Present Laughter: Big Laughs, Big Stars, Giant Gift

Victor Garber in Present Laughter by Noel Coward

Directed by Nicholas Martin

Scenic Design, Alexander Dodge; Costume Design, Mariann Verheyen; Lighting Design, Rui Rita; Sound Design, Drew Levy; Casting Director, Alaine Alldaffer; Production Stage Manager, Stephen M. Kaus; Stage Manager, Eileen Ryan Kelly

CAST (in order of appearance): Daphne Stillington, Holley Fain; Miss Erikson, Nancy E. Carroll; Fred, James Joseph O'Neil; Monica Reed, Sarah Hudnut; Garry Essendine, Victor Garber; Liz Essendine, Lisa Banes; Roland Maule, Brooks Ashmanskas; Henry Lyppiatt, Richard Snee; Morris Dixon, Marc Vietor; Joanna Lyppiatt, Pamela J. Gray; Lady Saltburn, Alice Duffy

Performances through June 17, 2007 @ Boston University Theatre

Box Office 617-266-0800 or www.huntingtontheatre.org

The Huntington Theatre Company gives Boston a magnificent gift to conclude its 25^th anniversary season. Noel Coward's Present Laughter, with Broadway, film, and television star Victor Garber, is the jewel in the crown of an acclaimed lineup of plays proffered by HTC this year.  And it is damn funny, to boot!

Garber, the matinee idol as matinee idol, commands the stage from the moment he steps out onto the landing at the top of the staircase.  Like a ship's captain on the bridge of his vessel, he surveys the scene below before descending into the frenzied world of Garry Essendine.  As he prepares for a six-month theatrical tour of Africa, the actor is worried about the grueling repertory schedule and all of the last-minute demands of his crazy life. His relationships with his not-exactly-ex-wife, his secretary, manager, housekeeper, butler, ardent fan, and adoring women keep Essendine's head spinning and the audience in stitches. 

Few can write the witty repartee of drawing-room comedy like Coward, and Garber et al deliver it with aplomb. From Garry's Act One kiss-off of the dewy-eyed Miss Stillington, to the final rant at his colleagues near the end of the play, Garber masterfully gives life to the playwright's alter ego. (Present Laughter is considered the most autobiographical of Coward's works.) Referring to himself as an "artist," he is at once arrogant and insecure, aristocratic and down-to-earth, vainglorious and humble. Through it all, he remains utterly likeable.

As Essendine is the lynchpin in his cadre, so Garber is in this company.  He sets the bar high, but the rest of the cast is up to it.  Evidently, Coward was not afraid to write strong female characters and the women in this production match the star stride for stride. Lisa Banes plays semi-estranged wife Liz as self-assured, sardonic, nurturing, and competent.  She yields no ground to the powerful man center stage and, in fact, rescues him from himself time and time again. Sarah Hudnut as personal assistant, Pamela J. Gray as femme fatale, and Holley Fain as one of Garry's one-night stands all stand out for their characterizations. Alice Duffy provides a few moments of grandeur and one very funny twist as Miss Stillington's socialite aunt, Lady Saltburn. Local favorite Nancy E. Carroll as the Swedish spiritualist housekeeper shuffles about in her maid's uniform with a cigarette dangling from her lips, dour as the day is long.

As for the other men, with one exception Coward does not give them as much color and flair as he ascribes to the leading man.  That being said, Richard Snee, Marc Vietor, and James Joseph O'Neil bring much to the table as bees around Garry's honey. The three are a major part of Garry Essendine, Inc., yet each has his own quirks and persona. Snee plays Henry with just the right amount of bluster, Vietor portrays Morris as the obsessive, and O'Neil's Fred walks the line between affable manservant and valued confidante.

The one aforementioned exception is the character of Roland Maule, a young man who has submitted a manuscript to Garry for his consideration. Enter Brooks Ashmanskas and hold onto your sides lest they split. His behavior is outrageous and he repeatedly flusters and enrages Essendine who labels him "mad as a hatter." From his overly zealous yank of a handshake to his displays of ardor toward the star, Maule gets on the nerves and under the skin. Ashmanskas plays it all for fun as he flits, leaps, and twirls about the stage.  Tony nominated this year for featured actor in a musical for Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me, I'd say he picked up a few tricks as many of his gyrations mimic Short. His time on stage results in peals of laughter and his exits often elicit applause. Garber and Ashmanskas have great chemistry and timing and to watch these two experienced pros together is nothing short of amazing.

As the curtain rose to reveal it, Alexander Dodge's splendid art deco set was greeted with well-deserved applause. (I can't remember the last time I experienced that in the theatre.) For anyone unaware that the play is set in the late 1930's, one look at Garry Essendine's flat makes it abundantly clear. From the high gloss black tile floor, to the wedding cake-like chandelier and matching wall sconces, to the grand serpentine staircase and curved burled wood walls, this room oozes style and opulence. You know in an instant that the inhabitant is highly successful and has affluent taste. There's a baby grand piano in front of three floor-to-ceiling windows, draped in sheers, and most of the furniture is leather.  Artwork consists of several murals and a large portrait of Essendine in his younger days.

And, oh, the costumes! Mariann Verheyen's creations are exquisite and evocative of the '30's. The women are swathed in soft, satiny fabrics with lots of interesting detail.  Pleats, gathers, stripes, and dots abound, as well as dropped hemlines and plenty of décolletage.  The millinery shop and Denise Wallace add some striking hats for icing on the cake.  Garry's dressing gowns (a paisley, a deco print, and an African print) are beautiful materials and meld nicely with the colors and designs of the scenery.  Even the uniforms worn by the house staff Miss Erikson and Fred have a retro appearance, while personal secretary Monica Reed dresses in conservative business attire, appropriate for her station. 

This is a witty play with well-developed characters written by one of the treasures of the theatre.  Director Nicholas Martin has mounted a seamless production with a high caliber cast and brilliant technical aspects. This is one of those nights at the theatre when everything comes together and truly has the power to transport the audience to another place and another time. To spend a couple of hours in late 1930's London, in a grand flat with members of the genteel upper class, and have more than a few laughs? Count me present.    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

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