Cactus Flower

It’s happened to all of us at one time or another: You pretend you’re married with three kids as a ruse to keep your bevy of would-be paramours from becoming too emotionally attached. But then one of those heartsick lovers tries to commit suicide, so you propose marriage out of a sense of obligation. Which, unfortunately, means going all-in on the married-with-children gambit by getting your assistant and several other acquaintances to join you in the charade. Wait, does that sound too farcical? Not for Cactus Flower, the 1965 Broadway hit that’s now on the Civic’s main stage — although director Jessica Loomer describes it as more of a lighthearted situation comedy that masquerades as a farce. “It gets a little crazy as the lies start to compound,” she says. “The fun is in the scenarios that get more absurd over time and how they handle it.” Amid plenty of swinging ’60s music and set design, Dave Rideout stars as philandering dentist Dr. Julian Winston.

Jan. 12-28: Thu-Sat at 7:30 pm; Sun at 2 pm • $27-$29 • Spokane Civic Theatre • 1020 N. Howard • spokanecivictheatre.com • 325-2507