‘Dirty Rotten Scoundrels’ @ Theatre Three
Photos by Jeffrey Schmidt
—Hannah Kneen
Based on the 1988 film of the same name, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is taking the stage at Theatre Three this summer, directed by Vonda K. Bowling and with music direction and choreography by Cody Dry and Kelly McCain respectively. Transformed into a musical in 2004 (with a book by Jeffrey Lane and music and lyrics by David Yazbek), this Broadway show is a must see for anyone who loves wacky cons and raucous laughter.
The story follows two con men with very different styles in a place called Beaumont-sur-Mer somewhere along the French Riviera. Lawrence (James Crawford) is an established crook with a comfortable life spent conning rich ladies out of their fortunes. His usual scheme has him posing as a penniless prince in disguise, whose fictional country is in dire straits and in need of immediate financial support. When Freddy (Parker Gray) shows up—a lower-class criminal running scams for as little as twenty bucks a pop—it seems it will be easy to clear him off Lawrence’s prized turf.
Turns out, however, that Freddy is a hard guy to shoo away. He quickly discovers Lawrence’s con and decides he’d like to learn from the more experienced crook—hoping to upgrade his game from netting little scores to landing lots of “Great Big Stuff!”
Soon enough, the two hustlers descend into a territorial war they decide to resolve with a bet. The bet? Be the first one to swindle $50,000 from the newly arrived “American Soap Queen” Christine Colgate, played by Christina Austin Lopez, and you sir…are the winner.
Lopez, by the way, also plays an earlier role in the show as Jolene, one of Lawrence’s marks who gets a little crazy; extreme measures are required to get rid of her. And she plays the two roles differently enough that the double casting went completely over my head until I looked in the program.
This production really has a stellar cast. James Crawford as Lawrence and Parker Gray as Freddy are a wonderful duo with a great dynamic as they try to one-up each other. They also mix well with Lopez’s clumsy and idealistic rich-girl Christine, who provides a brilliant contrast to their crooked behavior.
Mary Gilbreath Grim is fantastic in the role of Muriel, one of Lawrence’s old marks who sticks around, convinced everyone is in on the “Prince’s” secret. Grim absolutely nails the character, and her comic timing is perfect. She also has some excellent scenes with Andre (Ryan Michael Friedman), the corrupt chief of police, who’s been helping Lawrence scam people for years. These two were particular favorites of mine throughout the show.
There are one or two scenes that are quite outrageous and may not be everyone’s cup of tea. That said, I often found myself grinning uncontrollably at the absurd extremes the characters were going to to get rid of clingy marks or outdo each other. In the show as a wholel, in fact, there’s always something happening to laugh about and it only gets better as the show goes on.
The set is wonderfully designed, and Theatre Three’s arena / theatre-in-the-round configuration (with the audience seated on all sides) lets the action flow all over the theate, not just in the center. Keep an eye out, and you might find scenes or snippets of action taking place around or behind you…or even in your row!
Center stage is taken up by a large turning construction that resembles a roulette wheel. Suspended above that is a set of screens with little animations that sometimes match up with a song that’s being sung, or a room the action is happening in. This addition makes it easier to track what’s going on, plus (handily) cuts the need for major scene changes. The show runs smoothly and cleanly all the way through as a result.
Another lovely part of T3’s production is the live music. With local music guru Vonda Bowling as director, and the marvelous Cody Dry conducting the band, no surprise that the tunes are lively, well-balanced, and don’t overwhelm the voices. Plus, it’s a lot of fun when the characters interact with the band. Kelly McCain’s choreography adds to the fun, and the ensemble is never less than one hundred percent committed. I struggle, in fact, to find anything to critique in this production. Design, direction, and acting all work together beautifully to make Dirty Rotten Scoundrels truly a fun, professional show.
If you’re wondering why to go out to the theatre—instead of just watching the movie—the answer lies in the energy of live theatre. There are brilliantly funny moments of fourth wall breaking throughout the show, and the songs are catchy and lively. But the electric atmosphere is what really knocks this one out of the park. Plus, there’s an excellent sense of community at this theatre that’s hard to top.
Looking for laughter, music, and outrageous shenanigans brought to you by some wonderfully rotten scoundrels? This one’s your show.
WHEN: June 11-July 12, 2026
WHERE: Theatre Three, 2688 Laclede St., Dallas
WEB: https://www.theatre3dallas.com/
