Comedy can be a lot of things, but sometimes it’s just plain silly. Moliere’s reputation as the classic playwright of France has modern Americans thinking that Moliere plays are really deep. Truth is, Moliere wrote comedies with roots in the broad farces of the ancient Romans and the Italian comedia dell’arte, usually revolving around a character who’s too foolish to see reality.
The Bourgeois Gentilhomme (gentleman) is one such play, an episodic farce about a man who aspires to being high-society. In City Garage’s production, it’s almost like a Marx Brothers movie – but then again, the Marx Brothers are but another link in the unbroken chain of comedies about stuffed-shirts who get their comeuppance...
City Garage is known for staging experimental and politically radical plays, more often than not featuring bare flesh. The Bourgeois Gentilhomme is tame material for this company, but director Frederique Michel has found opportunities to make the 17th century comedy feel more modern without glaring anachronisms. The translation and adaptation of the text, by Michel and Charles Duncombe, uses modern colloquialisms and a healthy dose of risque epithets. Many of the performances are appropriately broad and cartoon-like, especially Atik as the title character. Don’t be misled, though, by the ease with which Atik seems to play this foolish man – the role requires much energy and is undoubtedly physically exhausting...
The play also features songs, by Duncombe and John Gregory Willard, with a strong flavor of Monty Python, especially the “Food” song that closes the first act. The Bourgeois Gentilhomme is two hours of guilt-free enjoyable silliness.
-Lynne Bronstein, Mirror Staff Writer
Friday, November 21, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Critic's Choice
Proud to say that our show just got a prestigious "Critic's Choice" nod in the LA Times! Congrats, everyone!
Friday, November 14, 2008
Another GREAT review: LA Times!
Excerpt:
"A 'Gentilhomme' for our times"
With a generous soupçon of witty anarchy, "The Bourgeois Gentilhomme" tumbles into Santa Monica. This sleek City Garage take on Molière's deathless satire of nouveau riche pretensions and aristocratic machinations is nominally avant-garde, mainly an unguarded hoot.
First performed in 1670 before Louis XIV, "Gentilhomme" concerns Monsieur Jourdain (the riotous Jeff Atik), his father a wealthy merchant who retained middle-class contours. Hopelessly oafish Jourdain thus obsesses over not just the trappings of nobility, which elude him despite the fawning efforts of a slew of tutors, but over trapping the nobles...
Conceived by Molière as a comédie-ballet, "Gentilhomme" carries many wicked analogies to modern mores. Director Frédérique Michel and designer Charles Duncombe slyly tailor our times into their tart adaptation, complete with anachronisms, nonstop postures and purposely limp songs by Duncombe and John Gregory Willard. The design scheme seamlessly weds the red-black-and-gilt elegance of Duncombe's set and lighting to Josephine Poinsot's splendid costumes...
Goaded by Atik's clueless climber, equal parts Bert Lahr, Don Rickles and a tea cozy, the nimble cast has a stylized field day...
Actually, their devotion to the detailed concept sometimes halts the antic fizz. Nonetheless, if full abandon is still finding its way, this hardly diminishes such a gracefully loopy soufflé.
-- David C. Nichols
"The Bourgeois Gentilhomme," City Garage, 1340½ 4th St. Alley, Santa Monica. 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 5:30 p.m. No performances Nov. 28 and Dec. 22 to Jan. 8. Ends Feb. 22, 2009. (310) 319-9939. $20. Running time: 2 hours, 20 minutes.
"A 'Gentilhomme' for our times"
With a generous soupçon of witty anarchy, "The Bourgeois Gentilhomme" tumbles into Santa Monica. This sleek City Garage take on Molière's deathless satire of nouveau riche pretensions and aristocratic machinations is nominally avant-garde, mainly an unguarded hoot.
First performed in 1670 before Louis XIV, "Gentilhomme" concerns Monsieur Jourdain (the riotous Jeff Atik), his father a wealthy merchant who retained middle-class contours. Hopelessly oafish Jourdain thus obsesses over not just the trappings of nobility, which elude him despite the fawning efforts of a slew of tutors, but over trapping the nobles...
Conceived by Molière as a comédie-ballet, "Gentilhomme" carries many wicked analogies to modern mores. Director Frédérique Michel and designer Charles Duncombe slyly tailor our times into their tart adaptation, complete with anachronisms, nonstop postures and purposely limp songs by Duncombe and John Gregory Willard. The design scheme seamlessly weds the red-black-and-gilt elegance of Duncombe's set and lighting to Josephine Poinsot's splendid costumes...
Goaded by Atik's clueless climber, equal parts Bert Lahr, Don Rickles and a tea cozy, the nimble cast has a stylized field day...
Actually, their devotion to the detailed concept sometimes halts the antic fizz. Nonetheless, if full abandon is still finding its way, this hardly diminishes such a gracefully loopy soufflé.
-- David C. Nichols
"The Bourgeois Gentilhomme," City Garage, 1340½ 4th St. Alley, Santa Monica. 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 5:30 p.m. No performances Nov. 28 and Dec. 22 to Jan. 8. Ends Feb. 22, 2009. (310) 319-9939. $20. Running time: 2 hours, 20 minutes.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Great Review in LA Weekly!
The LA Weekly has called "The Bourgeois Gentilhomme" a GO!
"You'd think, from reading the world press, that racism and, by extension, classism, had suddenly been vanquished from the nation – overnight, by a stunning national election. Such is the power of symbolism and hope. Sooner or later, we will settle into a more realistic view of who we are, and were, and how we have evolved in ways perhaps more subtle than the current “we are the world” emotional gush would lead one to believe. It's in this more self-critical (rather than celebratory) frame of mind that Molière's 1670 comedy – a satire of snobbery and social climbing – will find its relevance renewed. For now, however, Frederique Michel (who directed the play) and Charles Duncombe's fresh and bawdy translation-adaptation serves up a bouquet of comedic delights that offer the caution that -- though celebrating a milestone on the path of social opportunity is worthy of many tears of joy -- perhaps we shouldn't get ahead of ourselves with self-congratulation...Michel's visually opulent staging features scenery (designed by Duncombe) that includes a pair of chandeliers, and costumes (by Josephine Poinsot) in shades of red, maroon and black. Michel employs Lully's music in a nod to the original. Michel also includes a lovely ballet by performers in mesmerizing “tears of a clown” masks, a choreographed prance of the fops, and she has characters bounding and spinning during otherwise realistic conversations, in order to mock style over substance...In fact, I haven't seen a comic tour de force the likes of Atik's Monseiur Jordain since Alan Bomenfeld's King Ubu at A Noise Within."
"You'd think, from reading the world press, that racism and, by extension, classism, had suddenly been vanquished from the nation – overnight, by a stunning national election. Such is the power of symbolism and hope. Sooner or later, we will settle into a more realistic view of who we are, and were, and how we have evolved in ways perhaps more subtle than the current “we are the world” emotional gush would lead one to believe. It's in this more self-critical (rather than celebratory) frame of mind that Molière's 1670 comedy – a satire of snobbery and social climbing – will find its relevance renewed. For now, however, Frederique Michel (who directed the play) and Charles Duncombe's fresh and bawdy translation-adaptation serves up a bouquet of comedic delights that offer the caution that -- though celebrating a milestone on the path of social opportunity is worthy of many tears of joy -- perhaps we shouldn't get ahead of ourselves with self-congratulation...Michel's visually opulent staging features scenery (designed by Duncombe) that includes a pair of chandeliers, and costumes (by Josephine Poinsot) in shades of red, maroon and black. Michel employs Lully's music in a nod to the original. Michel also includes a lovely ballet by performers in mesmerizing “tears of a clown” masks, a choreographed prance of the fops, and she has characters bounding and spinning during otherwise realistic conversations, in order to mock style over substance...In fact, I haven't seen a comic tour de force the likes of Atik's Monseiur Jordain since Alan Bomenfeld's King Ubu at A Noise Within."
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Opening Tomorrow: The Bourgeois Gentilhomme
This weekend, City Garage Theatre presents the world premiere of a new adaptation of Moliere's classic comedy "LeBourgeois Gentilhomme (The Bourgeois Gentleman)"...
About the Play: Wealthy and foolish Monsieur Jourdain is in love with the Countess Dorimène and aches to be what he is not: a member of the aristocracy. Determined to overcome his low birth with an "education" in high style, he unwittingly surrounds himself with charlatans and swindlers who gleefully take his money and prey on his innocence. Ingenious servants, pedantic masters, devious nobles, and earnest young lovers all propel this delightful satire of nouveau riche social climbers. In the end, is the "nobility" to which Jourdain so ardently aspires all that admirable?
The Friday premiere is already sold out. Call now Saturday reservations. (Sundays are "pay what you can" with no reservations.)
November 7 - December 21, 2008
Fridays & Saturdays 8:00 pm -- Admission $20; Students/Seniors $10
Sundays 5:30 pm -- no reservations, "Pay-What-You-Can"
Box Office/Reservations: (310) 319-9939
Directed by Frédérique Michel
Production Design by Charles A. Duncombe
Cast:
Jeff Atik
Matt Cook
Ruthie Crossley
Troy Dunn
Michael Galvin
Lejla Hadzimuratovic
Deborah Knox
Edgar Landa
Jessica Madison
Cynthia Mance
Max Molina
Alisha Nichols
Mariko Oka
Ken Rudnicki
Trace Taylor
Garth Whitten
John Willard
About the Play: Wealthy and foolish Monsieur Jourdain is in love with the Countess Dorimène and aches to be what he is not: a member of the aristocracy. Determined to overcome his low birth with an "education" in high style, he unwittingly surrounds himself with charlatans and swindlers who gleefully take his money and prey on his innocence. Ingenious servants, pedantic masters, devious nobles, and earnest young lovers all propel this delightful satire of nouveau riche social climbers. In the end, is the "nobility" to which Jourdain so ardently aspires all that admirable?
The Friday premiere is already sold out. Call now Saturday reservations. (Sundays are "pay what you can" with no reservations.)
November 7 - December 21, 2008
Fridays & Saturdays 8:00 pm -- Admission $20; Students/Seniors $10
Sundays 5:30 pm -- no reservations, "Pay-What-You-Can"
Box Office/Reservations: (310) 319-9939
Directed by Frédérique Michel
Production Design by Charles A. Duncombe
Cast:
Jeff Atik
Matt Cook
Ruthie Crossley
Troy Dunn
Michael Galvin
Lejla Hadzimuratovic
Deborah Knox
Edgar Landa
Jessica Madison
Cynthia Mance
Max Molina
Alisha Nichols
Mariko Oka
Ken Rudnicki
Trace Taylor
Garth Whitten
John Willard
Monday, November 3, 2008
VOTE!!
Don't forget to get out there and vote tomorrow...
I can't wait to proudly cast my vote for Barack Obama!
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