By Marilyn Jozwik
Village Playhouse is going British as it presents three short George Bernard Shaw comedies online through April 25. Visit www.villageplayhouse.org for more information.
At the heart of the trio is a wide variety of justifications for infidelity. True to form, the Brits in the show present their myriad cases for having a fling. And with a British accent, there seems to be nothing you can’t talk your way out of.
“An Evening with Shaw” begins with “How He Lied to Her Husband.” Dawn Molly DeWane plays Aurora Bumpas who delights in the fact she may be the only Aurora in all of London, or even in the world. But when love poems written by a family friend, Henry Apjohn (Clayton Mortl), to his dear Aurora turn up missing, Aurora suddenly realizes there is no mistaking whom they were intended for should her husband find them.
I love the movement in this play, especially DeWane, who frets and fidgets from one end of the stage to the other over the ramifications of her dalliance. Mortl’s Henry remains mostly calm as the two devise ways of dealing with Aurora’s husband (Paul Weir).
Mr. Lunn (Derek Jacobs), from left, Mrs. Juno (Amy Wickland), Mrs. Lunn (Sarah Jo Martens) and Mr. Juno (Edward Grant) discuss the merits of their affairs in a scene from Village Playhouse’s “Overruled.”
Mortl has a deep, resonant voice that carries the British accent nicely. Though Mortl handled a script throughout, it soon came to be just another prop.
In “Overruled,” we see Mrs. Juno (Sarah Jo Martens) and Mr. Lunn (Derek Jacobs), who have met and fallen in love on a cruise ship. They are meeting at a hotel to discuss their affair and what it means to their marriages. They soon hear the voices of their respective spouses and scurry away. In walk Mrs. Juno’s husband (Edward Grant) and Mr. Lunn’s wife (Amy Wickland), who have met on the same cruise. They, too, describe their feelings and desires.
The two couples dial through their feelings of indignation, guilt, honor, morality and a host of others as they quite civilly discuss their arrangements. Mrs. Lunn is looking for someone interesting. Mrs. Juno simply wants to be adored. The quartet of performers handle the debate wonderfully.
Natural and unnatural forces lead to disaster in a scene from Village Playhouse’s “Passion, Poison and Petrification.” Pictured are, from left, The Constable (Luis Castillo), Phyllis (Dawn Baldwin), The Landlord (Bob Stahley), George (Paul Weir), Adolphus (Evan Prier), Magnesia ( Antoinette Stikl) and The Doctor (Bradley Skonecki), front.
The last playlet, “Passion, Poison and Petrification,” is a strange bit of surreal comedy that almost looks like a parody of a Shakespearean tragedy. In it, Lady Magnesia (Antoinette Stikl) is being attended to by her maid, Phyllis (Dawn Baldwin), who has a sense that harm will be visited upon her mistress. Magnesia later is having a dream in which a figure is about to stab her when she awakes to find her husband, Lord George (Paul Weir), over her with a knife. George talks his way out of his diabolical intentions, but when Magnesia’s admirer, Adolphus (Evan Prier), arrives, George mixes a poisonous concoction for him, which leaves him in agony.
An antidote for the poison is at hand, but the results are just plain weird, yet lead to all sorts of campish comedy. Along the way, we see The Landlord (Bob Stahley), The Constable (Luis Castillo) and The Doctor (Bradley Skonecki).
Though his was just a bit part, I loved Castillo’s comic timing as The Constable, which elicited waves of laughter.
Directed by Tom Zuehlke, performers all did well with the British accents. Though a bit uneven, they all conveyed a sort of righteous attitude on the part of most characters, who handled Shaw’s witty dialogue capably.
Always enjoy seeing Paul Weir, whose dignified carriage and marvelous engagement fit his characters nicely.
Director Zuehlke keeps the scenes moving crisply with lots of character movement, facial expressions and gestures, as well as well-paced dialogue.
The last show, “Passion, Poison and Petrification,” included lots of lighting and sound effects which mostly worked well, as did the simple set.
An evening with Shaw is professionally filmed, making use of multiple angles and techniques for an enjoyable viewing experience.