Spend a weekend at the 'Chateau la Roach,' where the food is fresh, the rooms are clean, and the guests are greeted by friendly hosts…of cockroaches! Francis Howell North’s production of 'Chateau la Roach' provided laughs and a healthy dose of the creepy-crawlies.

'Chateau la Roach,' written by Lauren Wilson, was the recipient of the Shubert Fendrich Memorial Playwriting Contest. The play tells the story of Francois and Mimi la Roach, the owners of the nominal inn, who are in the midst of not only a terrible infestation of the famously durable insects but are also expecting a health inspector and a hotel full of dysfunctional guests.

As Francois la Roach, Zach Wood had one of the strongest performances in the entire show. He never stopped believing in the outrageous premise and kept a consistent accent throughout the entire show, something other performers struggled with. He and Emily Katsianis (Mimi la Roach) had convincing chemistry and she also kept a strong accent, supplemented by her strong facial expressions.

John Hallemier’s character, Nigel Havic, was sheer comic insanity. He never failed to make the audience laugh even when he was not speaking. Matt Miller (Ronnie Zircon) was completely believable as a ten-year-old brat, with dead-on childlike mannerisms. Sydney Swing (Gina Retch) took a role that could have been forgettable and turned her drunken waitress into one of the most memorable characters in the entire play.

The use of real spaghetti, water, and china dishes led to hilarity, and the props accurately represented a hotel. However, many of the actors had trouble handling the props. The scene changes also tended to be longer than necessary; however, this was overshadowed by the beautiful paint job and the ingenious design of the elevator, adding needed levels of realism to a fanciful story.

'Chateau la Roach' has its share of blocking issues and inaudible lines, but the cast melded exceptionally well and gave humorous, entertaining performances, aided by the functional and beautiful set and bona fide props.

A small hotel can only hold so many, and with the addition of all the six-legged guests, the 'Chateau la Roach' has no vacancy. When one adds in a cast of zany characters, it is clear that Francis Howell North caught the theater bug!