Free-love farce at Actor’s Circle

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“Cactus Flower,” March 5-6, 12-13, 8 p.m.; March 7, 14, 2 p.m., Actors Circle at Providence Playhouse (1256 Providence Road, Scranton). Tickets: $12 general admission, $10 seniors, $8 students. Preview Thursday, March 4, 8 p.m. Tickets: $8 GA/seniors, $6 students. Info: 570.342.9707

What’s a poor guy to do? Julian is a dentist in New York City. He has a thriving practice and an even more thriving love life. The randy DDS is carrying the free love wave of the ’60s right into the swinging ’70s — and that’s where his problems start.

Julian’s much younger girlfriend, Toni, wants to get married. In order to stay free and single, Julian tells Toni he’s already married. But when the tables turn and he decides he is ready to settle down, Toni wants to meet the soon-to-be-ex to make sure wifey is really done with dear doctor. So Julian gets his receptionist, Stephanie, to help by masquerading as his long-suffering wife. The ever-precise Stephanie does such a good job playing the Mrs. that Toni feels sorry for her and calls off the engagement. But not to worry. Throw in a fake boyfriend, some fake kids, a real next-door neighbor, a stripper and a South American diplomat and everything works out just fine. Not sure how that’s possible? Stop by Actors Circle and check out “Cactus Flower” under the direction of Billy Joe Herbert to find out.

“Cactus Flower” was written by Abe Burrows, based on a play by Pierre Barillet and Jean Pierre Gredy. The comedy opened on Broadway in December 1965 starring Barry Nelson, Brenda Vaccaro and Lauren Bacall. Audiences kept the laughs coming for three years and more than 1,200 performances. Julian’s wacky love life got the big screen treatment in 1969 with a brand new cast — Walter Matthau, Ingrid Bergman and Goldie Hawn, who scored a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role as Toni. Now Herbert is bringing the love and laughs to the Scranton stage.

The director was drawn to the show by the free-love feeling of the 1969 setting and its sitcom feel.

“The whole 60’s vibe kind of gets me,” Herbert says. “It’s a ’60s flashback. I was only five when this show takes place sandwiched between the hippies and disco. I remember the ’60s, but I remember the ’70s better,” he adds with a laugh.

That same vibe that drew Herbert to the show was initially a bit of a challenge for his cast, from the complete lack of personal space to the nearly constant contact. Now that the “Cactus Flower” bunch has gained a level of comfort with each other and the material, these close scenes are among the comedy’s strongest.

“It’s so funny, and I have to have everyone else not laugh on stage,” Herbert says of a particular highlight.

Another hurdle the “Cactus Flower” cast and crew had to overcome was the set. The show’s action takes place in four separate locations, which is no easy task on Actors Circle’s small stage.

“I got very creative,” says Herbert, who also built the set.

To make the most of the tiny space, he uses folding walls and sliding set pieces, transforming the setting from Julian’s office to Toni’s apartment to a nightclub. Even with some creative construction, Herbert was worried about the audience getting bored during some switches.

“I can’t stand for people to watch long set changes,” he says. To cover tech time and add to the laughs, Herbert has created some scene change vignettes involving Julian’s patients. “I didn’t want people to just stare at us changing the set.”

In spite of time period and technical issues, as well as snow forcing cancelled rehearsals, Herbert is having a groovy time with his swinging cast. He’s certain that Sandy Gabrielson (Julian), Regina Yeager Todd (Stephanie), Kerry Kearns (Toni), Dane Bower (Igor), Jeff Ginsberg (Harvey), Carol Stancavish (Mrs. Durant), Kim Schuetrum (Boticelli’s Sunrise), John McNulty (Senor Sanchez) and Cathy Rist Strauch (various roles) are ready to bring the laughs.

“There are some really good characters and some really great performances by these actors,” he says. “The characters we’ve created are so real that you’re really going to feel for them.”

Once “Cactus Flower” closes, Herbert will be switching hats, appearing on stage as Tito Morelli in Actors Circle’s upcoming production of “Lend Me a Tenor.” It will be his fifth production of the farce, and opening night will be his 40th performance in that role. And as much as he’s looking forward to stepping into the spotlight, right now it’s his cast’s turn to show the audience a little love and a lot of laughs.

“It’s like your belated Valentine from Actors Circle,” he explains. “It flashes back to a somewhat more carefree time. You’ll just sit and laugh your butt off for an evening. The sitcom quality is what people need. It gives you a little break from reality.”

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