‘Shear Madness’ ─ Adaptedby Marilyn Abrams and Bruce Jordan from German playwright Paul Pörtner’s 1963 play ‘Scherenschnitte’. Co-Directed by Liv Dumaine and Tyler Rosati; Scenic Builder – Misfit Toys Theatrical, LLC; Lighting Design by Matthew Brian Cost; Costume Design by E. Rosser; Sound Design by Adam Smith. Presented by the Greater Boston Stage Company at 395 Main Street, Stoneham, MA, through October 11.
By Mike Hoban
Looking for a way to take your mind off escalating gas prices and the nightly news? The Greater Boston Stage Company may have just the antidote, opening its 2026-2027 season with Shear Madness, the interactive comic whodunit that delivers a torrent of laughs over two hours.
Shear Madness was a comedy must-do for Boston theatergoers and tourists for decades, running at the Charles Playhouse for over 40 years before being shut down for good at the dawn of the COVID pandemic. Billed as the longest-running non-musical play in American theater history, it has been an entertainment staple in major metros worldwide. Marilyn Abrams and Bruce Jordan adapted it from German playwright Paul Pörtner’s 1963 play ‘Scherenschnitte’ in 1978, then brought it to Boston in 1980. Set in a salon run by the cartoonishly effete hairstylist Tony Whitcomb (GBSC’s Young Company alum Tyler Rosati) and his hardened assistant, Barbara DeMarco (Cait Zweil), the play adapts the script to its staging location, creating a fertile source of regionalized humor designed to appeal to locals. In this case, the salon is in Stoneham, so we’re treated to multiple references to the Red Sox and Patriots, Billerica (in less-than-flattering terms), and all things Greater Boston.
The initial setup is simple: The Shear Madness salon is located below the apartment of the unseen Isabel Czerny, a world-class but eccentric pianist whose career was cut short by a panic attack. Isabel is the bane of Tony’s existence, apparently because her piano playing interferes with his ability to talk about himself and gossip with customers. As the show opens, we see Tony and Barbara wordlessly setting up shop (meticulously designed by Misfit Toys Theatrical) before we’re introduced to the motley crew of customers: A Harvard student (Alex Leondedis), a construction worker (Joseph Marrella); a wealthy socialite, Mrs. Shubert (Cheryl McMahon); and an antiques dealer, Eddie (Mark Linehan), who may be having an affair with Barbara.
When Barbara goes up to Isabel’s apartment, she discovers that she has been brutally murdered, and the Harvard student and a construction worker reveal themselves to be undercover detectives, staking out the salon. If it sounds as if too much of the plot is being revealed, fear not. It’s merely a vehicle to launch into the second act, where the audience gets to “solve” the murder by asking the detectives questions and voting at the play’s end to determine the murderer. Co-directors Liv Dumaine and Rosati updated the script to reflect the Stoneham location and current events, and there are some gems. The entire play is a rapid-fire series of bits, some scripted, many improvised. The bits come fast and furious, so if one falls flat, you don’t have to wait long for a winner.
The cast is strong overall, enthusiastically anchored by Marrella as Detective Nick O’Brien, who played all four male roles over eight years during the Charles Playhouse run. McMahon, also a Charles cast member, is terrific as Mrs. Shubert, and GBSC regulars Zweil and Linehan buoy the production with their strong comic chops. Rosati’s over-the-top gay caricature provides the bulk of the early laughs, and when the gum-snapping Zweil tells him, “You’re such a stereotype,” he graciously accepts it as a compliment. The cast is having as much fun as the audience, cracking each other up on multiple occasions. At the Sunday matinee, the audience was initially slow to participate, but soon responded to the call for questions, setting up some of the show’s best improvisational moments. There’s nothing sophisticated about the comedy in this show, but with Shear Madness, GBSC provides a much-needed dose of check-your-worries-at-the-door entertainment.
For more information and tickets, go to: https://www.greaterbostonstage.org/shows-tickets/mainstage/shear-madness/
