Not So Dangereuses at the Austin Playhouse
Thru 2/24, Th-Sa @8pm / Su @5pm
Austin Playhouse (3601 S. Congress, Bldg. C)
[info] | [tickets]
The play is based on Pierre Choderlos de Laclos's epistolary novel, considered scandalous when published in 1782. In 1985, playwright Christopher Hampton did a stage adaptation of the book, then adapted it for the 1988 film—a film we loved when we saw it years ago. We’re fascinated by the thinkers and artists of this historical period—Diderot, Rousseau, Voltaire, Prud’hon, David—and yet we couldn’t wait for this show to end. In fact, we wished we’d stayed home.
On this first visit to the Austin Playhouse, we were impressed by the facilities. Located in the back of the arty Penn Field complex, just off South Congress, we were happy to find plenty of free parking. We also liked the plush, comfy red seats filling the main theater. (Comfortable seating is a bit of a novelty in Austin's theaters.)
Visually the production delivered. The numerous set changes were done with grace and fluidity, with a few props deftly sketching several different locations. The elaborate, creamy, period-inspired costumes by Costume Designer Buffy Manners were fantastic. Their light colors, lacy froth and gold accents made us think of lavishly gilded meringues. We can't fault the sound or the lighting, though we wish that the lights could’ve stayed off long enough for everyone to clear the boards during scene changes We also would have appreciated a little more sound buffering from the theater next-door; the sound of distant clapping was distracting.
But the show...ouch! While we’re certain that everyone knew their lines and blocking, the acting was stiffer than the boned bodices of the period outfits. There was lots of declamation, but little interaction. The play dragged more than a heavily footnoted account of the taxation structure of pre-revolutionary France.
Our biggest problem with this show comes from the fact that it's a tale of lust and revenge orchestrated by the former lovers, La Marquise de Merteuil (Babs George) and Le Vicount de Valmont (Gray G. Haddock)—yet their exchanges seemed listless and passion-free. We didn’t get any sense of chemistry or connection between the two characters. No lust, no snap, no spice. Rather than love and hate between the former lovers, we saw indifference. We felt, much as Gertrude Stein did about Oakland, that "There is no there there." We’ve seen more heated interplay on the Number 1/North Lamar bus. This is disappointing, as we’ve seen absolute brilliance in other productions from both George and Haddock, and we'd really been looking forward to this show.
Byron King, an academic who is well-versed in the Liaisons period of French history, pointed out that it's possible the actors might have been trying to convey the aristocratic restraint and rigidly proscribed interactions of the period. (During this era the King of France had a ceremony to put him to bed, and one to wake him up.) He also pointed out that trying to convey old-school French restraint to a modern, southern US audience might be difficult. After all, we southerners aren't known for restraint in our emotional lives!
Whatever the reason, the play suffered from not showing us a vital and passionate connection between the leads, making all else pointless window-dressing. While we wished we could have left at intermission (as others did), we will admit that the second act was better than the first. Maybe it was the well-done duel that livened things up. An onstage death always helps.
You’ll see gorgeous posters for this production all over town, but please don’t make the mistake of going to this show—unless you are just really into great costumes. Instead, stay home and read a French Revolution saga—perhaps A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. You’ll have a better time.
