There's a new theater company in town

By Meredith Deliso

This show stinks — and we mean that in the best way possible.

The newly formed Brooklyn Players Community Musical Theater will be putting on a production of “Urinetown: The Musical!” — a satirical comedy about public bathrooms that takes on the legal system, capitalism, social irresponsibility and musicals themselves.

In the Tony Award-winning comedy, a terrible water shortage forces a town to make due with public toilets — and their mandatory fee becomes a source of unrest among the poor. When they’re faced with fee hikes, the unrest reaches a fever pitch.

“The show has an amazing sense of sarcasm and satire,” said the revival’s Park Slope-based director Max Arnaud. “It sends up social unrest and hypocrisy of power and wealth so expertly that I wanted to be able to do it with as straight a face as possible. That’s where the comic gold really comes out. And it has awesome singing and dancing in it.”

Plus, the bare-bones musical proved a good starting point for the nascent theater company.  

“It’s a show you can do on a shoestring budget and still make it look good,” said Arnaud.

Theater founder Corinne Goodman started the company for local talent that doesn’t have any New York theater credits, but wants to still get their foot in the door.

“For people who either used to do theater, sing or dance and are looking for a place to do this, there’s nothing like it,” said Goodman, a Park Sloper who  runs the children’s Brooklyn Players Summer Program and stars as Penelope Pennyworth in the show.

And if the words “community theater” rub you the wrong way — don’t let them, said Arnaud.

“You might except a bunch of half-assed machinations going on on stage, people having fun that you support, and maybe pity a little bit,” said Arnaud. “But this is a collection of unbelievable talent.”

“Urinetown: The Musical!” at the Gowanus Arts Building (295 Douglass St. between Third and Fourth avenues in Gowanus, no phone), April 8 at 8 pm, April 9 at 2 and 8 pm, and April 10 at 2 pm. Tickets $15-$18 and can be purchased at www.brooklynplayers.eventbrite.com. For info, visit www.brooklynplayers.com.


Photo by Tom Callan