Beatrice Fleurant
The Southern Editor
A class comedy of chaos and mistaken identities, Boeing Boeing is similar to Shakespeare’s merry misadventures. The story follows Bernard, a charming French bachelor who believes he’s mastered the art of love and scheduling. He’s engaged to three flight attendants from three different countries, each blissfully unaware of the others.
With a color-coded timetable of flight schedules, Bernard has kept his double life running smoothly. Well, until fate, weather and flight delays send everything spiraling. When all three fiancées end up at his Paris apartment on the same day, Bernard and the bewildered friend Robert scramble to keep the truth under wraps.
FSC’s Production of Boeing Boeing directed by FSC alum Lawrence Lesher, takes that madcap premise and runs with it at full throttle. Full of mid-century flair, impeccable timing and infectious physical comedy, the show transforms this show into a high-energy romp that keeps the audience laughing from takeoff to landing.
David Ramos, who plays the leading man Bernard, described his character as “a little mysterious” but ultimately misguided.
“He’s kind of just a child on the inside,” Ramos said. “His actions have consequences, and the way he deals with them is interesting. He puts on a front, but he’s really just watching things happen around him.”
Ramos’s performance is able to really capture both Bernard’s arrogance and his unraveling charm as his complex lies come undone.
“It’s not about some guy who’s cool and collected,” Ramos said. “It’s about a destructive lifestyle and how ridiculous it really is. I hope a lot of young men can see this show and learn what it’s really about, respect female agency and the intellect of the women around you.”
One of these women, Gabriella, Bernard’s Italian fiancée, is played by Sammy Jo Heaver, who brings fire to the stage with her performance.
Under Lesher’s direction, the cast takes on the absurdity of the show while finding genuine emotion.
“He created such a safe space for us to experiment,” Heaver said. “He let us fail, fix it and grow. This show wouldn’t be what it is without him.”
With its retro set design, fast tracked pacing and the undeniable chemistry between cast members, FSC’s Boeing Boeing proves the farce, when done right, it is both timeless and telling. Behind the slammed doors and comedic moments, a truth is unveiled; even the most carefully constructed plans can’t out-fly love, but most importantly, honesty.
