The Conical Glass: 17th century fart jokes

Friday, July 06, 2007

17th century fart jokes

I always dread the period farces that A.C.T. seems to put on every season. I just don't find them funny. "The Rivals," from the 2005-06 season, might be my least favorite play ever produced by A.C.T. People running around in wigs, breeches, jerkins and bodices, indulging in witty wordplay and double entendres -- sorry, give me "Avenue Q" any day. Therefore, I practically had to force myself to cross the bay for "The Imaginary Invalid," the Moliere play ending the current season. (I always figure that when you pay for season tickets, you must see everything.)

"Invalid" is about a hypochondriac, so the play is chock full of jokes about enemas and -- God help me -- flatulence. Yes, some sound effects guy had to create fart noises and then amplify them so they could be broadcast into the theater. The first 10 minutes were excruciating. Things perked up a little when the lovely & talented Rene Augusen enters; she plays the wife of the invalid, Argan, and the evil stepmother to Argan's daughter Angelique. The play almost became tolerable with the introduction of Angelique's love interest Cleante, played by Jud Williford, who made a big splash earlier this year in "American $uicide." Like all the actors in the play, Williford overacts to the max, as he also did in "$uicide," but somehow, he managed to reveal some expert comic timing and was far less annoying than the other actors, save for Augusen, who is always a delight. Happily, Williford's just joined the theater's core acting company; please, A.C.T., give him a nice subtle role next year.

The usually reliable Gregory Wallace irks as a 17th century version of Urkel, and Stephen Anthony Jones manages, despite copious rouge and lipstick, to retain a bit of dignity in his role as Argan's doctor. Everyone leaps and minces around the stage as if they were modeling their movements on Monty Python's "Ministry of Silly Walks" sketch. I would be remiss if I didn't report that the audience seemed to adore it -- they were laughing from start to finish. So I guess this one just wasn't to my taste.

So, as we do every year, let's rate the A.C.T. season, from best to worst!

Blackbird
The Little Foxes
The Circle
Hedda Gabler
After the War
The Imaginary Invalid
Travesties

Yes, I'm actually ranking Tom Stoppard's "Travesties" below "Invalid," because "Travesties" is one of my favorite plays and I thought A.C.T.'s production was kind of sucky. All in all, I'd give the season a B-; it was their 40th anniversary, but I felt their big prestige productions, "Hedda Gabler" and "After the War," just didn't deliver. "Blackbird" and "Foxes" were both excellent, "The Circle" was very good, and the rest... eh, a little disappointing.

Of course, hope springs eternal, so I've already renewed my subscription for Season #41. It would be hard to screw up Mamet's "Speed-the-Plow," and the recent Broadway version of "Sweeney Todd" should be worth seeing (I must admit I've avoided it thus far because of my aversion to the theme of cannibalism, but at least the music should be great). Happily, there are no 17th century farces on the roster.

posted by 125records @ 4:32 PM

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