2010 - 2011 Season II
(The most recently completed show is listed first.)

Wise Guise

by Michael Messmer

Nov. 4 - Dec. 17 at 8pm on Fri. and Sat. nights, except December 2 & 3;
Sun. matinees on Nov. 13 and 27 at 2pm

Jeff is a financial analyst whose wealth has brought him no satisfaction. In fact, the closer he got to marrying into a wealthy family, the more unhappy he became. His fiancée (Tiffany) dumped him with the warning that he’d better get his head straight. He’s come to see the wiseman of the mountain in hope of finding, if not the meaning of life, at least a clue as to why he’s on this quest. The wiseman (Fred) is nothing like anyone’s idea of a guru. He’s sarcastic, likes the good things in life, has his own stock portfolio and has some very weird ways of looking at the world. Fred’s new protégé (Angela) seems to find Jeff a soul-mate which leads to a passionate encounter just as Tiffany shows up to save Jeff from joining what she thinks might be a cult. Aided (and frequently challenged) by his new protégé (who is also a popular psychologist) Fred puts Jeff through an ordeal that that would put Dr. Phil to shame, as he seeks what is really important in his life.

Director: Dean Shellenberger

Tiffany (Kathryn Busch, left) and Angela (Amy Williams, right) struggle with Jeff (Andy Anthony) to see who
gets the gun first to shoot Fred (Scott Plotkin, far right), the wiseman of the mountain, in the Arden Playhouse
production of WISE GUISE

Absolutely Honest

by Michael Messmer

Sept. 16 - Oct. 22 at 8pm Fri. and Sat. nights; Sun. matinees on Sept. 25 and Oct. 2 at 2pm

This is a fast-paced bedroom farce, complete with lots of doors, hanky-panky, and enough misunderstandings to keep the laughs rolling. Four people try to sort out their relationship problems which stem from the fact that they have not been Absolutely Honest with one another.

Marcy (Sarah Price) is only too happy to use whatever charms she has to keep her fiancé, Rock (Scott Plotkin) from asking too many questions about the fling she had with her coworker, Chris, until she has a chance for them to get their stories straight. Adding yet another complication to mayhem in Absolutely Honest at Arden Playhouse.

Being absolutely honest can get you in a lot of trouble...a lesson Chris is learning the hard way as his wife, Liz, is divorcing him after he told her about a one-night, drunken fling with Marcy (a fellow worker). But, after a night together in his new apartment that reminds them both of how much they care for each other, Liz is ready to reconsider. Then she discovers a pair of shoes that are not hers…

Chris and his problems with a bad back, lights that go off at the wrong time, and people who struggle with making decisions are just a few of the complications that make this comedy a wild romp and a hilarious look at what happens with being Absolutely Honest.

Lovely in Danger

by Dave Chapelle

August 5 - 27 at 8pm on Fri. & Sat. nights; Sun. matinees on August 14 & 21 at 2pm

Shady, evil and dishonest Filmore Filcher uses various disguises and treacherous tactics to get his greedy paws on the Lovely Ranch, owned by beautiful Amy Lovely and her stalwart Aunt Aggie. Filcher and his not so silent partner, Morganna Snit, want to build a luxury resort and health spa catering to the very rich on the Lovely’s ranch. Will the ladies see through Filcher and Morganna’s sneaky scheming or will they lose everything? Only true-blue Hoot Galoot can save the girl he loves and her ranch...but will he be in time?

Director: Candi Pickering

Our hero Hoot Galoot (Brady Hollis, center) is prepared to do whatever it takes to keep the villain Filmore Filcher (Ron Baker) from taking the family homestead from the woman he loves, the lovely Amy Lovely (Amanda Dyba) in the Arden Playhouse production of LOVELY IN DANGER.

Lovely in Danger is a melodrama with a shorter than normal running time.
This show will be specially priced at $10.00 and is suitable for the whole family!
No group rates for Lovely in Danger.

Fool’s Retreat

by Michael Messmer

(a farce in two acts)

About the Play:  Chris, an accountant running from the mob, has been taken by Diane to hide in a women’s health resort. Magda manages the resort with the help of Maxine. Gwen, an actress with problems, is there for help. Rudy, the mob hit-man arrives disguised as a doctor. An overheard phone call leads Diane to think Gwen is the hit-man in disguise, which leads to all sorts of hilarious situations. Then things get really complicated as Chris dons another disguise to find out what is going on, forgets who he is (thanks to a couple of slams from a lethal door) and becomes the object of affection of several women for very different reasons.

The show opened April 29, 2011
and ran Friday & Saturday at 8 PM thru June 11, 2011
Sunday matinees were at 2 pm May 8 and 22.

Magda (Rebecca Keller) and Rudy (Scott Plotkin) take a break on the sofa and try to sort out what is happening while another chase with Maxine (April Maylene, right rear) trying to get away from Chris (Andy Anthony, rear center) who is also trying to get away from Diane (Marisa DePaulo) passes through the lobby in the madcap farce Fool’s Retreat at Arden Playhouse.

The Murder Room

by Jack Sharkey
(produced by special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc.)

mystery farce in three acts

About the Play:  Wealthy Edgar Hollister marries Mavis Templeton who, after a few hours of blissful marriage, apparently tries various ways to kill him. The Murder Room is a  comedy described as Abbot and Costello meet Agatha Christie with some Monty Python thrown in. It is a wild send up of every murdermystery ever written.

Not knowing they are engaged, housekeeper Lottie (Patty Thiel) is shocked to see
Barry (James McTernen) and Susan (Amy Williams) kissing
in the Arden Playhouse production of THE MURDER ROOM.

The Murder Room ran March 4, 2011 thru April 16, 2011
Friday & Saturday at 8 PM
Sunday matinees at 2 pm March 13 and 27.

Mervin’s Magic

a comedy in two acts written and directed by Michael Messmer  

About the Play:  Some people think wealthy Mervin Coleman can’t run his company because he’s staying away from the office. A psychiatrist has been retained to evaluate Mervin’s competence. Meanwhile, Mervin’s niece (Lisa) wants him to find out if her husband (David) is having an affair. When David shows up to talk about a problem he has with his new business and introduces a strange woman, Mervin thinks she’s the “other woman” and does his best to scare her away. How he sorts out his problems, helps save a marriage, neutralizes his sister and manages to keep the psychiatrist from having him put away makes for a fast-paced comedy (with farcical elements) with lots of twists, sword-fights and surprising warmth.

Friday and Saturday nights at 8 pm, January 7, 2011 thru February 19, 2011
Sunday matinees at 2 pm January 16 and 30.

Cast members (from left to right) John Hanley, Monique McKisson, Amy Williams, and Andy Anthony
have a family moment in Mervin's Magic at Arden Playhouse.

Dexterity

Arden Playhouse is pleased to present Dexterity, a new play by Michael Messmer, Sacramento’s most prolific comedy playwright. Dexterity has a lot of heart and a whole lot of laughs as we see what happens to literary agent Jerry Goodman, a man who may be too kind for his own good.

Jerry has taken an option on a new novel. If he can’t make a deal with a Hollywood producer to pick up the option, he is out of a job (and a huge amount of money). The producer asked Jerry to show him an authentic New England Christmas, so Jerry rented a farmouse in Connecticut. Jerry’s wife isn’t happy about rearranging her life for the holidays but she’s doing her best to make things go well by bringing in part-time help to cook. Immediately complicating matters is a homeless man Jerry brought home. Dexter alters personalities from a barely verbal derelict who may be hearing voices to a seemingly well-educated, erudite and romantic assistant (who may suffer from narcolepsy). The cook thinks there’s something familiar about Dexter and doubts he’s really a homeless person, but a relationship begins to develop between them that adds both confusion and zest. When the producer and his wife arrive early, Jerry and his wife provide a plausible explanation for Dexter’s presence. When Dexter discovers that the producer isn’t what he seems, information is supplied that appears to ruin the deal and Jerry’s career. But Dexter isn’t what he seems, either, returning Jerry’s kindness with surprising generosity.

No one is quite sure who Dexter (Andy Anthony, center on sofa) is but Terry (April Maylene, sofa left) and Dede (Carolyn Gregory) think he's wonderful while Stelle (Missy McVittie, with pan) isn't so sure and Gordon (Jon Beaver, right behind sofa) is skeptical but Jerry (James McClelland) thinks he's worth helping in the Arden Playhouse production of the comedy Dexterity.

Dexterity opened on Friday, November 5, 2010 with performances on Friday and Saturday nights at 8pm through December 18th, with Sunday matinees at 2pm on November 14th and 28th.

Trust Me

A farce in two acts by Michael Messmer

Everyone wants something from someone else in the Arden Playhouse production of Trust Me as Harlan (Joshua Sellers, far left)
tries to escape from Samantha (Jody Wills) as Charlene (Elysse Fountain) tries to get her under control and Jennifer (Julia Meese) tries to find the real Charlene while Robert (Andy Anthony) tries to prevent her from finding out what is really going on. Thank you to Amy Williams for stepping into the part of Charlene late in the run.

Siblings, Robert and Charlene have to delay the termination of their trust allowance while they put together a plan to take over their deceased uncle’s company. In order to confuse the lawyer sent to have them sign off on the trust, they switch roles. Unfortunately, the backer for their takeover plan arrives first and they think it’s the lawyer. When the lawyer arrives, the siblings are already up to their eyeballs in deception but now they have to create new cousins to explain why there seems to be two sets of relatives. Complications ensue when Charlene is attracted to the backer and Robert is attracted to the lawyer. Add lemonade that’s been accidentally laced with pain-killer, a need to check a birthmark located on someone’s derriere, a house keeper (who develops a passion for dancing) at her wit’s end trying to keep up with who is who and it’s easy to see why the guests get confused and frustrated.

Trust Me ran Friday and Saturday nights at 8 pm September 24 through October 30, 2010.
Sunday matinees at 2 pm October 3 and 17.

2009 - 2010 Season I

The Good Old Summertime

A Musical Review Created by Matt Gavin

This musical revue is packed full of the most popular music from the turn of the century (not this one - the last one!).  Enjoy once again the sweet bygone days as four unwitting time travelers encounter their toot, toot, tootsies, when every pretty girl was like a melody and hours were often spent chasing rainbows.  Ah, the sweet mystery of life is sure to be found. So don’t be a melancholy baby, join us by the light of the silvery moon, or stroll down a shady lane for a Sunday matinee.  Bring your beautiful doll or your sweet honey bee!

Download the song list.

August 6 - 28, 2010

Matt Gavin and Linda Small

Marriage is Murder

by Nick Hall - - Produced by special arrangements with SAMUEL FRENCH INC.

Directed by Paul Fearn

July 2 - July 31, 2010

Former married couple and mystery writing partners Paul and Polly Butler are trying to develop a new story for a series of murder mysteries they’ve written because they both need the money. In all their previous plots they’ve acted out the various steps in the crimes. This time they also act out a lot of their frustration with each other while revealing why their marriage didn’t work and finding out they really do well together.

Barbara Messmer and Paul Hauck take aim at laughs
in Marriage is Murder.

The Romantic Imagination by Michael Messmer

May 21 - June 19, 2010

Jack Lassiter is a writer whose latest novel is incomplete because 1) he developed a fascination for the femme fatale of his novel (Linda) and can’t bring himself to having anything bad happen to her and 2) he’s had a skiing accident that has left him with some memory problems (including believing Linda is really alive and in love with him). While Jack has been in the hospital, Larry, his manager and editor, has been staying in Jack’s mountain cabin and trying to get a young woman he met in a local casino (Carly) into bed. When Larry brings Jack home from the hospital, Carly is in the cabin. Larry tells Jack that Carly is his wife (Maureen) so Jack won’t worry about anything but getting the novel finished. When Maureen actually shows up, Larry persuades her to pretend to be the imaginary Linda in order to get Jack back to work on the novel. The fact that Jack continues to have conversations with the imaginary Linda (who also seems to join in conversations with others) is only one of many complications that develop.

Chris Lamb, Linda Small, Angela Thompson, and Gian Montesini in rehearsal for The Romantic Imagination.

The Witherspoon Waltz

March - April 2010

How much fun can you have in the hospital? Tons, in the world premiere of the madcap farce by local playwright Michael Messmer, The Witherspoon Waltz. In the style of a Marx Brothers romp, theater producer Hal Stine is desperate to get financial backing for a new show from wealthy widow Mrs. Witherspoon. So desperate, in fact, that he has tracked her to the hospital where she is being treated for unexplained fatigue. When Hal pretends to be a psychiatrist called in to help, his methods distract the doctor, lead to wild chases in a wheelchair, cause everyone to try to hide, and send a waltz spinning out of control. Along the way, we find that Hal is surprisingly caring, the doctor has a few tricks of her own, and Mrs. Witherspoon is nobody’s fool.

Mrs. Witherspoon (Laura Tribbey Lay) leads an imaginary orchestra that startles Hal Stine (Matt Udall, far left), worries Dr. Butz (Shana McCarl, left), and brings Mark (Marc Berman, right) and Cassy (Heidi Kendrick, far right) closer in The Witherspoon Waltz.

Here are a few photos from past seasons when we were located near the Sacramento Inn.
Show titles with an asterisk have a link to a photo.

1998 - 1999

Programs*

How the Other Half Loves

Not Now, Darling*

The Nerd

Maternal Instincts*

1999 - 2000

Programs*

Legends*

Roomies*

The Murder Room*

Maternal Instincts*

2000 - 2001

Programs*

Come Blow Your Horn*

LUV*

The Amorous Ambassador*

Under the Yum Yum Tree*