Red Herring in Laguna

The black comedy runs through March 16 at the Laguna Playhouse.

The Laguna Playhouse went fishing and reeled in the catch of the day – red herring – as in the noir-style black comedy Red Herring by Michael Hollinger. The show received its Southern California premiere in February, continuing through Mar. 16 at The Laguna Playhouse’s Moulton Theatre.

The term “red herring” refers to a plot device intended to distract audiences from a more important event. Red herrings do indeed abound in Red Herring, which is set during the Cold War paranoia of the 1950s and revolves around three pairs of lovers, an unsolved murder, the H-bomb, and a dead Russian fisherman posing as a feisty landlord’s deaf husband. “This play defies categorization,” says Laguna Playhouse Artistic Director Andrew Barnicle. “You could call it a political thriller farcical romantic drama, because it has qualities from just about every genre.”

Despite the strong historical elements of the play, audiences don’t need to bone up on the Cold War era, says Barnicle. However, a familiarity with Senator Joseph McCarthy’s witch hunts could help. So can a sense of humor. “Michael Hollinger was able to weave different elements about relationships into the play that are relatable to almost everyone in our audience while spotlighting a very important time in American history,” says Barnicle.

Barnicle says his biggest challenge was in staging a fast-paced play that takes place in 30 different locations. “This play progresses like a movie: It’s constantly moving with very little time between scenes for a transition,” explains Barnicle.

For tickets, call (949) 497-2787, or visit www.lagunaplayhouse.com.

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