BWW Reviews: THE LIAR Makes Its Intelligently Hysterical LA Premiere at the Antaeus Theater in NoHo

With complete comic genius and spot-on creativity, Casey Stangl directs the Los Angeles premiere of the wildly clever, intelligently hysterical (and a bit naughty), all the while brimming with wordplay and swordplay, David Ives' English-language adaptation of Pierre Corneille's THE LIAR. On all accounts, this is a delightfully ingenious and irreverent update of a classic French romp, presented in the Antaeus tradition best known as "partner casting" with two actors sharing every role, working together throughout the rehearsal process to enrich the creative experience for both cast and audience.

As I learned during the audience talkback after the performance, the actors did not find out which ones would be playing the characters on which dates until Tech Week, making each performance seem new and fresh. The actors seem to be enjoying themselves so much, you can't help but be pulled into the story no matter how outrageous and baffling the situations become. I can understand why audiences, who rarely see an understudy due to Antaeus' trademark "partner casting," frequently return to see the same play in the hands of an equally excellent but very different set of actors.

Written in 1643, Le Menteur (THE LIAR) was based on a Spanish story of adventure written by Juan Ruiz de Alarcón y Mendoza. Corneille's adaptation depends less on thrill and more on verbal repartée, the follies of modern courtship and Parisian life than its Spanish precedent. In writing the play, Corneille invented the comedy of manners, which he described as "the portrayal of social intercourse among persons of good breeding."

Since all roles are partner cast, I will note the cast members I saw in bold. THE LIAR is the hilarious tale of Dorante (Nicholas D'Agosto / Graham Hamilton), a charming young man newly arrived in Paris who has but a single flaw: he cannot tell the truth. But does truth really matter in an age obsessed by the surface of things? When this charming and handsome pathological liar enters Paris, he impresses everyone who hears his stories. But as his lies multiply, will Dorante be able to keep them straight and still manage to get the girl?

In quick succession Dorante meets Cliton (Rob Nagle / Brian Slaten) a manservant who cannot tell a lie, and falls in love with Clarice (Kate Maher / Jules Willcox), whom he unfortunately mistakes for her friend and confidante Lucrece (Ann Noble / Joanna Strapp). What our hero regrettably does not know is that Clarice is secretly engaged to his best friend Alcippe (Joe Delafield / Bo Foxworth) who does not take kindly to finding our his best friend is now his romantic rival. His valet Philiste (Jeff Thomas Gardner / Jonathon Lamer) follows, all the while hiding his own secret romantic encounters. Nor is Dorante aware that his father Geronte (Robert Pine / Peter Van Norden) is trying to get him married to Clarice - whom he thinks is Lucrece. Add to the mix identical twin maid servants Isabelle and Sabine (Gigi Bermingham / Karen Malina White, each playing both roles), and the stage is set for mayhem with mistaken identities fueling the hysterical comedic situations.

References to classic works, most often Shakespeare, are sprinkled throughout, making the play a highly intellectual comedy amid the low-brow farcical situations. Cast members often share their innermost thoughts as asides directly to the audience with a change in lighting alerting us that their words are meant to not be heard by anyone else in the cast. This device is most often used by the unable-to-tell-a-lie Cliton (Brian Slaten) who allows the audience to know that he recognizes Dorante (Graham Hamilton) for the liar he truly is, or is he? Cliton vows to stick around and see, at least until he gets his promised, but as he knows, never quite forthcoming pay from Dorante. Slaten and Hamilton are a joy to behold as they banter back and forth, especially during the most outrageous stories concocted to try and win the hand of his mistaken lady love.

Also noteworthy is the intensely creative and totally hysterical handshake between friends Dorante and Alcippe when they reach an agreement. Hamilton and Delafield are a joy to watch as they deliver what appears to be a fraternity ritual taken to the extreme. Thanks for director Stangl for allowing us to witness the craziness twice during the show!

Ann Noble and Kate Maher present the two ladies as BFFs, keenly aware that men lie but such is life. Just accept them with the faults and move on. Nobel's Lucrese has the intelligence and heart while Maher's Clarice shares words but not her soul with any man. These women are like two sides of a coin, each needing the other to be a complete person. Their mistaken identity tribulations with the men reminded me of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" minus Puck's drug-infused purple flower.

The rapid fire delivery of the script - written entirely in rhyming couplets - kept the audience laughing throughout the show, resulting in a fast-paced urban romance as fresh as the day Pierre Corneille wrote it, brilliantly adapted for today and expertly delivered by the entire cast. Special kudos to costume designer Angela Balogh Calin, whose all-black, sexy and often sparkling attire for the entire cast (save the red sunshades worn by Geronte) allows the audience to focus on the characters and their words rather than colorful, gaudy costumes so often used in French farce. I must say that Philiste's leather riding crop certainly grabs your attention when in the hand of Sabine (Karen Malina White) in this oh-so-modern rendition!

Other tech credits go to scenic design by Keith Mitchell; lighting design by François-Pierre Couture; sound design and original compositions by Peter Bayne; props design by Adam Meyer; fight direction by Bo Foxworth; and the production stage manager is Lara E. Nall. Kudos to Foxworth who managed to stage an entire fight sequence with the actors using nothing but their empty hands, pantomiming the entire fight - yet it seemed their fencing foils were present throughout.

Performances of THE LIAR take place Oct. 10 through Dec. 1 on Thursdays and Fridays @ 8 pm; Saturdays @ 2 pm and 8 pm; and Sundays @ 2 pm (no matinee performance on Saturday, Oct. 12, dark Thursday, Nov. 28); Tickets are $30 on Thursdays and Fridays and $34 on Saturdays and Sundays.

The Antaeus Company is located at 5112 Lankershim Blvd in North Hollywood, CA 91601. Parking is available for $7 in the lot at 5125 Lankershim Blvd. (west side of the street), just south of Magnolia. The theater is air-conditioned and wheelchair accessible. For reservations and information, call 818-506-1983 or go towww.antaeus.org where you can also find a breakdown of which actors are playing the roles in any given performance.

Jeff Thomas Gardner (Philiste), Joe Delafield (Alcippe), Karen Malina White (Isabelle/Sabine), Graham Hamilton (Dorante), Peter Van Norden (Geronte), Brian Slaten (Cliton) - Photo by Shari Barrett

All oher photos by Geoffrey Wade

Graham Hamilton as Dorante. Karen Malina White as Isabelle

Jeff Thomas Gardner as Philiste and Joe Delafield as Alcippe

Jules Willcox as Clarice, Ann Noble as Lucrece

Nicholas D'Agosto as Dorante, Kate Maher as Clarice, Gigi Bermingham as Isabelle

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