Scottsdale Community Player's Les Liaisons Dangereuses at Stagebrush Theatre
(out of 
)Mark S.P. Turvin
(home office) (602) 912-0117
I can be reached for comment via e-mail at: mspt@goldfishpublishers.com
Reviewed 3/12/99
(out of )Let's begin this with a rave. Set Designer T.J. Weltzein, Lighting Designer Michael Eddy, and Costume Designer Timothy Slope must step center stage and bow for their thunderous ovations. The visual creation that they have realized for the Scottsdale Community Players current production of Christopher Hampton's icily nasty pre-French Revolution epic, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, is stunning. Possibly one of the best technical creations to have occurred at Stagebrush Theatre. Mr. Weltzein's set is simply spectacular, capturing perfectly the lush décor of the period, from the golden-fruit draped doors to the enormous flickering chandelier. Mr. Eddy's warm and golden lighting is the perfect compliment, and Mr. Slope's period costumes are wonderfully subtle, from Le Presidente de Tourvel's dress with pearls-as-chastity-belt, to Le Vicompte de Valmont's bunched-hem jackets which he uses to flourish around the stage in a perfectly period swagger.
If this show were to be judged on looks alone, it would receive
an overwhelmingly positive review. Unfortunately, the impressive
designers are balanced by Director Ginger Moore's production
that is at turns slow moving, unmodulated, and lacking the all-important
sexual tension that makes this such a wonderful and cruel script.
Set in 1780's France, this play charts the aristocratic headgames
played by the powerful and distant La Marquise de Merteuil and
her paramour and fellow gameplayer, La Vicomte de Valmont. Such
games include the spoiling of a fifteen year old girl, the crushing
of a virtuous wife, and the manipulations of a naïve young
man. While the play is a tad long, ordinarily the gameplaying
and eventual breakdown of the pact between the two makes the evening
rush forward with studied grace.
Not so with Ms. Moore's interpretation of the play, which is severely
hampered by multi-minute-long set changes that slow the pacing
to a crawl, and by the lack of a tangible sexual tension between
all characters. Concerning the tedious set changes, a source involved
with the production said that this process was purposely included
to give audiences a chance to discuss the scene prior and "catch
up" with the intrigues, an amateur justification which hurts
much more than it helps. As for the lacking of any discernible
sexual tension, the blame rests equally between Ms. Moore and
her three leads, Laura Durant as the Marquise, Terry
Gadaire as the Vicomte, and Diane Walker as the distressed
Tourvel. Without this tension, the play seems longer than it's
nearly three-hour offering.
Ms. Durant, ordinarily a wonderful actress with much subtlety
and grace, is just too distant for this role. She has taken too
far the coldness of this character, who must always burn as well
as freeze. As for her flirtations with Mr. Gadaire, they are absolutely
unimpressive, and have all of the energy of a twice-doused campfire.
Mr. Gadaire's Valmont is nothing like any interpretation of the
character I've seen before, but in actuality, is more like the
style of the French aristocratic men of the time. He is mincing
and effeminate, all flourish and fawning. Unfortunately, he is
almost too foppish, even as he is accurate, and his character's
sudden turns near the end of the show are too late, and too quick
to be believable. Finally, as the sad-then-ecstatic-then-inconsolable
Tourvel, Ms. Walker has two emotions: crying and joyous. There
is little between, although, in her defense, her character is
not one of the best written ones to perform. One has no idea why
any of these people are attracted to any others, and to sit wondering
that until nearly eleven is not an enjoyable experience.
The supporting cast is a mixed bag, with solid performances from
Debbie Ware and Sue Maggie Tucker as a mother and
daughter at the center of the Marquise' wrath, and Steve Medeiros'
performance of the stiff Le Chevalier Danceny. Pacing and dialogue
was thrown off cue by Gene Summers as Mme. de Rosemonde,
who seemed bound and determined to get her dialogue out, even
as others were speaking. Once again, though, David Barker's
fight choreography was well-staged, and a highlight in an otherwise
unremarkable performance.
The past few season had seen Stagebrush
Theatre's costume drama productions raising their production
and acting values. This production is only a half step backward,
though in the area theatergoers will find most bothersome. Incorrect
set movement and casting choices have marred what could have been
a wonderful addition to their collection of great costume dramas,
including The Elephant Man
and Amadeus, even as the theatre has once again raised
the bar on their technical accomplishments. A fair amount of people
left the show's opening night at intermission, probably figuring
that the hour-and-a-half first act gave them their money's worth.
Perhaps they were right, and that's unfortunate.
Production Details:
Les Liaisons Dangereuses by Christopher Hampton
Scottsdale Community Players
Stagebrush Theatre, Scottsdale
(602) 990-7405
March 12th - March 28th, 1999