NORTH SALEM, N.Y. - The show must -- and will -- go on in North Salem.
Just hours before The Schoolhouse Theater’s first rehearsal for its upcoming production of the farce-fueled play “Jeeves and Wooster in Perfect Nonsense,” artistic director Owen Thompson got some very bad news.
A routine medical test had uncovered a potentially life-threatening condition that required immediate intervention.
“It was a big shock. We weren’t sure if we would be able to carry on,” said producing director Bram Lewis.
The situation reminded this reporter of one of the romp’s bon mots uttered by the play's protagonist Lord Bertie Wooster, an unrepentant member of the idle rich: “I’ve been to the theatre a couple of times … and have often thought: Well, how hard can that be?”
In this case, pretty bloody hard, as the Brits would say.
After lots of tears and discussion, the “team” rallied round to support its ailing captain, with Lewis planning to fill in whenever the play’s director wasn’t able to because of his health.
In true stiff-upper-lip fashion, the unflappable Thompson has assured the troops that “he’ll do his best to do this,” Lewis told Halston Media.
The Plot
Meanwhile, folks should happily brace themselves for an evening of classic silliness.
Thompson himself has described “Perfect Nonsense” as a cross between Oscar Wilde’s trivial comedy for serious people “The Importance of Being Ernest” and Saturday Night Live.
The play, written by siblings David and Robert Goodale, is based on P.G. Wodehouse’s 1938 novel, “The Code of the Woosters.”
It won the Olivier Award for “Best New Comedy” in 2014.
The plot revolves – dizzyingly – around Wooster's putting on a one-man play in which he recounts adventures that involve -- among other things -- a coveted silver cow creamer, mistaken identities, a stolen policeman’s helmet, and a newt-loving friend.
Things, of course, quickly go off the rails.
But fear not, the affable twit’s urber-valet, Jeeves, is always -- as the play’s promo explains -- “two steps ahead, armed with an encyclopedic brain and a superhuman flair for state management.”
The Cast
There are three main characters and 12, count ‘em, 12 roles.
Playing Wooster is Will DeVary while Jason Guy brings Jeeves, the "gentleman’s gentleman," to life. Mark Edward Lang is Seppings, the butler.
While DeVary remains Bertie Wooster throughout the play, Guy and Lang divvy up the remaining characters, including Wooster’s favored but formidable Aunt Dahlia Travers, who -- with her cheerful red face, booming voice, and tendency to deploy fox hunting cries such as “Yoicks!” and “Tally ho!” in regular speech -- appears in more of Wodehouse's "Jeeves" stories than any other of his characters.
Other Wodehouse creations set to tread the boards in “Perfect Nonsense” are Roderick Spode, a fop and amateur dictator; Sir Watkyn Bassett, silver collector; Madeline Bassett, his excessively sentimental daughter; Gussie Fink-Nottle, a painfully shy newt fancier; Stiffy Byng, Sir Bassett’s scheming ward; the not-very-sharp Constable Oates; Butterfield, Bassett’s butler; and an unnamed antiques dealer.
The Crew
In spite of his medical challenges, Thompson remains as director. Isabelle Favette did the set; Nancy Nichols, the costumes. Lighting was handled by Dennis Parichy and the sound by Thompson and Jessica Klee. Stage manager is Kevin E. Thompson.
The Particulars
The Schoolhouse Theater is the oldest professional theatrical venue in Westchester County.
It recently launched its 40th season – the third under Thompson’s leadership – with a production of “Satchmo at the Waldorf,” a play about jazz great Louis Armstrong that was directed by Lewis.
“Satchmo” was followed by “Les Liaisons Dangereuses,” a seductive thriller with sex, scandal, and sword fighting. Thompson directed.
“Perfect Nonsense” is the third and final play of the 2025 season.
It opens on Friday, Dec. 5, and runs for 15 performances through Sunday, Dec. 21.
Performances are at 7 p.m. on Fridays and at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
The Schoolhouse Theater operates out of the town’s community center, located at 3 Owens Road in the North Salem hamlet of Croton Falls.
General admission is $50; seniors, $45; subscribers, $40; and students, $20.
For tickets, visit www.theschoolhousetheater.org, or call (914) 473-7111.
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