Red flair

The body of a fisherman is found off a pier in Boston. Sen. Joseph McCarthyís daughter, Lynn, finds herself engaged to a Jewish Communist. A Russian immigrant and spy comes home to find that everyone thinks heís dead. And detective Maggie Pelletier has to decide if she wants to honeymoon in Tahiti.

These plot twists mark only the beginning of those in ìRed Herring,î a hilarious and intelligent parody/homage to the detective stories, shows and films of the 1950s, yet at the same time a comedy about marriage.

From the start, the play is full of quick scene changes from Boston to Wisconsin to the South Pacific, classic physical comedy and a heaping spoonful of cheeky dialogue, chock-full of the kind of one-liners and witty repartee for which Nick at Nite staple ìDragnetî is best remembered.

Playwright Michael Hollinger makes the most of ’50s nostalgia (one character constantly sports about a dozen ìI Like Ikeî pins) but knows better than to take it too seriously (itís the coroner who dons the pins).

If for no other reason, go and see this play for the script alone. Pittsburgh has not seen one this good in quite awhile.

If a well-written script isnít enough, go for the talented cast. Everyone in the world may think he or she is a comedian, but these six actors actually pull it off. Beth Bailey is perfect as Maggie, the detective who knows how to balance work and play, but has a case from her past that she has to solve before sheíll marry her FBI boyfriend, Frank Keller (Tom Schaller, who, like the rest of the cast, has several parts).

Holli Hamilton and Darren Focareta bumble adorably across the stage as Lynn McCarthy and James Appel, her fiance and a Communist spy, among other roles the pair take on.

But the actors who keep the audience repeating their lines for the rest of the night are Jeffrey Howell and Laurie Klatscher. Howell principally plays Andrei Borchevsky, a Russian immigrant and spy, but his best performance is as Herbert, a docile husband who comes running at the ring of a bell. Klatscher channels the spirit of every eccentric landlady in her portrayal of Mrs. Kravitz.

Not only are the script and acting superior, but so is the amazingly versatile set by Tony Ferrieri, which appears to be a Boston pier but manages, through revolving wall panels and well-chosen props, to encompass the three different locations already mentioned, as well as various apartments, a living room, an airport, a morgue, a confessional and a bridal shop.

Lighting by Andrew David Ostrowski gives the show just the right noir feel. And the music, thanks to sound designer Joe Pino, often underlines the punch line.

To see the brilliance that is City Theatreís production of ìRed Herring,î take a walk or the 54C to the South Side and experience it for yourself.

The Cold War may be over, but the war between the sexes never ends.