[NoHo Arts District, CA] – A NoHo Arts theatre review of A Noise Within’s Misalliance, written by George Bernard Shaw, and directed by Guillermo Cienfuegos, running through June 9.
As a Brit I am particularly partial to all things George Bernard Shaw…because of course, I am. However, I wasn’t familiar with Misalliance. I knew it was his, but I had never seen a production of it. What a lovely surprise then that A Noise Within has chosen it to be their farewell production of this season of truly incredible plays.
Misalliance is basically a farce. But with Shaw’s brilliant, perceptive and hilarious writing, the simple story of love becomes something much more interesting. Although the play was written over 100 years ago, the commentary on the inequities of society, the forced expectations of youth, and the interminable male need to marry the subservient whilst admiring the brazen is still as relevant and valid as it ever was.
The play is set on a Sunday afternoon at the country home of the Tarletons. Mr Tarleton has made his fortune in underwear and is positively loaded. He has high hopes of marrying his daughter Hypatia off to Bentley, the son of a lord, elevating their place in society once and for all. His roots are working class, but both his children have been educated and primed for far higher positions in society than either he or his wife could ever be considered for, despite their great wealth. But Hypatia is bored with her prospective fiancé, a foppish, squirmy runt and although his clever mind does hold some interest for her, he is a far from popular choice. Her brother Johnny loathes him and has no trouble sharing his opinion without ever being asked. Into all this drops, quite literally, a plane, crashing into their greenhouse and bringing with it its handsome entitled pilot Joey and his erstwhile last-minute passenger, the Polish acrobat and heartbreaking dare-devil Lina Szczepanowska. Hypertia’s attentions are immediately switched from Bentley to the brooding Joey. Every other man on the stage seems irresistibly drawn to Lina who has fun rejecting them all one by one.
It’s a wonderful frolic through the contradictions of love and lust and the politics of the time and it seems that the world hasn’t come as far as we might like to think. The characters are really the heart of this story though. Shaw has drawn them richly and without malice which, considering his humble background, is nicer of him than necessary. He pokes fun without condemning, choosing instead to allow us to come to our own conclusions about this disparate lot of self-indulgent although mostly well-intentioned twits. The youngest of them, Hypertia, her brother Johnny, the swarthy Joey and even the forlorn fiancé Bentley get the worst treatment by their author – spoiled, slightly sociopathic and extremely selfish. A comical and fairly accurate portrait of a generation I think.
This production, like everything A Noise Within does, is absolutely beautifully presented. The staging of the Edwardian conservatory of the grand house in Surrey where the story takes place is immaculate. All soaring curves and dark woods and wicker furniture. Perfection in fact, and the beautifully executed costuming gives these fine actors their characters’ skin from which they can create.
And speaking of the actors, they are breathtakingly good. After seeing so many of A Noise Within’s shows I am, at this point, having trouble finding sufficiently reflective adjectives with which to describe just how wonderful they are at all they do. Needless to say, they are all vivid, and memorable and Shaw himself would be thrilled I am sure at how phenomenally they interpret his words. I was ready to wince a little at the accents, but was pleasantly surprised…although I really shouldn’t have been. They are impeccable.
Misalliance is a sweetly searing, fittingly outrageous classic English play. It mocks and flirts with the absurdity of the establishment, but not so much they wouldn’t love to see themselves in it. It’s clever and perceptive, endearing and funny and full of wonderful moments of silliness.
I can understand why A Noise Within would be drawn to it, given their wonderful company of actors and their seemingly endless talents. It’s a beautiful opportunity to extoll the joyous nature of live theatre. And I cannot recommend it enough!!
The Cast
Peter Van Norden, Deborah Strang,Erika Soto,Josey Montana McCoy, Frederick Stuart, Riley Shanahan, Joshua Bitton, Dan Lin and Trisha Miller
The Team
The creative team for Misalliance includes scenic designer Angela Balogh Calin; lighting designer Ken Booth; composer and sound designer Christopher Moscatiello; costume designer Christine Cover Ferro; wig and make-up designer Tony Valdés; properties designer Stephen Taylor; dialect coach Andrea Odinov; and dramaturg Miranda Johnson-Haddad. The assistant director is Rachel Berney–Needleman. The production stage manager is Angela Sonner, assisted by Hope Matthews.
Tickets:
https://www.anoisewithin.org/event-calendar
When:
May 18 – June 9. Thursday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday
Where:
3352 E Foothill Blvd., Pasadena, CA, 91107