[ Post a Response | Stephen Caffrey Fans Message Board ]
Posted by Merce on 5/18/2007, 2:49 pm It's not exactly on par with that climactic door slam of "A Doll's House," but all the same ... You go, Constance! Our props are for Constance Middleton, the ever-practical and quick-thinking heroine of W. Somerset Maugham's "The Constant Wife." This is a lady who — were she not stuck in a 1926 comedy of manners — might have drawn quite a few more gasps over the years. Followed by cheers. Strutting purposefully through Art Manke's production at Pasadena Playhouse, Megan Gallagher should earn both. She's quite marvelous, and the production Manke has built around her plays to her talents. While the jaws of her inner-circle members are collectively dropping, Gallagher's Constance barely shrugs. She's cool, but not — we will come to learn — without feeling. Blinders in place Constance is the much-admired wife of a successful doctor (played by Stephen Caffrey) whose philandering sets the play in motion. Her friends and family (most notably her mother, Mrs. Culver, and sister, Martha) figure that steady Constance is oblivious to her husband's latest dalliance with Marie-Louise Durham (Libby West), Constance's best friend. Not quite. When the affair is brought No, I've probably already revealed too much. "The Constant Wife" remains a much- produced, much-revived work (its most recent Broadway revival in 2005 featured Kate Burton and Lynn Redgrave), but for those who don't know the play, suspense is best. If Constance's heart was ever shattered by the turns her life has taken, Gallagher has buried that particular hurt years ago. Or else she's mastered the public face. The reappearance of an ardent admirer from her past (Kaleo Griffith) doesn't so much reignite a dormant burner in Constance as it offers an interesting set of opportunities. And, as played by West, best friend Marie-Louise is too much of a bubble-head for that side of the John/Marie-Louise assignation to rankle. Constance is in several ways a tricky role. We first meet her just as the crisis is brewing, meaning any simmering dissatisfaction is forced into the open practically before we ever see the "public" Constance. Director Manke's program notes about the character's quest for freedom are borne out, particularly in a final image that has Constance celebrating her liberation. Manke and the production team have certainly got the world down correctly. Set and costume designer Angela Balogh Calin has created a high-ceilinged drawing room, immaculately maintained by — presumably — unseen servants. Wittily Wilde-ian "The Constant Wife" may be billed as a comedy, but in Pasadena, it's not played with much lightheartedness. Carolyn Seymour archly aims her dowager zingers that seem like they've come straight from the lips of Oscar Wilde. ("Decency died with Queen Victoria"). Monette McGrath and Ann Marie Lee score as Constance's sister, Martha, and would-be business partner, Barbara. Truly, this play is lousy with strong women's roles. Ultimately, it's a nice pas de deux shared by Gallagher and Caffrey as the husband who comes to learn the consequences of marital indifference. In Caffrey's hands, John is reduced to outraged blithering, but he's not necessarily an outright cad, either. Regardless, it's Constance's play. Gallagher's take is consistently — and constantly — worth watching. THE CONSTANT WIFE
his 'Constant Wife' does not fail to delight
By Evan Henerson, Theater Critic
Article Last Updated: 05/17/2007 04:46:19 PM PDT
Advertisement
to light, Constance turns the tables in a manner most unexpected for 1920s England. She ...
Our rating:
Where: Pasadena Playhouse, 39 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena.
When: 8 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 4 and 8 p.m. Saturday, 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday; through June 10.
Tickets: $31 to $60. (626) 356-7529.
In a nutshell: Maugham's comedy nonetheless contains a lot of bite.
Message Thread:
« Back to thread