The Lady's Not For Burning by Christopher Fry
The Herndon Times Review
THEATER
ELDEN STREET HITS THE MARK WITH 'THE LADY'
By Michael Birchenall
Weekender Theater Critic
Weekender Section
TIMES COMMUNITY
NEWSPAPER (The Herndon Times)
Wednesday, January 26, 2000
Fresh, lyrical and charming are words that pop into the head to describe
Elden Street Players' interpretation of Christopher Fry's "The Lady's Not
for Burning." This review could go on and on with other words from the
thesaurus cataloging the delight in seeing a splendid verse play with fine
direction, good acting from the whole ensemble without a weak link, and the fun
reaction from an appreciative full house audience.
From a 1948 play by English playwright Fry, "The Lady" is one of a
quartet of comedies he wrote mimicking the seasons -- this one's a lighthearted
spring. Written well in verse, the play moves along with a rhythmic mesmerizing
diction, pleasing to the ear. Critics could complain that there isn't a whole
lot of substance to the words -- but let's lighten up a bit -- the words flow
well and above all they tell a story, and with a great deal of humor as well.
Todd Huse directs this gem with a light hand and a keen comic sensibility.
His notes in the playbill scared me a bit with the Monty Python references --
this isn't Python -- but he doesn't waver too much to distract from the natural
movement of the story. He concentrates on timing and diction and his cast does
him well -- Fry, now 93, would be amused as well. Hard work and talent pay off.
The story is set in the 15th century and is your average
witch-ready-to-be-burned story. She pleads her case of innocence against the
counterpoint of a young man wanting to be hanged -- confessing to any number of
heinous crimes. Add a young woman waiting to be married to one of two fool sons
of a silly woman and a mayor, clerk, constable and a chaplain of considerable
instability and you have the makings of a romantic comedy -- sort of.
Paradoxes and contradictions make the humor in the lyric with lines like,
"Has death become the fashionable way to live?" Or a way to describe
the present life, "where I am now, between the past and the future."
Then you mix in the visual silliness of a character who is the biggest fool of
all and you get the stew cooking. Of course, he is the character who makes the
most sense and he amuses us with his slapstick humor.
One of the three main characters, Kenneth Allison, as Mendip, is the man who
wants to die. With a classic diction and self-incorporation into his character,
Allison gives us moment after moment of poetic fancy on stage. He is sharp, he
is confident. Susan Talbott is the accused witch and soon-to-be-love interest.
She never wavers in her portrayal and wins us over to the side of love over
witchcraft.
Then there is Glen Hochkeppel as the fool Nicholas Devize. I could pay no
higher compliment than to say that he plays the role as if it were written for
him. He is absorbed into the character and then generously shares the good parts
with the audience. We appreciated his kindness and eagerness to evoke a generous
smile.
The lady may not be for burning, but the smoking hot performance of the Elden
Street Players on this night came close to setting off the fire alarms for
having too much fun on stage. 'The Lady's Not for Burning' February 4-5,
10-11-12 at 8 p.m., Feb. 6 at 7 p.m. The Industrial Strength Theatre, 269 Sunset
Business Park, Herndon Call (703) 481-5930
© Copyright 2000 Times Community Newspapers
