USC’s ‘Scapin’ brings humor to Longstreet stage

The latest play to hit the stage at Longstreet Theatre uses comedy, face slaps, trap doors and a live band to give a classic French tale a contemporary facelift.

The University of South Carolina Department of Theatre and Dance will present “Scapin” on Friday, Feb. 19 through Saturday, Feb. 27.

“Scapin” (pronounced Scuh-pan) is Mark O’Donnell and Bill Irwin’s 1997 off-Broadway adaptation of a 1671 Molière play.

“The language is very updated and modern. It uses pop culture references, and there are some popular movie quotes in there,” said graduate student actor Dimitri Woods, who plays the lead, Scapin.

Also cast in the production are second-year graduate actors Matt Cavender, Ben Roberts and Carin Bendas, as well as undergraduates Tristan Hester, Michael Castro, Conor Gallagher, Jamie Boller, Jordan Youmans, Rose Mancuso, Imani Hanley, Rebecca Legare-Stevenson, Amy Mew and Kate Hoffman.

Scapin is a servant, as well as a resourceful rapscallion. When two young men ask for Scapin’s scheming expertise to escape their arranged marriages, he uses guile and trickery to ensure their happiness, making him an imperfect but likeable hero.

When his elaborate deceptions threaten to spin out of control, Scapin becomes a character to root for.

“He knows that he is smarter than most other people. He’s never malicious, but he’s too smart for his own good sometimes,” Woods said.

The play’s setting is a mid-century juke joint. Director Louis Butelli saw that as an opportunity to put a live blues band on stage to play during the show.

The set also includes a “playground” of trap doors and sliding objects that make for “whack-a-mole situations at times,” Woods said.

Put all that together, and “it’s a chance to hear some great music and laugh,” he added.

On the theater department’s website, Butelli said “Scapin” is anything but boring or confusing.

“If you like ‘South Park,’ if you like Ricky Gervais or Jerry Seinfeld, if you enjoy what’s happening in comedy right now, you’re going to love this,” he said.