Ken Ludwig’s Comic Fantasy Brightens & Enlightens

by Rachel Norby

When classics professors Daphne and Ralph meet on a beach in Naxos, Greece, they have no idea of the adventures they will soon encounter together. Back on their college campus in the U.S., Ralph discovers a mysterious relic that is sure to propel him to academic stardom. After confiding it to Daphne, the treaure goes missing, and Daphne accidentally summons the Greek gods to help her find the precious artifact.

Actual Greek gods Thalia and Dionysus (Melody Payne Alonzo and Jeffrey Biddle) suddenly appear—and hilarious chaos ensues. As goddess Thalia, Alonzo is effervescent. And Biddle’s Dionysus clowns around with witty impressions that bring a smile, if you are quick enough to catch them.

Jack Hull’s superb set design makes the production sparkle. The faculty office set is full of books on elegant wooden shelves, adorned with busts of the ancient Greeks. The scenic design features old-fashioned window panes with a view of Greek Revival buildings and large lawns—a stunning and dramatic design.

Act Two boasts a massive tree trunk, perfect for nighttime mischief. The Midsummer Night’s Dream-style sweeps us to Nature’s love and fantasy.

Lisa Wang is perfect as the pretentious Dean Thickett and Liddy Freeman excels as snobbish Brooklyn. When they later adopt entirely different personas, they both hit the mark. Paul J. White makes a great Ares, towering over all the other performers—like a true god.

Astounding Paul Bisesi shines as befuddled Ralph, nailing the character’s nervous energy and goofy geekiness. Besesi imbues the academic researcher with uncertainty and comedic panic that make “The Gods of Comedy” a farce worthy of the label. Bisesi’s fantastic performance makes the play’s humor—even when the gods of comedy lurk offstage.

Talented Anna Wesner brings life to Daphne, a bland shell of a role. Daphne is less comedic, more like a soap-opera heroine from the Hallmark Channel. Playwright Ken Ludwig could write a few witty lines, for Daphne.

Despite his few appearances, Jean-Paul Demitri Zuhur’s performance as Aristide and Aleksi make a big impression. Zuhur excels in both roles.

I could have done without the lesson-learning at the end, which feels cliché in this clever, original comedy. The anticlimactic resolution of Daphne and Ralph’s relations falls out of sync with the farcical elements of the play.

Nevertheless, “The Gods of Comedy” sprinkles imaginative fun over an evening of comedy in delightful Point Richmond. Maybe the gods are lurking, waiting to bring us enlightenment, if we will only listen.

 

“The Gods of Comedy” by Ken Ludwig, directed by Ronnie Anderson, scenic design by Jack Hull, lighting & projections by Michael O’Brien, sound by Paul Seliga, costumes by Lynda Hornada, at Masquers Playhouse, Point Richmond, California.

Info: masquers.org – to May 17, 2026.

Cast: Melody Payne Alonzo, Jeffrey Biddle, Paul Bisesi, Liddy Freeman, Lisa Wang, Anna Wesner, Paul J. White, and Jean-Paul Demitri Zuhur.

Banner photo: Melody Payne Alonzo, Anna Wesner, Liddy Freeman, Jean-Paul Zuhur, Paul Bisesi, and Lisa Wang. Photos by Mike Padua