The reverberating sound of a gunshot jolts the audience to attention as “Grand Delusion” gets underway. It is the year 1914, the gunshot is the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The audience is about to get a look into the plotting and scheming on the dawn of World War I.
The talented, recognizable cast of the Red Dog Squadron-produced play includes Timothy Osmundson (“Judging Amy”) as Austrian foreign minister Count Rumpledorf, Kurt Fuller (“Anger Management”, “Wayne’s World”) as Kaiser Wilhelm, and Xander Berkeley (“24″) as Czar Nicholas.
The humor is bitterly satirical and witty. Combining the comedic elements of vaudeville, slapstick and grotesque humor, the actors show a great talent for comedy, portraying the major European power leaders as ignorant narcissistic doofuses.
The Kaiser of Germany often repeats the line, “The strength of Germany lies in its strength,” while a diplomat proffers that it’s best to keep your emotions inside, as eventually they will just dissolve through your intestines.
Some of this humor does come across as a bit corny, but there are enough clever lines and belly laughs that the audience is willing to let the silly jokes slide.
At the same time, the satirical play makes some profound statements about life, politics and history. For example, one character wisely realizes how the course of history can change dramatically with the death of one man. He references Jesus Christ, without whose death we would not have Easter eggs ““ what an epiphany.
The sole woman (Venezia) and the sole commoner (Podnov) of the cast are the only rational characters. Venezia, the Duchess of Shrewsberry (Amanda Detmer), may make a fool of herself during one scene, but she, along with Podnov, try to talk the blundering world leaders out of selfish, uninformed and just plain bad ideas.
The distinct contrast between Podnov’s voice of reason and the mockery of the men of power becomes predictable though. I wished that just one of them, the czar or the kaiser or General Fafou, would say something mildly intelligent.
The play is still immensely enjoyable for the average viewer, but you’ll understand only about two-thirds of what is going on if you aren’t familiar with Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany and his cohorts.
The quaint decor of the intimate Lost Studio Theater is a perfect site for a play that gives an intimate look at what could have been going on between the players of World War I, and what current leaders may be doing behind closed doors.
While this black comedy pokes fun at politicians, “The Grand Delusion” does so in a light manner so that those of all political leanings ““ and all levels of historical knowledge ““ can laugh with Count Rumpledorf and General Fafou.
““ Jennifer Bastien
E-mail Bastien at jbastien@media.ucla.edu.