The Citizen, 1991-08-14, Page 22PAGE 22. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 14,1991.
Stratford’s ‘School for Wives’ still new today
By Keith Roulston
The French expression that the
more things change, the more they
remain the same was never more
apt than in Stratford Festival's pro
duction of the Moliere farce The
School For Wives.
It's hard to believe that a play
written 300 years ago can be so
timely in the 1990's but it just goes
to show that the essential elements
of the male-female conflict haven't
changed all that much from 17th
century France to 20th century
Canada.
School for Wives is the story of a
rich man, Arnolphe, who takes
great pleasure in watching the infi
delities of the wives of his friends
and acquaintances. He tells his
friend Chrysalde that he'd never
marry a witty, educated woman
because they would make a fool of
him by taking extra-marital plea
sure with other men.
His fear of being humiliated has
led him to put off marrying until
the ripe-old age (for the 17th cen
tury) of 52. But he has a plan that
he has been working on for years to
provide him with companionship
without fear of humiliation and it
has almost come to fruition as the
play begins.
He has taken a young girl from a
peasant woman and offered to raise
her as his ward. She was only four
at the time and he has put her in a
convent school and asked the nuns
to educate her in things like
sewing, spinning and praying, but
not the more high-minded things
that will make her think for herself.
Unfortunately for Arnolphe they
also teach her to read and write and
that knowledge comes back to
haunt Arnolphe and his plans.
The play is about the frustrations
of Amolphe in making his scheme
work. At the play's beginning he
has been off on a trip and has kept
Agnes locked up in a house where
no visitors were to be allowed so
she'd have no contact with the rest
of the world (and therefore no
temptation) until he returned. Now
he has come back to marry her.
But in the meantime, a younger
man has come along, seen her from
the balcony, bribed the servants to
let him visit her in the house and,
just when Amolphe seems ready to
claim his long-awaited prize, he has
swept Agnes off her feet with
romantic love.
The rest of the play revolves
around Amolphe's plots to keep the
two apart leading to his inevitable
failure. But along the way, every
time he thinks he has lost, fates
seem to put victory right back into
his hands.
All the while, Amolphe seeks to
train Agnes to be a good, meaning
compliant and docile, wife provid
ing lots of opportunities for laughs
about foolish men who would
rather have stupid wives than ones
that might challenge them (not to
mention the odd chuckle from men
in the audience who could appreci
ate the idea of applying some of the
lessons).
Laughs are the order of the night
and Brian Bedford, as Amolphe,
makes sure there are lots of laughs
along the way. At times he may
push the mugging too far, but for
the most part he is a play in him
self, watching the emotions play
across the face of the pompous
Amolphe as he discovers the latest
snag in his plans. It's the kind of
star-turn Bedford has become
famous for at Stratford and he
doesn't pass up a single chance to
set the audience laughing.
Ann Baggley has the difficult
role at the beginning of playing
simple, naive and uneducated
Agnes. She plays her like a doll
whose one skill is blinking her
eyes. But the intelligence of the girl
soon emerges and even as she tries
the patience of Amolphe with her
unwanted wisdom, he can't help
falling even more in love with her.
Colm Feore is Horace, the
unwanted competition of Amolphe.
With strong features and flashing
eyes, it's easy to see how he could
sweep Agnes off her feet when
Amolphe leaves her cold.
Albert Millaire is Chrysalde, the
wise friend of Amolphe whose
wisdom is ignored. Early on he
tries to persuade Amolphe that it’s
better to live with an intelligent,
interesting woman and risk her
being unfaithful than it is to spend
your life with a woman too stupid
to be unfaithful. Besides, he says,
at least a smart woman knows
when she's being unfaithful: a
stupid one may be unfaithful with
out even knowing she's doing
something wrong.
Later, he tries to tell Amolphe
that he shouldn't be humiliated if he
did have a wife who committed
adultery because it was a reflection
more on her than him, but of course
Amolphe doesn’t listen.
Bradley C. Ruddy and Anne
Wright as the. servants, play the
scenes in slapstick fashion, bring
ing comic relief to a play that's
already a comedy.
Director Richard Monette dis
Entertainment
THE OPTIMIST CLUB OF BRUSSELS
PRESENTS
ATTHEDnuQULLO, ivivnniu (X
GREY COMMUNITY CENTRE
ADMISSION $10 EACH
DANCING 8 -1
Bring your neon beachwear & wild shorts to the
BEACH PARTY OF THE SUMMER
PRIZES for the wildest shorts,
best frisbee toss and more
-Lunch Provided-
Age of Majority Only
A MOLSON CANADIAN ROCKS PRESENTATION
plays his talent for giving playful
touches to the play like a moon that
rises and falls several times on the
same night and a weathervane that
switches direction whenever the
scene shifts from outside the gate
of the house to inside the garden.
Designer Desmond Hceley
accomplishes the change with a set
where outside becomes inside by
the opening up of two walls that are
the front of the house in one direc
tion and the inside walls in another.
In all the audience seemed to
have a delightful time and the cast
and director proved that, take away
the costumes and the specifics of
the plot and the sentiments in the
the 300 year old play are as modem
as today.
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For more information on the importance
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ON TARtO FEDERATION
OF ANGLERS &
HUNTERS
Fax (705) 748-9577
Peterborough,
Ontario
K9J 8L5
(705) 748-6324