Changes of Heart
Written by Marivaux
Translation by Stephen Wadsworth
Directed by Timothy Douglas
Greenhouse Theater Ctr, 2257 N. Lincoln (map)
thru Jan 8 | tickets: $35-$40 | more info
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Witty gabfest yearns for more showing, less talking
Remy Bumppo Theatre presents
Changes of Heart
Review by Catey Sullivan
Remy Bumppo’s reconfiguration of Mavireux’s 1783 commedia dell’ art is a saucy dish indeed. Directed by Timothy Douglas working from an all-important translation by Stephen Wadsworth, it is bedazzled with bon mots and witty, wise, acerbic quips on the condition of life so well formed they seem to have sprung like the literary equivalent of Venus on a Clamshell; dialog as perfection rather than as the bumbling stammerings of mere mortals trying to navigate the treacherous laws of attraction and machinations of love. This is not a criticism, merely an observation. In his quasi-mash-up of 18th-century mores and contemporary cultural morals, Douglas has crafted a production that’s both intriguing and thought-provoking. If only the oh-so-well spoken lovers and liars and clowns didn’t speak quite so much.
The people of Changes of Heart talk so much about changes of heart – how to instigate it, why it will never happen, why it must happen, what underhanded trompe d’coeur must be undertaken in order to make morality match action – you wish they’d just stop long enough to plant a juicy, salacious kiss on their intended and let that speak for itself. At times, Changes of Heart reminded me of that song in My Fair Lady, wherein Miss Eliza Doolittle exhorts poor nebbish Freddy to stop mincing around the bush and simply make his intentions manifest.
That said, Changes of Heart has plenty to recommend it, starting with the overall playful aesthetic (because love is nothing if not fun, yes?) embodied by Jake Szczepaniak and his mod mood play with the family record player. He begins each scene lip-synching for his life, which would be mere camp were he not radiating pure, emotional truth from his eyes. It’s a lovely, constant reminder that no matter how much love can hurt, it remains that most joie-de-vivre inducing emotion.
For the abducted commoner Silvia (Alana Arenas), life at curtain up is wholly lacking in joy. She is in love with her betrothed, Harlequin (Nicolas Gamboa), and quite put out that the Prince (Steve Wojtas) has kidnapped her in order to make her his own. The courtly household is also comprised of the Lady Flaminia (Linda Gillum, caught in a web of her own intrigues) and Lisette (Jessica Maynard), who has long hoped to wed the Prince herself.
Director Douglas successfully (and rather astoundingly) manages to make elements of classic farce feel utterly natural in a narrative that often veers into utter modernity. He also successful meshes moods of glorious silliness with deep poignancy . Changes of Heart is both absurd and sublime.
No more is this dichotomy embodied more successfully than in Gamboa’s Harlequin. He’s a literally a checkered character, (clever costuming throughout by Lena Sands), a wise fool whose eventual removing of his mask creates one of the most moving moments in the piece. The other cornerstone of the production is Arenas as the conflicted object of the Prince’s amore. Arenas has a regal yet earthy presence to her, an uncanny ability to carry herself with nobility and a total approachability. Her scenes with Maynard as the unlucky lady Lisette are exquisite masterclasses in the diabolical, two-faced politesse of courtly love.
Douglas ends Changes of Heart with a wordless, moving tableau, each of three couples making a silent configuration signifying what their future holds. It’s a reminder that – as verbally eloquent as this ensemble is – Changes of Heart moves the most between the words.
Rating: ★★½
Changes of Heart continues through January 8th at the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln (map), with performances Wednesdays-Fridays at 7:30pm, Saturdays at 1:30pm and 7:30pm, and Sundays at 2:30pm. Tickets are $35-$40, and are available by phone (773-404-7336) or online at tix.com (check for half-price tickets at Goldstar.com). More information at remybumppo.org. (Running time: 2 hours 40 minutes, which includes one intermission)
All photos by Johnny Knight
