Arlington Friends of the Drama (AFD) will be opening its doors on May 6 for its final show of the season, Boeing, Boeing, with Bedford resident Dayle Ballentine in a major role.
A French farce written by Marc Camoletti, Boeing, Boeing tells the story of Bernard, an American living in Paris, who is simultaneously engaged to three different airline hostesses. Because they are of different nationalities and fly three different airlines, he has been able to juggle their schedules so that they never meet. But when Boeing brings in faster jets, he is bound to hit some turbulence in his previously perfect arrangement.
Bedford resident Dayle Ballentine plays Berthe, the long-suffering maid who has to act quickly to remove evidence as each airline hostess takes off and before the next arrives. She also needs to track what each fiancée likes to eat and be prepared to change the menu at a moment’s notice. In some plays, the maid is a minor role, but in Boeing, Boeing, the smooth clockwork of Bernard’s relationships depends on Berthe, allowing Ballentine to display her full talents as an experienced comedic actress.
“Berthe speaks her mind,” says Ballentine about her character. “She is a survivor, and not easily intimidated, but she has a good heart. The biggest challenge has been getting her French accent just right.” Because the air hostesses all hail from different countries: Germany, Italy, and the US, the actors not only have to maintain their accents but maintain them while everyone else is speaking in a different accent. As Berthe keeps saying about her job as a domestic servant, “It isn’t easy!”
This is Ballentine’s third time working with director Paul Murphy. “He has a very collaborative style, and really gives you room to explore your character.” The last show she did with him was Steel Magnolias (Concord Players, 2021), where she played the role of Ouiser. Another role she played at Concord was Helsa in Musical Comedy Murders of the 1940s with the Concord Players, which won her a Best Actress Award from the Eastern Massachusetts Association of Community Theaters. Other favorite roles include Masha in Vanya, Sonia, Masha and Spike (Deer Trees Theatre), Margie in Good People (AFD); and Alexe in As Bees in Honey Drown (Vokes & Foothills Theater).
Boeing, Boeing opens May 6 and runs through May 22. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM, and Sundays at 3 PM. Tickets are $25, and can be purchased through the website BUY TICKETS | arlingtonfriends (afdtheatre.org) or through email [email protected] or by calling 781-646-5922. The theater is wheelchair accessible through an outdoor elevator to the left of the main entrance, and assistive listening devices are available. All performances take place at AFD Theatre, 22 Academy Street, Arlington, behind Town Hall. On-street parking is available. Proof of vaccination and facemasks continue to be required at this venue.
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