With A Misanthrope, Manhattan-based playwright Matt Minnicino has fashioned a “Molière for millenials” with this very witty and sometimes crass twist on the 17th century playwright’s The Misanthrope. Minnicino unfurls his cynical tale in Molière’s rhyming verse style, adding a meta layer to the play, moments when the characters comment directly to the audience on the silliness at hand. There is also liberal use of the word “fuck,” which fits right in with the generationalized dialogue – just an observation not a criticism.)
If you read Molière’s play in college, you probably remember Alceste, a super-cynic who wreaked havoc among the nobility with his sharp and truthful tongue. Alceste is also in love with the vain and beautiful Celimene, who draws much attention from several suitors, including the prickly protagonist. These elements are all present and accounted for in Minnicino’s version and are clearly presented in the same witty, sometimes frivolous manner – at least until Alceste confronts Celimene with the truth of their doomed romance.
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Alceste is captured with a comic fervor and intensity by Elliott Kashner who has a strong command of the language and a firm grasp of the comic timing. The lovely and manipulative Celimene is played to the hilt by Thais Menendez, looking like a young lady living out her perfect life for Instagram while a wake of discarded lovers is out of frame. Menendez nails the faux innocence that masks Celimene’s duplicitous nature with clarity and style.
Jenna Berk makes for a charming female Philinte who displays an exasperated devotion to her cynical friend, while keeping her own secrets until the denouement.
The outline of the plot remains intact, and Behm keeps it moving along at an easy pace. Alceste is being sued by Oronte (played by Erik Harrison at this performance) for disparaging remarks about a love sonnet. Multiple suitors show up to flatter or gossip with Celimene – Clitandre (Patrick Joy), Acaste (Tendo Nsubuga), as well as Oronte – all with varying degrees of success. These actors all embrace the style of the piece and handle the verse with authority. As Celimene’s cousin Eliante, Chloe Mikala provides a smart and grounded portrayal of a young lady who is the opposite of Celimene in more ways than one.
A Misanthrope from Avant Bard closes June 30, 2019. Details and tickets
Rounding out the cast is Sara Barker, a veteran of several Avant Bard productions, in the role of the moralistic older woman Arsinoe, jealous of Alceste’s affections for Celimene. This judgmental, pious character offers a stark contrast to the vainglorious youth who seem to have no other occupation other than lounging around the pool and making inane chatter. The contrast is made even greater by Barker’s energetic and expressive performance, perhaps a bit more over the top than that of her castmates.
Behm and her cast make the most of the well-appointed set, appearing to be the patio of a modern palazzo – except when the characters head for the bar cart, placed at the center-point of the wide, intimate playing area. More than once, action on the other side of the stage was blocked by an actor mixing a cocktail or standing agog as another revelation was being made on the opposite side. Sit on the second or third level up in the Gunston II blackbox and you should be good to go.
“If you’re a Molière purist, beware,” director Megan Behm told DC Theatre Scene’s Keith Loria. I have to agree, but the bones of Molière’s misanthropic look at relationships and society are still there to provide a road map for Minnicino’s new twist.
A Misanthrope by Matt Minnicino, based on Molière’s The Misanthrope . Directed by Megan Behm . Featuring: Elliott Kashner, Jenna Berk, Matt Sparacino, Thais Menendez, Hannah Sweet, Patrick Joy, Tendo Msubuga, Chloe Mikala, Sara Barker, and Erik Harrison . Set design by Megan Holden . Lighting design by Elizabeth Roth . Costume design by Alison Samantha Johnson . Sound design by Kevin Alexander . Stage manager Abigail Wasserman . Produced by WSC Avant Bard . Reviewed by Jeff Walker.
