The Outsider at Act II Playhouse

The Governor has just been forced to resign and Lt. Governor Ned Newly has taken his place. He’s just given a horrible speech where he basically mumbled and said nothing. He has a horrific fear of public speaking whether it be on tv or in person. And he doesn’t even want to be governor. He’s not a politician- he just did the nuts and bolts for the governor behind the scenes. Now, he has no staff (they were all kicked out) except for a chief of staff who hires a woman, Paige Caldwell and a temp secretary, Louise Peakes. A third person, Arthur Lance saw the tv interview and has taken it upon himself to come to Newley’s aid. What ensues is a satirical and funny look at the way each tries to “rescue” the new governor.

“The Outsider,” this farce by Paul Slade Smith, written six years ago, has landed at Act II Playhouse right before the 2024 election. It is a timely piece as it is constantly stating that the less you know, the farther you’ll go. And these new aides have to prepare the new governor for the special election to confirm him in six months. They want him to appear on tv again which he seeks to avoid. Lance (Peter Bisgaier) is not afraid that the governor will project a naivete, even a stupidity before the cameras. He encourages it, even though Governor Newley is actually a rather brilliant man.

As for the temp, Louise who they will soon be calling Lulu- she is rather dimwitted and has never held a job for more than a single day. She is full of memory lapses and malapropisms. Only the governor’s chief of staff Dave Reilly (Carl Nathaniel Smith) recognizes the crazy extremes instigated by Lance and innocently added to by Lulu (Sabrina Profitt), and he has great trouble dealing with it all. Also on the seemingly normal side is Paige Caldwell, who pushes Reilly to action before going along with Lance.

These five characters along with the reporter and her photographer expressed many different approaches to the comic development of the play. Some worked. Others didn’t.

John Zak was outstanding in his portrayal of the befuddled Ned Neely. We see and understand his fears even though it is funny. The comedic approach of Proffitt as the temp was a riot without being overblown. But I didn’t care for the over-the-top performance of Bisgaier. Rather than being funny, he blustered about, and it was hard to believe that he could have ever been the successful news figure he was. And the reporter who came to get the story also played it much too broadly.

Act II Playhouse billed “The Outsider” as a political farce. That’s the way they tried to play it. When I read that playwright Smith said “The play was never intended to be a comedy about political parties… it is looking at larger ideas,” I came away realizing how smart this play actually was. I wish director Andrew Chown had let the play speak through the words rather than lots of the silliness. There is much substance there that gets buried in his approach.

“The Outsider” by Paul Slade Smith at Act II Playhouse, 56 E. Butler Avenue,  Ambler, PA 19002, 215-654-0200,   act2.org    Extended thru November 10, 2024