“Shear Madness” is a hilarious, exhilarating play set in a Boston unisex salon. The main characters, Tony Winkham, Muffy Schubert and Barbara Demarco along with the other characters, make for a great script with very funny improvisation. The star of the play would have to be Mr. Winkham, the owner of the salon and a seemingly closeted homosexual man on the brink of coming out. Many of the play’s funniest moments are because of him. There is also Muffy Schubert who plays a sophisticated woman looking to be in her sixties or seventies, who I would say is a very lovable character. Barbara Demarco is the young lady who also works at the salon. She is characterized to be a bit promiscuous, with a fast mouth and a lot of sass and attitude. The other characters include the two cops and a man by the name of Eddie Lawrence.
The plot revolves around the murder of a musician by the name of Isabella Churney, who lived in the same building as the salon. There are events that occur throughout the play that make every single character suspicious of the murder. As the show continues, more twists and surprises are thrown in and the audience even gets a chance to play detective towards the end. However, even with the interactive element towards the end, no one is quite prepared for the creative and dramatic conclusion. The ending of the play is so good and so unique that many people will go see it again.
“Shear Madness” is the longest running play in America and it is no wonder why–the audience loves it. It is far less stuffy than a Broadway musical and a great alternative to the Friday or Saturday night movie and dinner. At times it seemed there was no script at all because there were many references to pop culture and current news events that made the play seem very modern and easy to relate to. The improvisation is enough reason not only to see the play once but also to go back and see it again! “Shear Madness” is showing at the Charles Playhouse, Stage 2 on 74 Warrenton St, Boston, MA. I will definitely recommend this for a night out with friends, a night out with the family, or a night out with a significant other; it is that versatile, and many will enjoy it. Even better, there are many show times throughout the week to fit your schedule.
Experience Shear Madness on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 8 pm, Saturday at 6 and 9pm, and Sundays at 3 and 7 pm.