by K. Primeau~

When Pierre Beaumarchais wrote The Marriage of Figaro, the satirical social-commentary was considered so scandalous it was censored for nearly six years. A seminal text in the lead-up to the French Revolution, Figaro reprised The Barber of Seville and was also composed into an opera by Mozart. With such a rich, fiery history, one would hope an original adaptation by the esteemed City Garage ensemble would be equally provoking. Unfortunately, opening weekend this was not the case.

The Marriage of Figaro, a new English language version by Frederique Michel and Charles Duncombe, maintains the original Figaro plot. Trusted servants Figaro (Troy Dunn) and Suzanne (Janae Burris) await their nuptials as the Count, Countess, Doctor, and several other estate members scheme, sue, and seduce one another until dutiful love and social stratification returns to normal. The misogyny, mistaken identity, and madcap physical comedy remain largely unchanged. Some more modern notes added to the translation include extemporaneous monologues on the usage of crude language in England, cross-dressing homoeroticism, and the rather funny slow-motion lip-syncing to the numbers from the opera version.

Frederique Michel’s curious direction seems to be the crux on which the story unhinges itself. The blocking led the actors to fling themselves about on the stage like lubricated chess pieces, switching between upstage and down in an instant, chasing one another in circles and articulating their movements with an odd hyper-stylized manner. This could be an interesting choice if it served the tone of the story and was well-executed, but as it was, dialogue struggled to be delivered, any subtleties in performance (save the highly controlled physical realm of Amelia Rose Blaire’s Cherubin) were lost to speed, and actors frequently anticipated their lines. The swiftness of it all led the audience to be simultaneously ahead of the action and narrative-ly left behind.

Perhaps what made it more confusing was the fact that the actors all were playing high status. Each self-righteous gesture further obscured who was ruling class and who was not, negating the very social remarks Beaumarchais initially intended for the piece. Certainly, it is often the servants who outsmart their masters (in theatre and elsewhere), but one must see their servitude before believing they deserve freedom. It’s hard to care for a protagonist when his soliloquies bore you; harder still when his plight doesn’t seem authentic at all. While the program purposefully avoids designating a concrete location and time, and lack of explicit definition is a valid choice to be made, not even the cast seemed aware of a time and place to play in. Only Donna Ann Ward’s Marceline and the Countess (Cynthia Mance) truly felt like they existed in a world of hierarchies, grace, and heart wrenching social propriety. The five or six varieties of dialects floating about between the characters did little to help.

Charles Duncombe’s set, which consisted of pair of small chandeliers and a handful of narrow red flats, was surprisingly rigid, despite being placed on wheels. The pieces only moved to evoke a tree in the garden scene, elsewhere remaining as bright red beacons of unspecified space and time. For example, in one scene Figaro is caught between the Count and a lie, trying to cover up for young Cherubin, who has been discovered in the Countess’ chambers. Slowly, all the inhabitants of the estate flow into the room, adding snide commentary to the awkward embarrassment. With the bedroom environment hardly even being alluded to, the building tension and subsequent comedy leaked out of the scene like a flat tire. Likewise, Josephine Poinsot’s costumes were attractive but disappointingly nondescript. The wigs and detailed shoes were beautiful, but other pieces felt only partially realized. The design team’s marriage to the red and black color palette dominated, with both period and Lady Gaga-inspired pieces causing me to wonder whether the action was in a hyperactive dystopia or a poor players attempt at an authentic 18^th century opera buffa.

All in all, the script and staging could’ve used more time to incubate prior to opening. I am certain a more fully realized, strongly developed, and more artful piece exists for this adaptation, if only it isn’t censored first.

The Marriage of Figaro is performed Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 5:30 pm through May 30, 2010

Ticket Prices: $25.00 – Students/Seniors: $15.00

The City Garage is located at 1340 1/2 4th Street (alley), Santa Monica, 90401 between Santa Monica and Wilshire

Reservations by phone at (310) 319-9939