Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Hale Center Theater OremView digital playbillFeb 26, 2021 – Apr 10, 2021
Why do humans love a good con? We all love to watch a swindler get away with some cunning plan, whether it’s Ocean’s 11, Frank Abagnale Jr., The Producers, The Music Man, Robin Hood, Loki, or any one of 1,000 others. Why do we love the story of rogues cheating their way through life, outwitting the law, and gaming the system? Well, the better question might be why wouldn’t we love one? Everyone imagines being able to take the house finally, rather than the house taking them—of thumbing their nose at the Powers That Be and getting away with it, rather than just having to nod and continue on their way when it seems like they’ve been taken for a ride. A good con story is like too much candy on Halloween with no stomachache the next day. It has to go straight for the feels, not the mind. It almost can’t rely on logic or reason. A con job feeds on emotions, fears, and hopes, just like any good narrative on stage or screen. Not only can confidence schemes serve as fantasies for us that someday we can beat the house, but they’re also cautionary tales to the rest of us to not be taken foolishly in by someone else’s scheme. We walk away from these stories feeling not just more confident that we can beat the system but inured against the next person who might try to pull a fast one on us. A good con game can’t really hurt anyone— or at least not anyone innocent. It wouldn’t serve to tell a tale that leaves the mark outraged, taken advantage of, or violated; the mark has to deserve it. Or, if they don’t, they must be left wiser for the experience even if they’re a little bit poorer—able to surrender their prize with a measure of satisfaction: a wink, a nod, and a tip of the hat. Thus we come to the story of Freddy Benson and Lawrence Jameson, the eponymous dirty, rotten scoundrels of our tale—characters given immortality thanks to their portrayals by Steve Martin and Michael Caine respectively in the 1988 classic. Lawrence is a sophisticated veteran who takes Freddy, a small-time novice, under his wing. He doesn’t just teach him the tricks of the trade, but its ethics. Lawrence carefully screens his marks for both wealth and corruption. “I never take advantage of the poor or the virtuous,” he tells Freddy. Our heroes aren’t gangsters; they have a code of honor among con men—and surely the third member of our story, Christine Colgate, hopes that you believe all swindlers are men. So Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at its core is a cautionary tale that goes straight for the heart. It’s stuffed full of Schadenfreude, surrounded by a love triangle, and built with more twists than an MC Escher drawing. Combine that with the music and lyrics of the inimitable David Yazbek, and it’s no wonder Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is one of the most successful musicals based on a movie. You’re absolutely going to love this performance and be eager to come back for more. You can trust us. But maybe go to the bathroom first.