Kechi Playhouse drags ‘Charley’s Aunt’ back on stage

There are several reasons that Misty Maynard is bringing “Charley’s Aunt” back to Kechi Playhouse for performances that began this weekend.

“When they say something’s a ‘beloved classic,’ they really mean it,” Maynard, the playhouse founder and owner, said. “People just adore it.”

Last performed by Kechi in 2016, “Charley’s Aunt” is about two Oxford students in need of a chaperone in order to woo the young women they love, when a male friend reluctantly steps in to the title role.

Braden Layman, who plays the title role, said he’s been enjoying the rehearsal experience.

“It hasn’t been too difficult until I put on the dress. It gets very hot,” he said. “I’m also wearing pants underneath, so it’s just layers stacked upon layers.

“Other than that, it’s been very fun,” he added. “The character reminds me a lot of myself in personality ways.”

Kelsi Harris, who plays one of the young women being wooed by the college students, only knew that “Charley’s Aunt” was a beloved title before she auditioned. She said she’s enjoying the comedy of mistaken identity.

“They haven’t been out in the world and seen a lot of people, so they see this aunt and think she’s just this lady from Brazil and they’re captivated by her, not knowing it was a man in drag,” she said.

Nailing the late 19th-century Old English accent has been the biggest challenge, she said.

“You have to have that way of speaking that’s not very American,” Harris said.

Originally written in 1892, “Charley’s Aunt” is in the public domain in the United States, meaning Kechi doesn’t have to pay royalties.

Maynard said this season features all royalty-free shows, to counter the uncertainty of road construction going on near the theater.

“Kechi is completely torn up,” she said. “It’s affecting our audience, so we’re doing non-royalty shows and we’re doing stuff that’s really fun.”

Maynard gives more simplistic instructions for getting through the construction than she had for the last show, “You Take the Cake” last month.

“Just come to Kechi like you live here. Go past all the barriers that say you can’t come in and just take a local detour down residential streets and you’ll go down Oliver and come to us,” she said.

‘CHARLEY’S AUNT’

When: July 5-27; 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 2:30 p.m. Sundays

Where: Kechi Playhouse, N. Oliver and 61st Street

Tickets: $17 Fridays-Saturdays, $16 Sundays, from 316-744-2152