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They say you should write what you know.

Saturday May 05, 2001.     By Joseph Bowen

Theater Feed

Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave., Chicago
Tickets: $24-$34, Student Rush Tickets (day of performance): $8.00
Box Office (773) 753-4472
Through February 1

They say you should write what you know. That's especially true of Moliere's fourth play The School for Wives, which is being given a lively and very funny production at the Court Theatre.

The School for Wives received it's first production in 1662, with Moliere himself as Arnolphe, and his former lover Catherine de Brie as his young ward, Agnes. The play became an instant hit and made Moliere a household name in Paris. The School for Wives follows the story of M. Arnolphe (Kevin Gudahl), a wealthy man who has recently taken the name of M. de la Souche. Arnolphe has returned home after an absence of ten days with the intention of marrying his young ward, Agnes (Judy Greer), who he has raised since the age of five (Moliere raised his wife Armande Bejart as his ward since she was five). In keeping with his scheme to marry her, he has raised her in ignorance and bliss, hoping that she will make the perfect wife, and that she will be, in effect, too stupid to cheat on him. Arnolphe has such an irrational fear of becoming a cuckold, like so many of the men he knows, that he will do seemingly anything to prevent her from slipping through his hands.

Into the mix comes Horace (Kevin Fox), the son of his Arnolpheís good friend Oronte (Dev Kennedy). Horace confesses to Arnolphe that he is in love with a woman whose guardian is a domineering man by the name of M. de la Souche, and that he has visited with her while the master of the house was away. He then tells Arnolphe that they have professed their undying love for each other. He asks Arnolphe for his assistance in winning her away from her jealous guardian. As you can guess, this development causes all sorts of mayhem. The School for Wives is a funny and sometimes brutal comedy of fate, where everyone gets what's coming to them.

The current production at The Court Theatre, the professional theatre in residence at the University of Chicago, is a highly polished exercise in farce. Assisted by a brilliant Richard Wilbur translation, director Laszlo Marton has crafted a production that is quite funny, but also gives us a peek at how tragic all this is for Arnolphe. Even though his tactics are ruthless, you almost feel sorry for him. He is only doing what he believes is right. Agnes merely wants what Arnolphe cannot train out of her - to marry a man she loves. Arnolphe is so blind to her feelings, he doesn't realize that she cannot simply be ordered to do what he wants her to just because she lives in his house. Scenic Designer Todd Rosenthal has placed Arnolphe's house, a giant prison-like edifice surrounded by a high fence center stage. It dominates the playing space and makes us feel that like Agnes, we can never escape Arnolphe.

The actors, for the most part, have everything it takes to bring this play to life. Kevin Gudahl gives a brilliant performance as Arnolphe, the domineering patriarchal figure who desperately wants to eliminate his rival. Larry Yando steals the show in a cameo as an anal retentive notary; Martin McClendon and Cheryl Graeff are wonderful as Arnolphe's Commedia Dell'arte style servants. Judy Greer as Agnes and Kevin Fox as Horace give good performances as the young lovers but seem somewhat uncomfortable with Moliere's rhymed couplets. Brad Mott, however, is somewhat dull as Arnolpheís friend Chrysalde.

All in all, you are not likely to see a better production of The School for Wives. The Court Theatre has been successful in producing quality classical theatre in Chicago for a number of years. This is another production that simply adds to their reputation.