Review: THE FALSE SERVANT Puts the Focus on Money in a Very Modern Love Triangle

Like modern soap operas, THE FALSE SERVANT centers on a love triangle between two women and one man. Each plans to marry him, but he is only interested in which woman can bring him the best financial arrangement. And we are told from the beginning that if your mind has room for reason, there is no room for love. Thus is set up the battle of the sexes with the only reason for love being the acquisition of money.

Basically the audience is told from the beginning that men are outwardly decent while inwardly debauched, and betraying a woman is what makes a man a man. Certainly Lélio (Christian Leffler), the upwardly mobile gentleman hoping to land a wealthy wife, embodies these attitudes. He is engaged to marry the Countess (Dorie Barton), a somewhat naïve woman who falls prey to the games men play with her emotions as they attempt to gain her love for the sake of her fortune.

At the center of the shenanigans is The Chevalier (Chastity Dotson), a very wealthy Parisian woman who, together with her scheming servant, Trivelin (Barry Del Sherman), sets out to discover the true motives of her fiancé. That man just happens to be Lélio, and when she learns he is a manipulative libertine who has also promised himself in marriage to a rich and attractive Countess, she disguises herself as a man to get to know more about her husband-to-be. Of course The Chevalier eventually realizes his real interest in her is her wealth. It is then that the scheming to win shifts into high gear, resulting in lessons learned and hearts broken. Perhaps Lélio needs to lean to lower his expectations to lessen his humiliation.

Bringing in a modern shade of grey is Trivelin who offers to assist The Chevalier in her attempt to spy on Lélio as long as she agrees to pay him well and be his "sex slave" in private to keep her true identity a secret. While none of that action is ever shown, it adds in a much darker way the world punishes those who follow their hearts.

Entertaining songs with original lyrics by Cody Chappel and Martin Crimp are performed ala Joe Cocker by Cody Chappel (who portrays Frontin) during scene breaks. Joining him in song is Mathew Bazulka (who plays Lélio's young servant Arlequin), so full of youthful energy and joyful exuberance he seems to literally fly around the staircase set.

Marivaux's romp is filled with disguise, double-crossing and deceit. On the surface, THE FALSE SERVANT is a sly 18th century romp in which a young girl dresses as a man to learn more about her husband-to-be. But a world of darker meaning lies beneath the wit and verbal exuberance. This seemingly heartless comedy of bad manners, lust and avarice downgrades the finer feelings of love to the point of making them nothing to be desired.

"Marivaux explores the ambiguities of classic comedy - the nature of love and of attraction - in a very modern way," says director Bart DeLorenzo. While the acting, costumes, lighting and overall production values are top notch, I just wish women were not the target of so much negativity, which often made the play difficult for me to watch.

THE FALSE SERVANT, Written by Pierre Carlet de Chamblain de Marivaux, Adapted by Martin Crimp, Directed Bart DeLorenzo, Produced by Beth Hogan and Bart DeLorenzo. Starring Dorie Barton, Mathew Bazulka, Cody Chappel, Barry Del Sherman, Chastity Dotson, Christian Leffler. Presented by the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble, Ron Sossi Artistic Director and Evidence Room, Bart DeLorenzo, Artistic Director

Running time is 90 minutes with no intermission. Performances take place on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m., through Sept. 6. An additional weeknight performance is scheduled for Wednesday, August 12 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $34 on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, and $25 on Wednesdays, with $20 tickets available for seniors and $15 tickets for students and members of SAG/AFTRA/AEA. The third Friday of every month is wine night at the Odyssey: enjoy complimentary wine and snacks and mingle with the cast after the show. The Odyssey Theatre is located at 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., West Los Angeles, 90025. For reservations and information, call (310) 477-2055 or go to www.OdysseyTheatre.com.

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