"Cash on Delivery"

Saturday night after we returned from our three day beach getaway, the husband/lover/hot date and I headed north to see "Cash on Delivery" at the Community Theater League in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

This little theater seats approximately 150 patrons and seating surrounds the stage area on three sides.  It is easy to feel part of the action as you are sitting literally a few steps away from the actors.  Cast members enter and exit the stage from all four corners of the area.

This fast paced British farce includes a cast of six male and four female characters.

Mr. Eric Swan is a con artist who has duped the welfare authorities for years by claiming every type of benefit for the innumerable people he claims live at his address.

His scams net him thousands of dollars, tax free.  That is, until...

About the time he decides to kill off many of the imaginary dole recipients (because matters are getting too risky), a welfare investigator shows up at Mr. Swan's door.  The official makes inquiries about what is going on and even offers additional benefits for which Mr. Swan hasn't yet applied.

To outwit the investigator, the con artist enlists help from one of his real tenants and from his Uncle George, who also volunteers to convince his nephew's wife that he is not a transvestite.

One lie piles onto another as the story speeds along to its surprising conclusion.  This show definitely proves that adage about the tangled web we weave when we deceive.

Watching this farce with a twist, it didn't take too much deep thought to realize that as we were laughing at the hilarious antics of the cast, we were also laughing with them at the crazy machinery of our society today.

This play went from zero to sixty in the first ten minutes, and then never slowed down.  It was a fun and wild ride!