Final (?) Change Of Plans For Town Players

When we think of October, we often think of one of two things: Halloween and the “October surprise” — you know, the kind political parties like to unveil just weeks before an election in an attempt to derail the opposition.

Town Players have an October surprise of their own this year, and they promise it has nothing to do with politics.

The company recently announced that its final production for 2012 had been switched, with This Is Our Youth replacing previously announced The Haunting.

It turns out that what will really begin in November is The Underpants, by Carl Sternheim and adapted by Steve Martin. Based on positive feedback last year following Picasso at the Lapin Agile —written by Steve Martin and staged at the Orchard Hill Road theater last September — the theater company has decided to Steve Martin an encore presentation.

Petty German bureaucrat Theo Maske has an unusual problem: his pretty wife’s underwear just won’t stay on. One Sunday morning, they fell off her right in the middle of town, creating a very unwelcome scandal. The mortified Theo, worried about not only his standing as a citizen but also his job, is determined to keep Louise at home until she can find a more decorous pair of undies. Amid this chaos, the straitlaced Theo is also trying to rent a room in their flat — but the prospective renters have some underlying surprises of their own.

Steve Martin has applied his his legendary comic genius and sophisticated literary style to this classic 1910 farce by Carl Sternheim. DC Theatre Scene said that “Martin captures the satire of middle-class complacency that makes us laugh out loud at the power of celebrity,” while The New York Times simply called it “laugh-out-loud funny.”

Note that this play contains adult themes and may not be appropriate for children under 12.

Directed by David Bass of Danbury, The Underpants will run November 16 to December 8, Friday and Saturday evenings at 8 pm, with Sunday matinees at 2 pm on November 25 and December 2. The Friday, November 16 performance is a sold-out benefit; contact The Little Theater for details about tickets for that evening.

Tickets are $20, $10 for ages 10 and under, and can be paid for at the door with cash or check only; reservations can be made by calling 203-270-9144.

The Little Theatre is at 18 Orchard Hill Road in Newtown. Send email to info@NewtownPlayers.org for additional information, including details on the opening night benefit performance.