Screwball Comedy at Theatre 40

by Valerie Summers

Sharron Shayne and George Villas in Screwball Comedy. Photo: Ed Krieger

Just opened, one of the funniest comedies of the year…Screwball Comedy, at Theatre 40 in Beverly Hills.  The packed house was roaring with laughter as the tale of a wanna be reporter who  is assigned to interview the newspaper’s owner’s son regarding his pending marriage gets her chance.  Set in the 1930’s, Mary Hayes, the newly laid off perfumier, is assigned to compete with the paper’s star reporter, who happens to be a very attractive man, to see who writes the better article. The super rich newly engaged female newspaper owner who suspects that her son’s fiancee is a fortune hunter wants the reporters to expose her intentions.  The two reporters have their future careers as stake with this assignment but chemistry takes over complicating matters.  Meanwhile Mary’s trained sense of smell as a perfumier points her in the right direction to discover the truth about the people being investigated.

Director Howard Storm is well known for directing some of the best comedies in television history including Mork and Mindy, Kenan and Kel, The Redd Foxx Show, Taxi, Rhoda, Valerie and many more.   He is also an acclaimed actor.

Playing through August 19.

Theatre 40

Reuben  Cordova Theatre

241 Morena Drive

Beverly Hills

310/364-0535

www,theatre40.org