Review: A Doctor in Spite of Himself by Molière. Adapted by Christopher Bayes and Steven Epp. Directed by Christopher Bayes. With Daniel Breaker, Steven Epp, Allen Gilmore, Chelsey Rives, Renata Friedman. At Intiman now through October 10.
Sometimes you go to the theater and learn something, and sometimes you go and experience something, and sometimes you go and it is pure drudgery. Once in a great while you get to go to the theater and it is just pure, unadulterated, comedic joy and very happily, Intiman’s production of the classic Molière play, “A Doctor in Spite of Himself” is one of those purely, unadulterated, joyously comedic occasions. It’s a short, fast-paced, cleverly executed romp through a landscape of French and Italian theatrical traditions made gloriously American, and contemporary, and very, very relevant to our pop culture obsessed world without disrespecting the source material. It’s also a rowdy, naughty hoot anchored by some excellent actors having a helluva good time on stage…think the old “Carol Burnett Show” when Tim Conway was constantly conspiring to make Harvey Korman break character and laugh out loud during a scene. “Doctor” is proof that living, breathing relatable productions can be made from old plays, long banished to a dry curio cabinet, caked with age and academic pretensions. This is not your Grandpa’s production of a 200+ year old Molière “classic”. It’s fresh and ready for 21st Century audiences.
“Doctor” has your standard French farce structure of mistaken identities, cuckolded spouses, bosomy maids, slamming doors and kooky disguises…also, fart jokes, weiner jokes, boob jokes, fornicating jokes and poop jokes. Your average Joe Sixpack’s eyes would glaze over if you gave him tickets to a 18th Century French play, but if you laid out the plot, he’d think you had just described the latest episode of “Family Guy”, only funnier…(or more accurately “funny” since “Family Guy” usually isn’t). In a nutshell, “Doctor” concerns Sganarelle, a simple but wily woodsman who’s usually on the outs with his shrewish wife, (think “Punch and Judy” type domestic violence). The wife, eager to get revenge on her husband, convinces the dim-witted servants of a local squire that her husband is really a brilliant doctor who PRETENDS to be a simple peasant. The servants have been sent on a mission from their master to find a doctor to cure the squire’s daughter of her psychosomatic state of muteness and urged by the vengeful wife, they manage (with a little violence) to convince Sganarelle to return with them to cure the maiden of her ills. They return to the manor home where Sganarelle makes with the hocus pocus to trick the squire, attempt to bed the comely housemaid and to unite the lovestruck daughter with the man she really loves and her father objects to. Naturally, after a lot of wackiness and dirty jokes, all is made right and everyone is paired off with who they should be paired, all in a trim 90 minutes, the proper length for any form of comedy…
This is one of those shows where everyone involved does a fantastic job so it’s impossible to leave anyone out so it’s best to just start with the top and start spreading the love. Director and co-adaptor Christopher Bayes is internationally known as an expert in Commedia del’ Arte, the 16th century Italian theater art form best known to modern audiences as the forerunner of “Punch and Judy”. Mr Bayes, and his co-adaptor Steven Epp are also known for their many years with the very much acclaimed, (and much lamented since its demise a few years back) Minneapolis theater company, Theatre de la Jeune Lune where they created many, many excellent new productions and revised texts of classic works in the styles of the Commedia. Their work here, on “Doctor” revisits their previous experiences creating fresh takes on classic texts at Jeune Lune, (I lived in Minneapolis; I’ve seen their amazing work). And, if you are a purist, you might be shocked at this adaptation. Mr Bayes and Mr Epp have made this a very contemporary take on 18th Century traditions. There are vacuum cleaners and wrist watches and tennis shoes and Gothy teenaged girls in their version of “Doctor” and musical snippets alluding to pop songs, commercials and tv shows. The bewildered squire bears more than a passing resemblance to an Eddie Murphy movie character and there’s gay jokes and vogueing. But, it never overwhelms the play; it only grounds it and makes it relatable to contemporary audiences. Molière was a commercial comedy playwright, a combination of Neil Simon and Judd Apatow. His plays were MEANT to be funny and rude and naughty and commercial and topical. I think he would hate most productions of his work because they are staid and reverent and academic shrines to “tradition”. Molière was that rare combination of brilliant artistry and commercial shrewdness; I’m thinking that he would very much heartily approve of this adaptation and Mr Bayes fresh, witty take on the direction of the play. Not every bit works, but Bayes keeps things moving along at a brisk pace like an old-school vaudevillian. There’s always something interesting, or odd, or strange, or colorful and lively going on his stage. He makes it magical and cirque-like, not ponderous and texty. It’s a wonderful script and very smart and sly staging.
We’re in a dreamy, circusy, fantasy world that teeters over into burlesque and bawdiness and the simple, folkish, fantastical sets of Narelle Sissons beautifully reflect that world, as does Greg Sullivan’s lighting and the color-coded costumes of Elizabeth Caitlin Ward that pay hommage to the world of Commedia while simultaneously deconstructing it. The world they create is a dreamy, naughty world and want I want to live in it..or, maybe I already do.
The actor’s are having too much fun in this production…it’s not decent that people are being paid Equity wages to crack each other up onstage 7 shows a week. Our Big Broadway Star, (and part-time Seattlite since he is partnered with Intiman Artistic Director Kate Whoriskey) is Daniel Breaker and he’s that rare quality of actor that can play “dirty” and still seem sweet and non-threatening; he imbues Sganarelle with a naughty lightness of being that manages to remain real and grounded and earthy. He is also ridiculously cute and enormously talented so I’m guessing he’s going to be doing a lot of commuting in and out of Seattle for awhile because he is going to have offers for theater work all over the country for a very long time.
He is very well matched in this production with the performance of Allen Gilmore as the “Nutty Professor” sized squire prone to sudden fits of singing and dancing. Mr Gilmore is a very funny actor and while I’m not sure if he is channeling Eddie Murphy or “George Jefferson”, I am sure it’s a very adept comedic performance and proof that fat suits are ALWAYS funny…Co-adaptor of this production, Steven Epp is also an actor in it, and his slow to catch on manservant is a small comic gem with some able support from Don Darryl Rivera as his sidekick. In their opening scene, I suddenly thought of “Waiting for Godot” and I think both actors would be a natural casting for that play…they have excellent timing together and make a divine team. Austin Durant has the unenviable task of playing the “straight” love interest, the dullest character in the script, but the Bayes/Epp adaptation gives this lover, Leandre a different spin and Mr Bayes cunningly plays off the stereotypes of the juvenile love interest. Mr Durant plays off those perceptions and creates a very funny, unique take on a vain-glorious lover. As his love interest and the squire’s mute daughter, local actress Renata Friedman is nearly unrecognizable as the super skinny Gothic Princess and her imitation of a donkey is by itself worth the price of admission. In smaller roles, both Chelsey Rives as a bosomy but street wise nursery maid, and Ashley Marshall as Sganarelle’s mouthy and vengeful bride both revel in the earthiness of the comedy and very robustly manage to create colorful, original characters out of very stock characters. Finally, there are two musicians off to the side of the stage, providing accompaniment that not only serves as background music and sound effect but as a roving commentary on the proceedings. Greg C. Powers and “Awesome” musician Robertson Witmer are only two guys, but between them they must play a dozen instruments and their “color commentary” becomes a very necessary and desired component of the show.
That’s it, folks. Nothing more to be said. The economy is awful, the dreaded political season is upon us and the weather forecasters are predicting a wet, cold winter. We all need a little bawdy fun in our lives and we can’t afford to take our significant others to warm, sandy beaches for a week of passionate lovemaking and fruity drinks with umbrellas in them…go to the Intiman and give yourself a comedy vacation and don’t even dare to think about the next two months of endless political ads on the television and the mold growing on the inside of your umbrella. Doctor’s orders.
Photos: Chris Bennion/Intiman
-Michael Strangeways
