University of Virginia Library

D.C. Theatre Review

Arena Presents Feydeau Farce

By Steve Wells
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

WASHINGTON - Upon hearing
the title of Arena Stage's fourth
production of the season, Georges
Feydeau's "The Chemmy Circle," a
logical question you might ask is
"what the hell is a chemmy circle?"
Although the title is derived from a
European casino game called
Chemin de Fer, it can be best
described as a marriage-go-round.

Feydeau's play, written in 1904
and translated into English just
recently by Suzanne Grossman and
Paxton Whitehead, is a French
bedroom farce. It is featherweight,
outlandish, and, as staged at the
Arena, quite engaging. The author's
premise is that marriage is merely a
game, and every aspect of this
production stresses that point.

Those who play the game must
be adults, some of whom believe in
adultery, some of whom don't.
There are no rules - and the
winners are the ones who can cheat
on their spouses without incurring
disastrous results. The players'
moves are determined by which
way their love and sexual desire
flows at a given moment.

Feydeau's extra-marital lovers
have no scruples and, as a result,
become involved in some of the
damnedest situations imaginable. Of
course, none of it is to be taken
seriously; it's all for fun, which is
an increasingly rare commodity in
theater today.

Stringing Gags

The playwright's skill is in
stringing together one gag after
another such that there is always
another complication for his
characters to contend with lurking
around the corner. He has also
arranged for many entrances and
exits to keep the pace frenzied all
evening long. This is the brand of
entertainment which is plenty
diverting while it is taking place,
but once it is over it is easily
forgettable.

One problem that presents itself
is that many of the comedy bits in
"The Chemmy Circle" must now be
considered of stock status, having
been worked and re-worked since
this play was written. There are also
occasions when the farce becomes a
trifle too corny and ridiculous, a
fault for which director Alfred
Ryder must share the responsibility.

For the most part, however, Mr.
Ryder alleviates the farcical content
to a comfortable level of enjoyment.
His staging is necessarily
busy, without ever being excessively
so. It is also very detailed, right
down to the last movement of a
character's gesticulating hand. He
would have been wise to cut a little
out of the lengthy second act, for
the real difficulty with farce is in
sustaining it. But with only a few
exceptions, Mr. Ryder has done just
that, which is what counts in the
long run.

His cast does not have a range
and style for high comedy that is
likely to put the Comedie Franciase
out of business, but it does perform
its duties capably enough. The
actors seem somewhat stiff in the
beginning, but when the play gets
going, they loosen up considerably.

Break A Rib

Paul Carr, who was recruited to
play the male lead four days before
last Wednesday's opening after his
predecessor fell through a trap door
during a rehearsal and broke three
ribs, does fine in the role of Fedot.
(How much audacious wit a writer
must have to model a character's
name after his own and then have
that character saluted by others in
the play when they believe him to
be the famous author!) Mr. Carr
seems suited for the part, delivers
his lines with case, and should even
enhance his portrayal once he has a
chance to settle into the role.

Gloria Maddox as Fedot's wife
and Richard Bauer as his old school
chum are exceptionally good. Lynn
Milgrim as the school chum's wife
and Fedot's lover is competent, as
are Robert Prosky and Howard Witt
as two friends. There are also
three brilliant, scene-stealing minor
characterizations by Humphrey
Davis as a police inspector who
senses some monkey business going
on, David Darlow as an effeminate
valet, and especially William Hansen
as a bricklayer who barks when he
gets excited.

Imaginative Set

The star of the evening, however,
is the set designer, Leo Kerz.
He has created one of the most
imaginative and most functional
sets I have ever seen while at the
same time embodying in it the
game-like idea of the play. The
design, which relies heavily upon
lighting and a sophisticated use of
dollies, fascinated the audience.

"The Chemmy Circle" runs
through April 5, and, thin as it is, I
think you might just get a kick out
of the light-hearted nonsense it has
to offer.

* * *

There are currently two other
shows in Washington. One is the
touring production of "Hadrian
VII" (which was a hit on Broadway
last season) starring Hume Cronyn,
at the National through March 21.
The other is at Ford's Theatre and
is a new production of the Tom
Jones-Harvey Schmidt musical,
"The Fantasticks," which has been
running off-Broadway for the last
thousand years or so.