Cape Rep Stages ‘Pickle Me Tink’ World Premiere

          We could all use a good laugh right about now, and Cape Rep Theatre has got us covered. 
           Brilliantly timed to open on Wednesday, Nov. 6 — the day after the presidential election — a brand new comedy with music, “Pickle Me Tink,” will light up the Cape Rep stage for its world premiere, promising a night of laughter and music with a knockout cast of Cape Rep favorites. 
           Inspired by Italian commedia dell’arte as well as by some of the greatest comedians of all time, including the Marx Brothers, Lucille Ball and Abbott and Costello, this hilarious production written and directed by Cape Cod’s own Seton Brown is destined to delight. It’s a tale of thwarted love and mistaken identity filled with pratfalls, wit, word play and a score brimming with fresh approaches to Great American Songbook favorites. 
          Brown said that although the Italian tradition of commedia dell’arte may sound strange and unfamiliar to some, it actually has a lot in common with some of the most popular modern forms of comedy.
           “Commedia dell'arte, originating in the 16th century, is really the originating art form and core of ‘Seinfeld’ and other popular modern sitcoms,” Brown said. “This play comes from those roots set in a modern atmosphere. All of the characters are very archetypal, like the ones in ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm,’ ‘Modern Family’ and other favorites. You will find yourself thinking, ‘I know exactly who that character is.’”
         That sense of familiarity within a unique and different setting will also extend to the music in “Pickle Me Tink.” The play utilizes familiar music from 1929 and earlier, within the public domain, reimagined and restructured in a new way. 
         “It feels modern, yet it also has that sense of nostalgia,” Brown said. “You’ll be thinking, ‘I love this song,’ yet at the same time it will be a completely different song within a modern landscape.” The inspiration for “Pickle Me Tink” came about years ago when Brown toppled down an internet rabbit hole and began to explore the idea that in the past, it was common for people to regard falling in love as if the besotted individual were suffering from a disease. Hence the term “lovesick.” 
           “They would actually bloodlet you,” Brown said. “I thought that truly absurd idea would easily fit into the world of commedia dell’arte. Imagine the absurdity of experiencing such a wonderful feeling of love, but having the notion that it’s a disease!”
          The cast includes many talented performers we’ve come to know and love on Cape Rep’s indoor and outdoor stages: Jess Andra, Amanda Collins, Brian Lore Evans, Jared Hagen, Trish LaRose, Ari Lew, Holly Erin McCarthy and Anthony Teixiera. Playwright and director Seton Brown is delighted to work with such a talented group. 
          “The cast and crew are so wonderfully talented, and there are a lot of names everyone will recognize,” Brown said. “Within the play they each have their own breakout moments.”
 At its core, Brown said, the play is all about frivolity and fun. 
          “The setup for the play is the classic ‘love conquers all,’” Brown said. “A person is betrothed to someone they don't want to marry — they want somebody else — and there are mishaps, missed connections and cases of mistaken identities along the way. It’s been such a blast working on it.” 
           “Pickle Me Tink” runs Nov. 6 to Dec. 8 at Cape Rep Theatre in Brewster, written and directed by Seton Brown. Musical adaptations are by Seton Brown and Malcolm Granger, arrangements and musical direction by Marcolm Granger, choreography by Chelsey Jo Brown, scenic design by Ryan McGettigan, costume design by Robin McLaughlin, lighting design by Keith Truax, with stage manager Hannah Gruendemann and assistant stage manager Julie Allen Hamilton. For tickets visit 508-896-1888 or visit caperep.org. 
 
 Details: 
 “PIckle Me Tink” 
 At the Cape Rep Theatre
 Nov. 6 to Dec. 8

Information and reservations: 508-896-1888, caperep.org