Rollicking 'School for Lies' at URI

By Don Fowler
Posted 3/1/17

By DON FOWLER In case you don't know it, the University of Rhode Island has one heck of a great theatre program. We finally made it down to one of their productions in the J-Studio at the Fine Arts Center, an impressive building that houses a large

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Rollicking 'School for Lies' at URI

Posted

In case you don’t know it, the University of Rhode Island has one heck of a great theatre program.

We finally made it down to one of their productions in the J-Studio at the Fine Arts Center, an impressive building that houses a large theatre space in addition to the downstairs intimate theatre…sort of like Trinity Rep.

David Ives’ “The School For Lies,” adapted from Moliere’s “The Misanthrope,” was given a rollicking production under the direction of theatre veteran Alan F. Hawkridge, who is also a member of the school faculty.

The set is simple but elegant, with up-close seating on three sides, including swinging doors for the actors to make abrupt entrances and exits in this hilarious satirical comedy. Ives’ clever two-line rhyming couplets are hysterical, updated from Moliere with a number of modern phrases and even an occasional rap.

The story is set in Paris in 1666, allowing another theatre veteran, costume designer David T. Howard, to create some outrageously bright costumes and wigs.

CATIA stars as Celimene, a beautiful young widow with a sharp tongue who is wooed by three men, rejecting them all. Into her salon comes Frank (Raymond Fournier), a mysterious man with an equally sharp tongue. Frank, who claims to always speak the truth, changes barbs with Celimene.

Will this clash of two pompous, self-delusional, outspoken characters turn to love?

Will the plot thicken with mistaken identities, misunderstandings, and verbal retaliations?

“Society is nothing but a school for lies,” Frank proclaims, as the action turns from one twist to another.

The physical comedy and mastering of the language, with emphasis on the rhyming couplets, requires polished actors, and the cast at URI Theatre meets the test perfectly, even at the opening night performance when a few miscues are expected.

Kyle Couture, who introduces and closes the play as Philinte is marvelous as the cross-dressing suitor, while Erik Schlicht brings down the house in two roles: waiter and valet.

There’s a running gag concerning canapés that just gets funnier and funnier thanks to Schlicht’s perfect comic timing.

URI is noted for its non-traditional casting, which is quite evident in this production. This excellent production is worth the trip to Kingston (all of 20 minutes from Warwick).

“The School For Lies” continues through March 5. Call 874-5843 for reservations.

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