Theater Reviews

Apr 28, 2002 - Nevada Rep's Fizzless "School for Scandal"

By Jack Neal

It's colorful costumes and swift moving cartoon sets almost make the day, but the souffle of performances that should make playwright Richard Brinsley Sheridan's Restoration comedy "The School for Scandal" light and fluffy rarely, in this Nevada Repertory Company presentation, manage being anything more than flat and fizzless.

The humor of having an old, rich and frugal man bedeviled by a young, high-spirited and extravagant bride, with the ensuing clucking from those around them about who's sleeping with whom, loses its zip from the git go, because Sir Peter Teazle, the ancient geezer of the piece, looks and acts no older than his wife. Add to that problematic issue the fact that the play's satire ricochets from style to style with the complicated plotwork getting lost amid the conflicting approaches, and enormous portions of the play's wit and fun is lost in the shuffle. Once, however, the comic situations begin to build after intermission - with the gossips distorting events with their constant retelling - there are some payoffs in the laugh department.

Although her work is often distinguished, this time out Sue Klemp has directed her University of Nevada Reno charges into a Friday opening (4/26/2002) that is at least several rehearsals away from finding its proper comedic nitch of timing. Equally as distracting are the lost opportunities for delivering lines with the zip needed for making the points, and the laughs, Sheridan has so cleverly written into his script. This "The School for Scandal" needs more schooling in projecting lines from stage so that audience onlookers are included in the action and are not simply overhearing private conversations floating out over some gossip's partially open transom.

As an actor, Sasha Mereu, who plays Sir Peter Teazle, shows promise but is miscast and misdirected creating a performance that lacks concept. Although the direction and staging fails to unify them with a consistent style or a delineation of character that might better clarify what's going on, the rest of the ensemble are at least suitably cast in their individual roles.

Jeff Bellows shines as the lovable rake Charles. Although fun to a point, the mincing and mugging of Jonathan McCaleb places his Sir Benjamin Backbite a bit too far over the top. Susan Lingelbach as Lady Teazle and Tiffany Parkes as Maria, Sir Peter's independent minded ward, manage to strike a characterization balance, creating slightly exaggerated types while retaining credibility. Annie Scanlon is an adroit Mrs. Candour, Chadaeos Clarno is a Sir Oliver Surface of noticeable note, Kevin M. Sak is a Crabtree with presence and considerable panache, and Michele Freeman delights as Lady Sneerwell.

Yoko Fujioko's witty costumes and Larry Walters's clever sets are attractions in their own right, but one can only gawk with pleasure over costumes and sets for so long. The production's two hours and forty minutes of running time (with intermission) becomes all too telling (and tiring), when only about half of the performance portions are delights to experience in their own right.

This Nevada Repertory Company production of "The School for Scabdal" can be seen at the Redfield Proscenium Theatre on the University of Nevada Reno campus, 900 North Virginia Street, Reno, Wednesday through Saturday (5/1-4, 2002) at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday (5/5/2002) at 1:30 p.m. For ticket information call 775-784-6847.