday, Jan. 16 and Jan. 17 with a 3 p.m. matinee on Jan. 18. (Photo Provided)
Veronica Rake Koon with R.J. Lowe, playing Brooklyn and Dionysus, respectively, are among the characters in Ken Ludwig’s “The Gods of Comedy” opening 7:30 p.m. today at the Mid-Ohio Valley Players. Tickets are $13. (Photo Provided)
Amber Smrek-Kinker as Daphne and her husband, Sam Kinker as Ares, are together for the first time on the stage in “The Gods of Comedy” opening 7:30 p.m. today at the Mid-Ohio Valley Players in Marietta. (Photo Provided)
Dean Trickett played by Kat Biery and Ralph played by Tim Tuten in “The Gods of Comedy.” The show opens at 7:30 p.m. today at the Mid-Ohio Valley Players in Marietta and also will be presented next weekend. Tickets are $13. (Photo Provided)
Aristide played by Charlie Kiwacz and Zoe portrayed by Rachel Gaston are in “The Gods of Comedy” opening at 7:30 p.m. today at the Mid-Ohio Valley Player in Marietta. Tickets are $13. (Photo Provided)
George Faber as Aleksi in a scene from “The Gods of Comedy” opening at 7:30 p.m. today at the Mid-Ohio Valley Players. (Photo Provided)
Erin O’Neill as Thalia and R.J. Lowe as Dionysus in rehearsal for “The Gods of Comedy” by Ken Ludwig. The show runs at 7:30 p.m today, Saturday, Jan. 16 and Jan. 17 with a 3 p.m. matinee on Jan. 18. (Photo Provided)
Veronica Rake Koon with R.J. Lowe, playing Brooklyn and Dionysus, respectively, are among the characters in Ken Ludwig’s “The Gods of Comedy” opening 7:30 p.m. today at the Mid-Ohio Valley Players. Tickets are $13. (Photo Provided)
Amber Smrek-Kinker as Daphne and her husband, Sam Kinker as Ares, are together for the first time on the stage in “The Gods of Comedy” opening 7:30 p.m. today at the Mid-Ohio Valley Players in Marietta. (Photo Provided)
Dean Trickett played by Kat Biery and Ralph played by Tim Tuten in “The Gods of Comedy.” The show opens at 7:30 p.m. today at the Mid-Ohio Valley Players in Marietta and also will be presented next weekend. Tickets are $13. (Photo Provided)
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MARIETTA -- Ken Ludwig's "The Gods of Comedy" opens at 7:30 p.m. today at the Mid-Ohio Valley Players Theatre in Marietta.
"The Gods of Comedy" is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. today, Saturday, Jan. 16 and 17 and at 3 p.m. Jan. 18. Tickets are $13 and are available at midohiovalleyplayers.com or at the box office beginning two hours before each show.
The theater is located at 229 Putnam St. The show is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French Inc. and is sponsored by Wilky's Sports Bar.
"The Gods of Comedy" is a farce in which the young professor Daphne Rain accidentally summons Greek gods Dionysus and Thalia to help find an ancient play she has misplaced. Chaos ensues as divine mischief collides with a college setting resulting in mistaken identities, romantic complications and classic slapstick comedy.
Amber Smrek-Kinker plays the role of Professor Rain.
"She spends every day in her over-stressed, under-appreciated life striving for the perfection of the mundanity of a tenured classics professor," Smrek-Kinker said. "Finding a little fun takes divine intervention. Playing the straight man in any comedy challenges anyone, but more so this time when the gods can, and do, intervene at any moment."
She's looking forward to this show.
"I get to share the stage with my husband, Sam, who plays Ares," Smrek-Kinker said. "This is the first time I have been on stage with him since we got married."
R.J. Lowe plays Dionysus, the Greek god of wine, debauchery, chaos, fertility, and theater.
"It has been fun getting into the mind of someone who is all about the id, and indulges in anything his heart desires whilst trying to help a mortal in distress," Lowe said. "He has some great zingers and I am very much looking forward to getting an audience and hearing their laughter. There's nothing like it to fill my soul."
Playing Thalia, the muse of comedy, is Erin O'Neill.
"Thalia has a weakness for mortal men and is a bit nearsighted. But she's fun and perky and wants to try really hard to impress Zeus," she said.
The most fun has been creating a look for Thalia with the costumes and makeup, O'Neill said.
"She is completely different from who I am and it has been really fun to tackle that," O'Neill said.
Directors of the show are Suzanne Walker and her husband Jeff. The couple was thrilled to find this hilarious script.
"I really enjoyed directing 'Moon Over Buffalo' by Ken Ludwig," Suzanne said.
"Jeff and I wanted to do a comedy and then we discovered 'Gods.' Very few shows make us laugh out loud, but this one did," she said. "We want people to have a chance to laugh and forget the problems of the world for a couple hours."
Members of the cast are:
* Aristide – Charlie Kiwacz
* Daphne – Amber Smrek-Kinker
* Dean Trickett – Kat Biery
* Ralph – Tim Tuten
* Zoe – Rachel Gaston
* Aleksi – George Faber
* Dionysus – R.J. Lowe
* Thalia – Erin O'Neill
* Brooklyn – Vanessa Rake Koon
* Ares – Sam Kinker
Assistant director is Jason Half. Stage manager is Eliz Kinser