Brandeis Ensemble Theater's production of The Underpants, written by Carl Sternheim and adapted by Steve Martin, delighted a near-capacity Shapiro Theater Saturday night. The Underpants tells the story of Louise and Theo Maske (Amanda Brown '08 and David Pepose '08), an ordinary German couple whose relationship is turned upside down by Louise's unruly undergarments. At a parade for the king, Louise's underpants fall down around her ankles, dazzling onlookers Frank Versati (Zach Reff '05) and Benjamin Cohen (Michael Glicksman '08). Enraptured by Louise, Versati and Cohen soon reappear to rent a spare room in the Maskes' home. Egged on by Gertrude Deuter (Joanie Axelbaum '07), a spinster living upstairs, Louise has an affair with the romantic poet Versati, only to be interrupted by the clueless and jealous Cohen.The play got off to a slow start as Brown and Pepose opened with awkward performances and somewhat monotonous delivery. At first, they seemed uncomfortable in their roles and failed to play off each other well. However, Axelbaum's entrance jolted some energy into Brown's and Pepose's performances. The scenes that featured more of the company proved the most enjoyable as the cast triumphed through physical comedy.

The simple set, which consisted of a kitchen table and staircase, worked well, and the actors made the most of the limited scenery. The costumes, designed by Carolyn Sullivan '06, were lovely, especially Versati's flamboyant suit and scarf and the "sexy" Victorian underwear Gertrude fashions for Louise.

Reff, in the role of Italian lover Versati, provided some comic moments as the production's heartthrob, but the real soul of the play was Glicksman's performance as Benjamin. He combined an overall excellent sense of character with good comedic timing, drawing the audience into the story and leaving them roaring with laughter. Where some of the other actors appeared as exaggerated caricatures, he crafted an engaging, multi-dimensional character. Deniz Cordell '07 and Josh Mervis '08 added some eccentric humor near the end of the play as the king of Germany and the crotchety old man, Klinglehoff.

The play is written without an intermission, placing extra pressure on the actors to hold the audience's attention. Although a few scenes dragged-especially during the drawn-out dialogues between Louise and Versati-the actors kept up their energy for the duration of the show.

Considering that the premise for The Underpants rests on a woman's descending underwear, I was generally very impressed and entertained. Excepting the awkward dialogue of the first few scenes, director Michael Carnow '07 led a cast of talented physical comedians who played to the audience spectacularly, just not off each other.

Editor's note: Zach Reff '05 is a Justice staff writer.