River City Players to perform real-estate farce 'Any Body Home?' at Port Cape

Real-estate transactions, while sometimes fiscally prudent, are typically dull affairs. Of course, most real estate transactions don't typically involve a dead body, an Interpol agent or a number of other factors the River City Players' production of "Any Body Home?" will showcase next weekend at Port Cape Girardeau.

Lead actress Liz Akers explained the show dispenses with convention early.

"I am a real estate agent who is only trying to sell a condo," she said. "But I find the owner of the apartment is dead, and thus starts the farce."

Agent Hiway, played by Chrissie Shay, holds a gun during a rehearsal of "Any Body Home?" on Wednesday at Port Cape Girardeau. (Glenn Landberg)

Despite the small cast -- five, not including the "dead" body -- the laughs are anything but understated. As the oddball characters become entangled in each other's madcap schemes in classic farcical tradition, the audience is left to decide whether they're watching a comedy or a mystery show.

Director Andrea Shovan said she's been eyeing this script ever since she became involved with the River City Players five years ago.

"I read the script and just fell in love with it and knew I could do a lot of things with it," she said.

It's the fourth show she's directed for the community theater company, and she said she jumped at the opportunity to direct a farce.

"This is my favorite kind of show to direct and perform," she said. "It lets you have fun and let your inhibitions go. You can do with it whatever you want, and people can interpret it different ways."

She said the show is especially funny to audience members familiar with the stresses of the real-estate brokerage industry, such as how one of the guests turns out to be a competing agent.

Then, there are other gags that need no special experience to appreciate.

Agent Hiway, played by Chrissie Shay, holds a gun during a rehearsal of "Any Body Home?" on Wednesday at Port Cape Girardeau. (Glenn Landberg)

Kyle VanPool and Liz Akers run through a scene during the River City Players' rehearsal of "Any Body Home?" on Wednesday at Port Cape Girardeau. (Glenn Landberg)

"[The main character] has got a next-door neighbor who is a little old sexpot," Shovan said. "That really would be the best way to describe her."

Chrissie Shay plays an Interpol agent hot on the trail of an international jewel thief, in what is one of her first productions as a member of the River City Players.

"I originally signed up to do hair and makeup for [last November's production of 'Dracula']," she said, but was called upon to fill in when the show opened.

"I had been attending for years, but it's pretty different being on this side of the stage," Shay said.

She said one of the biggest challenges in putting on "Any Body Home?" wasn't remembering lines or finding comedic beats as much as it was dealing with the weather.

"With all the winter weather, these last three weeks have been all about playing catch-up," she said.

Akers agreed, since she said her character's over-the-top hypochondria came naturally to her.

"The script is just fantastic; it's hilarious," she said. "It's really good to become a character. You can become crazy just by the lines you say."

The show opens next weekend with dessert shows at 6:30 p.m. Thursday and 1:30 p.m. April 12. Dinner buffet shows will be at 7 p.m. April 10 and 11. Tickets are $20 for the dessert buffets and $35 for dinner shows; they are available at Port Cape Girardeau, 334-0954.

tgraef@semissourian.com

Kyle VanPool and Liz Akers run through a scene during the River City Players' rehearsal of "Any Body Home?" on Wednesday at Port Cape Girardeau. (Glenn Landberg)

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