Chamber Theatre tries on Jeeves Intervenes - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

CHAMBER THEATRE TRIES ON 'JEEVES INTERVENES'

By David Lewellen

Playing the world's most famous manservant means letting other people get the laughs.

"It takes courage to be the straight man," said Matt Daniels, who takes the title role in Milwaukee Chamber Theatre's upcoming production of "Jeeves Intervenes." Just as Jeeves lays out Bertie Wooster's clothes and shines his shoes, Daniels helps the audience laugh at Chris Klopatek by twitching a lip or saying, "Indeed, sir?"

"You set it up, and you let the other guy whack it down," Daniels said. "I've had to work hard at figuring out what all the quiet moments are about. . . . But it's fun to raise an eyebrow and get a laugh out of that."

Jeeves and Bertie were the creations of English humorist P.G. Wodehouse, who wrote dozens of short stories and novels featuring the two characters. The template for any plot is that Bertie gets himself into a mess and Jeeves gets him out of it, with lots of farcical, interlocking details; Daniels compared it to the classic screwball comedies of the 1930s. "I see Jeeves as a master chess player, always thinking six moves ahead," he said.

"Bertie reminds me of Curious George a bit," said director Tami Workentin. "He always gets in trouble, and you can always see it coming, and then (someone) steps in and rescues him."

As the other half of the duo, she said, Klopatek "projects the boyish quality of never wanting to grow up. The two of them make a nice pair."

The characters complement each other and make a greater whole, like Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson - an analogy that Workentin has used with her cast.

"Jeeves Intervenes" by Margaret Raether, loosely based on two Wodehouse short stories, is among the latest in a long string of plays, movies and TV adaptations. Workentin watched the BBC version from the 1990s starring Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie and decided she sees the characters differently, but she liked the British lightness.

"It titters along," she said. "American actors tend to hit it pretty hard."

Both Workentin and Daniels knew little about the world of Jeeves before their assignment, and both have been surprised by it.

"There's a sparkle in the language, and the use of slang is so much fun, and very Shakespearean," Daniels said. " 'Delightful' is a word that's been cropping up in rehearsals a lot."

IF YOU GO

What: Milwaukee Chamber Theatre's "Jeeves Intervenes"

When: preview, 7:30 p.m. Thursday; opening, 8 p.m. Friday; through Aug. 29

Where: Broadway Theatre Center, 158 N. Broadway

Tickets: $15 to $38. Call (414) 291-7800 or visit chamber-theatre.com/tickets.aspx

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