Chiarascuro: Black Comedy at Barrington Stage Company
A Perfectly Ridiculous Farce Visits Pittsfield
By: Charles Giuliano - Jul 23, 2007
Black Comedy
By Peter Shaffer. Directed by Lou Jacob. Set Design, Adrian W. Jones. Costume Design, Ilona Somogyi. Lighting Design, Scott Pinkney. Sound Design, Daniel A. Little. Production Stage Manager, C. Renee Alesander. Fight Director, Kichael Burnet. Press, Charlie Sidenburg. Casting, Pat McCorkle, CSA. Joe Lopick. Cast: Brian Avery (Brinsley Miller), Nell Mooney (Carol Melkett), Beth Dixon (Miss Furnival), Gerry Bamman (Colonel Melkett), Mark H. Dold (Harold Gorringe), Gordon Stanley (Schuppanzigh), Ginfer King (Clea), Robert Lydiard (Georg Bamberger).
Barrington Stage Company, 30 Union Street, Pittsfield, Ma. 01201. July 19- August 4.
Box Office: 413 236 8888
http://www.barringtonstageco.org
The playwright Peter Shaffer is known for "Amadeus" "Equus" "The Royal Hunt of the Sun" and "Lattice and Lovage." But he must have been total gonzo bonkers when he wrote the perfectly ridiculous farce "Black Comedy" which opened to the press yesterday at Barrington Stage Company in beautiful, downtown Pittsfield where it remains through August 4.
Of those two juicy adjectives "perfect" and "ridiculous" which is the more accurate and appropriate in describing this theatrical experience? The direction of Lou Jacobs, and the energetic performance of the cast, was, well, absolutely perfect. At least for this absurd genre of theatre. And the play was, indeed, "ridiculous." Yes, absolutely ridiculous.
As a very serious critic capable of facing head on the greatest of life's conundrums I found myself asking, what the Dickens am I doing here spending the twilight of a beautiful summer's day partaking of this utter nonsense? Surely in a world gone mad, where the true farce is the waning presidency of George W. Bush and the mayhem he has inflicted that will take generations to unravel, what am I doing indulging in such frippery? Pinch me. Feel my forehead. Do I have a fever? Take my pulse. What in blazes was I doing in that theatre yesterday?
Well. Truth is, laughing until my sides hurt. For a quick escape from all that is terribly wrong with the world and times we live in this was 80 running minutes of non stop escapism. This programming also provides an interesting bridge between "West Side Story" which was a smash to open the summer season and the much anticipated serious and daunting Chekhov, his classic "Uncle Vanya," which ends it. It seems that with a deft and masterful touch the artistic director Julianne Boyd has given us a perfectly balanced arc of performances from the sublime to the ridiculous. It is little wonder that Barrington Stage Company is considered a treasure among the nation's regional theatres.
The play begins in darkness as we hear but do not see Brindsley, an aspiring artist, and his every so cute and perky girlfriend Carol talking about temporarily borrowing/ stealing the priceless antique furniture, and a porcelain Buddah, from their every so campy neighbor, Harold, who just happens to be away on vacation. They have swapped out Brindley's junk the better to impress the about to arrive Georg Bamberger, a collector with bottomless pockets who happens to be deaf as a post, and Carol's father, the stiff upper lip prig, Colonel Melkett who is dropping by to meet the potential son in law. The couple mulls over the justification for apparently criminal activity and his assurances that it is all for the good and no harm will come of it. Right.
Then the lights turn off in the London flat which has blown a fuse. But the trope is that in this essay on reversal, physical and psychic, light is dark and dark is light. So, when the lights go out for the actors now groping about in the dark, they actually come on, so we get to see them. But in our minds we are asked to assume that we don't. This is an exercise in night vision so to speak. Of course Brindsley fumbles about for fuses or candles.
In a series of reversals and plot twists a series of visitors arrive with varying means of illumination (lighter, matches, flash light) which might, literally, shed some light on this ever darkening tale of theft and deception. We, the audience, are never in the dark as the tale evolves. There are such elements as Colonel Melkett demanding explanations. The house comes down when the officious old fool literally falls off his rocker. Twice. The second time even funnier than the first because we are in on the gag. Harold unexpectedly shows up. Of course. A meddling neighor Miss Furnival is onto something. And a sexy old girl friend, Clea, (she apparently dumped him after four years but now might want him back) arrives to unhinge Brindsley's plans to marry above his station.
It all starts swirling round and round at a dizzy pace. Part of the plot is that Carol now demands that in the blackout Harold, rather than face discovery and potential prosecution, must now switch back the furniture without being discovered. He protests that this is impossible as indeed it is. But the outrageous premise is that he accomplishes this task, well, almost.
By the end of the performance Brian Avers who portrays Brindsley with remarkable energy is soaked right through his shirt. The direction has him stumbling and bumbling madly about including a pratfall down the stairs from his balcony bedroom where he has stashed Clea. He is looking forward to a tumble in the sack with the ex after he has consummated a sale to Bamberger and dispatched the cute but straight little Carol and her father. Carol is the better prospect for a starving artist but Clea is more of a turn on. So he is caught between the prospects of love/ sex or money. It is going to be one or the other. Perhaps Brindlsey, who is rather clever, can manage to marry Carol and keep Clea on the side.
But, such is not to be. It all comes tumbling down in an absolutely hilarious conclusion to this perfectly ridiculous play. Again, the emphasis on perfect and ridiculous. You decide the better of the two adjectives.
The cast was just wonderful so it is hard to pick out anything in particular. But hats off to Avers who obviously worked his ass off to keep things moving along. He should be in great shape at the end of this run. The two women, Nell Mooney as the cute as a button Carol, and the sexy little scamp Clea, Ginfer King, were equally terrific. It was obvious how Brindsley was caught between a rock and a hard place. The set of Adrian W. Jones and costumes of Ilona Somogyi were notable but rarely does a play depend so much on lighting. Here Scott Pinkney was absolutely masterful in achieving just the right balance to maintain the illusion that sustained the plot and its action. We assume that the Fight Director Michael Burnet coached them through all of fisticuffs between Harold and Brindsley. And ultimately it was up to the direction of Lou Jacob to keep the actors groping about in the dark, The choreography was remarkably complex but executed deftly. This was a great example of an ensemble and cast that worked well with each other. Everyone take a bow.
As they say in show biz. Make them laugh. Indeed.