Ted Simpson’s ‘The Underpants’ promises laughs, wild antics

Freshman Paul Perrone, who plays the suitor Benjamin Cohen, spoke highly of the script.

“It’s Steve Martin, so you read it at face value and it’s already funny, but the more you read the funnier it gets and the more jokes you start to notice. Someone did a monologue from the play, and it was one of the funniest things I have ever seen,” Cherry said.

Freshman Allison Benko, who plays Louise herself, describes the kiss she shares with Perrone with a carefree, fun attitude that seemed to be present during rehearsals.

“The first time we ran the kiss he was supposed to pick me up and lean me back, but we did it for the first time and I think his knees gave out and we did it a second time and I noticed him struggling, and then he dropped me. We had to change how he kisses me,” Benko said.

“I could barely walk for the rest of the night,” Perrone added, interrupting Benko. “We changed the kiss because it didn’t seem the kind of kiss that Cohen would give.” “Exactly, it was too suave,” Perrone said. “Paul’s nickname is idiot. We have named him; he is our pet,” Chryssos added.

One unique aspect of the show is the method of advertisement its participants have chosen. Anyone wandering around campus might have noticed various pairs of underwear scattered over bushes that line the paths and roads. This was Ted Simpson’s idea; he wanted to print the name and details for the play on underwear and use that as the main advertising technique.

“The Underpants” is playing in Balch Arena Theatre at the Aidekman Arts Center from April 19−21 and April 26−28 at 8:00pm. Tickets are $7 with a Tufts ID and $12 for the general public, and they can be picked up at the Balch Arena Box Office or by calling 617−627−3493.