My historical farce “Philosophus” has been listed as one of the top five shows of the week by MD Theatre Guide!

Many thanks to MD Theatre Guide for the nod, and what a great recognition for Best Medicine’s truly wonderful production!

You can read the review of “Philosophus” here!

So happy to share a great review of “Philosophus” by Debbie Minter Jackson of DC Theatre Scene!

Philosophus review. Best Medicine Rep finds a farce to remedy our times

“Farce is not as easy to pull off as it looks.  Add mounds of glorious text inspired by the freedom spouting French philosopher Francois-Marie Arouet, a.k.a Voltaire, and you’ve got quite a mix on your hands. Specifically, you’ve got Philosophus as presented by Best Medicine Rep.

As they’ve demonstrated in previous engagingly worded scripts, Best Medicine Rep knows its way around gorgeously structured sentences.  Now they’ve added a baron and “insidious persecution…at the vile hands of despotism and tyranny” of a world renown philosopher in a goofy run, hide and chase situation set in 1753 in Frankfurt, Germany.  The escapades involve Voltaire’s flight from the court of Frederick II, King of Prussia, the city-states before the formation of Germany.  Tucked away in one of his several bags is a potentially embarrassing collection of poems.  Let the games begin.

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Premiering just last year, Philosophus has already won a slew of awards, and is making its metro area debut. For the show to find a home at Best Medicine is a testament to the company’s pizzazz to recognize and secure such an up and coming work in its first Actor’s Equity production.  A thinking-person’s farce, Philosophus is a perfect fit for the area and a fun way to start the year.”

…a thinking-person’s farce… what a great tagline.

You can read the full review here!

DCMetroCenterArts has published a good review of “Philosophus”!

Review: ‘Philosophus’ at Best Medicine Rep

The critic, Jennifer Georgia, dub deep, researching Voltaire a bit and appreciating the historical authenticity of the story:

“One of the remarkable things about Crowley’s play is how much of the farce is true. In 1753, Voltaire was journeying back to France (if he was fleeing persecution, it was a very slow flight) from the court of his former patron Frederick the Great of Prussia. He arrived in Frankfurt and was detained by Frederick’s agents, who were under orders to retrieve a document the king had given to Voltaire. His niece Marie arrived and was held with him, and had to fend off the unwanted advances of a guard. She and Voltaire were finally released after his luggage was ransacked and the offending item found.

In Philosophus this incident provides the fodder for High Farce. It supplies stock characters as old as the Commedia dell’Arte or even the Roman comic Plautus: the Cunning Thinker, the Stupid Servant, the Pompous Officer, the Lusty Soldier, the Buxom Maid, and the Greedy Harridan. These are all set upon each other in the broadest kind of comedy. It has chase scenes, mistaken identities, lost luggage, an overbearing old woman, an ogle-worthy young one, and duels with both wits and pistols. For those familiar with British comedy, it resembles Benny Hill meets the Enlightenment, or Carry On Philosopher.”

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“Philosophus is a rib-tickling farce… Overall, it is a very entertaining evening at the theater.”

The first positive review for my historical farce “Philosophus” has been published by MD Theatre Guide by Susan Brall!

According to Ms Brall: The script is a cross between Mel Brooks (“Young Frankenstein”) and the Marx Brothers (“Duck’s Soup”).  If you love the ridiculous and lots of double entendres, you will have a good time at this production. 

…and yep, that about sums it up!

Check out the full review here!

Another preview article for my historical farce “Philosophus” has been published in CultureSpotMC by author Lisa Cline.

CultureSpotMC is a news website focusing on community news for Montgomery County, Maryland.

Ms. Cline interviewed John Morogiello, Artistic Director of Best Medicine Repertory Theater (and actor in the show), Stan Levin, director of “Philosophus”, and yours truly.

The following is an excerpt of my answers to two of the author’s questions:

How do you know if what you find funny will “play” on stage to a diverse group?

Speer Crowley: One of the things I consciously tried to do with “Philosophus” is make the comedy very broad, rather than fitting a certain set type. I didn’t intend it just to be a Wildean parlor play filled purely with witty dialogue but little physical action, nor did I want it to be all Keystone Kops. I wanted to give the play a little bit of everything: some Oscar Wilde, some Benny Hill, some “Book of Mormon,” some Kaufman and Hart, all while throwing in some farce and even reaching back into burlesque/vaudeville. I think there’s something for everyone in the story, and it gives the actors a lot to work with.

When did you write “Philosophus” and what was your inspiration?

Speer Crowley: I wrote “Philosophus” in late, late 2015 and it was probably the quickest thing I’ve ever written. I (mostly) wrote it in between commuting to New York City (I live in Connecticut) over the course of two weeks.

The actual idea, I confess, predates that by about, oh…20 years. I came up with the idea of “Philosophus” when I was about 13 or 14 because I loved historical biographies and discovered the story through reading a book on Voltaire. I thought it was a great basis for a comedy because the entire affair was (almost) as comical and silly as the events in the play. (The shell of the story and the characters are all real, but most of the specifics are invented.)

I wrote a version of “Philosophus” way back then (unfit for human eyes, although I may let a dog look at it) and then decided to revisit the topic years later. I just had success with another comedic play which led me to reconsider doing more comedic work. I had never done a purely comedic play, so I thought this would be as good a time as any, and I continued to love the historical setting and the colorful, comic operetta-like characters.

Many thanks to Ms. Cline for her great article – which you can read in full here!