Milwaukee Chamber Theater closes its current season with the third installment of its play series based on the writings of PG Wodehouse. Jeeves Takes a Bow brings back many of the actors who have appeared in its previous productions. For instance, Matt Daniels does an especially fine job of reprising his role as Jeeves, the brainy English butler who always manages to get his employer, a wealthy bachelor, out of a jam. His charge is Bertie Wooster (played again by Chris Klopatek). The entire cast is under the capable guidance of director Tami Workentin, who has directed all three of these productions.
For audiences who have seen one of the previous productions, the plot will be as familiar as the characters. This time, the setting is in midtown Manhattan. It is 1932, just prior to the Depression and before Prohibition is repealed. The play takes multiple turns as Bertie come in contact with a Broadway singer and her gangster “friend,” an old chap from Bertie’s school days, and a buttoned-down English spinster who yearns to dig into the city’s dark underbelly as research for a novel she plans to write. However, even newcomers to the “Jeeves/Wooster” duo will get the drift of things during the opening scene. It is set in a glorious, high-rise apartment; its stylish, Art Deco theme is exactly where one would expect for someone belonging to the upper class. Jeeves appears (impeccably dressed, of course) and begins to sort out the detritus of one of Bertie’s wild parties. As he rounds up a fair number of martini glasses, Jeeves also uncovers some women’s lingerie and a whoopee cushion. None of this is the least bit surprising to the somewhat annoyed Jeeves.
Jeeves is further irritated when Bertie shows up, looking very smug. “Look, Jeeves, I’ve dressed myself,” he crows. Jeeves expresses distaste at the pair of purple argyle socks that Bertie just bought. Bertie pouts and refuses to change. “I’m expressing my sense of American independence,” he says. Bertie, a confirmed bachelor, is equally proud that he’s never worked for a living. He gleefully gets himself into all sorts of scrapes, confident that the resourceful Jeeves will bail him out. “In Jeeves we trust,” he tells Binkie, his former school chum. Binkie has shown up unexpectedly at Bertie’s apartment to confess his newfound passion for acting. He also admits to muddling things by using Bertie’s name as a stage name, lest his family get wind of this “low-brow” pastime. Besides, Binkie is besotted by his production’s leading lady (a terrific, over-the-top Anna Cline), who channels a young Ethel Merman. As Ruby LeRoy, Cline is gloriously adorned in period costumes that would make Bob Mackie drool. Binkie is afraid to show his romantic feelings for her due to the protectiveness of her gangster bodyguard (delightfully played by a gruff-voiced Steven Koehler).
The joy in this jumble of mishaps comes from the ease in which all the actors relate to each other. This is especially true for Jeeves and Bertie. With expert timing, Bertie tosses unwanted mail (i.e., bills) into the air, only to be caught and tucked away by Jeeves. Likewise, Bertie is no sooner finishing a snifter of bootleg whiskey than Jeeves places a fresh glass in his hand. This fantastic comic timing is typical of what we’ve come to expect from these shows. However, there is some surprise, as well. Specifically, it’s the impressive transformation by Kay Allmand as Vivienne. An English friend of Bertie’s, Vivienne arrives on America’s shores wearing a tight-fitting, belted suit (another costume gem) with seamed stockings and period, t-strap shoes. For some odd reason, Vivienne is convinced that she alone must “rescue” Bertie from himself. Jeeves cleverly arranges an escort for Vivienne. Some time later, Vivienne returns in a spangled, flapper-style dress, clinging to the arm of her escort. The “new” Vivienne is revealed in a way that is slightly restrained and thus more credible.
In sum, audiences that embrace the highly contrived plot and broadly played characters will find much to like when Jeeves Takes a Bow.
