by Charlsie-Kern Kruger

As soon as Jean-Paul Demetri as Aristide, a street vendor who is a sort of chorus, comes onstage with charismatic twinkling eyes, I knew that this comedy was in good hands. For a play this goofy, the actors must above all convey a sense of fun, or the whole thing might go cringe in a moment. Demetri’s obvious delight and good will put the audience immediately at ease. He makes it clear that we are in for a good time, and indeed we are.

Aristide encounters young scholar Daphne Rain and, with an appropriate air of mystery, provides her with a talisman which, he says, she can use to invoke the help of the ancient Greek Gods in her time of need.

The scene then switches to academia, where Daphne, now a junior professor of anthropology, encounters a new colleague, Ralph, who tells her of an amazing discovery. He has followed a trail to the University library, where he has uncovered an ancient manuscript of a play by Euripides, called “Andromeda,” thought to have been lost to the mists of history. They flirt and establish rapport, and Ralph leaves the manuscript with Daphne for safekeeping and heads out the door.

When Daphne briefly steps out of the office, disaster strikes. Jean-Paul Demetri returns as Aleksi, the school janitor, and accidentally knocks the manuscript into a trash can without realizing it. When he goes to empty the trash, he is intrigued to find the old book and decides it would be fun to use it to test his new paper shredder. Daphne returns to find the manuscript missing. In desperation, she clutches her talisman and calls upon the Gods for help.

They show up. And the stage is set for some outrageously funny farce.

The gods who arrive — Dionysus, God of Wine, and Thalia, Muse of Comedy — are not in the first rank of Greek gods. They aren’t strong, they aren’t wise, they aren’t oracular. They are, as they announce repeatedly, “The Gods of Comedy,” and their expertise is in pratfalls and goofiness. They are unlikely rescuers, but they do their best.

What follows is classic farce: mistaken identities, bizarre plot twists, a bit of romance, physical humor, silly jokes, pratfalls, reversals, discoveries and mayhem, and all ends well. It’s a lot of fun.

The actors are what they need to be: over the top, wildly enthusiastic, fully committed, and entirely game. They give the audience a rollicking good time.

As Ralph, Paul Bisesi demonstrates a fine expertise with physical humor. He is tall and good looking and charismatic in an eccentric puppyish way, and has limbs of rubber that reminded me of the young — and the not-so-young — Dick Van Dyke. As Daphne, Anna Wesner is a model of comic desperation and hapless love. Lisa Wang is a hilarious Dean Thickett, excited by news of the marvelous manuscript, and chomping at the bit to use it to rifle the pockets of donors attending the school’s homecoming festivities. Especially the comically obnoxious celebrity alum named Brooklyn, played with snarky enthusiasm by Liddy Freedman.

And there are the Gods. Jeffrey Biddle is Dionysus and Melody Payne Alonzo is Thalia. They are ridiculous and every move they make provokes laughter.

And I’ve already mentioned Jean-Paul Demetri, who has a great deal of contagious fun as Aristide, the mysterious street vendor, and the dimwitted janitor, Aleksi. He is an actor who sparkles. You’ll like him.

Does this sound like fun? It is. This play has no purpose other than to provoke laughs, and the company gets the job done.

Costumes by Lynda Hornada strike the right note of ridiculousness, as do the properties designed by Anna Collins. The scenic design by Jack Hull is clever and functional and includes exciting atmospheric projections — think thunder and storm and lightning of the gods — as well as a magical tree (credit Joyce Thrift) that works wonders.

The Masquers is a community theater that has been at this a long time. Many contributors to Masquers productions have been committed participants for decades, and the commitment shows. In his program note, director Ronnie Anderson writes exuberantly about the joys of amateur theatre and reminds us that “amateur” means one who works “for the love” of it, and not for profit. And he is quite right. And this joyous production of “The Gods of Comedy” is an excellent proof of concept in that regard.

Need a laugh? You’ll find plenty in Point Richmond at Masquers Playhouse.

“The Gods of Comedy” plays at Masquers Playhouse in Point Richmond through May 17, 2026. For further information, click here.