Firehouse Theater production shines in regional premiere of Topher Payne’s play.

Topher Payne’s Perfect Arrangement is a curious bit of playwriting that tosses everything from comedy, tragedy, social satire and government overreach into an ultimately satisfying mix that pays off nicely.

In a regional premiere from Denver’s Firehouse Theater, Director Troy Lakey puts all the pieces in place with a strong cast and creative team. Set in the early 1950s during the Lavender Scare, the action involves two queer couples living in adjoining apartments in Washington, D.C. A closet entrance connects the two living spaces so that Millie and Norma can pretend they’re married to Jim and Bob.

Bob works for the State Department and Norma is his secretary. He’s been busy chasing commies during the concurrent McCarthy era, but things take a turn when his boss, Ted Sunderson (Matt Hindmarch), tells him to start harassing deviants (homosexuals primarily) as well. How long will the elaborate arrangement hold when the targets are themselves?

Andrew Uhlenhopp as Bob is at the center of the action, convincingly portraying a guy who seems to have the handles of government under control until suddenly he doesn’t. His partner, Jim (Matthew Combs) is a schoolteacher largely oblivious to what it’s taken for Bob to hold things together.

Miranda Byers returns to the Firehouse in yet another inspired performance tackling the juiciest role in the script. Forced into being the housewife but longing for her younger days writing poetry, Millie unwittingly becomes friends with Sunderson’s batshit wife, Kitty (a delightfully over-the-top Johanna Jaquith). For people in their situation, the last thing they need is a busybody like Kitty snooping around, and her presence inspires a lot of the comedy in the first act as Millie’s lies grow more outrageous.

Kelly Uhlenhopp and Andrew Uhlenhopp as Barbara and Bob in ‘Perfect Arrangement.’ Photo: Soular Radiant Photography

Alt-Honeymooners

Payne’s approach to telling this story relies on a number of elements familiar to anyone who’s ever watched sitcoms from the ’50s and ’60s. The characters are all greatly exaggerated, giving the actors plenty of opportunity to ham it up for laughs. There are even some out-of-the-blue asides from Millie, breaking character to extoll the virtues of a soap or skin cream in corny early-TV commercial-speak.

Supporting it all is a brightly painted purple set festooned with lots of great period props (Samantha Piel) and a fantastic array of costumes by Rachel Herring-Luna — particularly the women’s dresses.

Despite the fact that both couples have been together for some time, there’s a newlywed-like abundance of smooching and sex. The guys, we learn, like to have sex on the couch in the women’s apartment (to their chagrin) — which seemed like an odd detail. All the sex, the comings and goings of the Sundersons and the precarious situation they’re all in sets up Act Two as a much more serious affair.

Miranda Byers, left, with Johanna Jaquith in ‘Perfect Arrangement.’ Photo: Soular Radiant Photography

Boiling point

Providing the match for all this tinder is Barbara Grant — a “deviant” targeted for her promiscuity who, turns out, has some dirt on Millie. This is Kelly Uhlenhopp, brandishing an indistinct foreign accent, outrageous outfits and outsized gestures that had me looking forward to her next entrance. An actor who loves to go big, the role of Barbara seemed written for her — and she’s a ton of fun to watch.

Despite the obvious cliff approaching, Payne’s script nonetheless has a few more surprises, including an unlikely ally for Millie and a reveal about Bob and his scheming. Jaquith gets a striking scene that has us question just how much of a ninny she really is while Byers turns Millie up to 11 as she deliberates her next moves in high-speed stream-of-consciousness. As her partner Norma, Katie Medved is also a standout helping create an entirely believable couple ready to stand by one another no matter what.

As it seems to do in production after production, Firehouse distinguishes itself as a small theatre that attracts top-tier local talent alongside great picks for the material they choose to present. Perfect Arrangement is a cleverly written play that tackles serious issues while still not taking itself too seriously. The fact that it’s also quite funny makes it a real winner.