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The School For Wives by La Jolla Stage Company 
School is in session, but in this case it is the teacher who is going to learn the lesson. In this popular Moliere play, the middle-aged Arnolphe seeks to groom himself the perfect young bride Agnes by raising her in near complete seclusion from the time she was a young girl. He believes that by only teaching her the things about life that he wants her to know, keeping her completely innocent and ignorant in regards the ways of love, he will be able to stop her from ever wanting to seek the attentions of another man.
But Arnolphe has obviously underestimated both his hand-picked bride-to-be and other men. For one devoted young man has managed to infiltrate the barriers Arnolphe had constructed to keep others from Agnes. Meanwhile, Agnes is so ignorant and innocent that she did not realize she was being kept and prepared for an eventual marriage to her guardian Arnolphe. Nor did she know that she was supposed to spurn her adoring suitor. And, although she wasn't aware of all the possible motives and intentions of her paramour, she definitely knew that she enjoyed his attentions! And so the game is afoot, with Arnolphe trying to stop the young suitor Horace from wooing Agnes, and Horace trying to defeat the attempts of Arnolphe to stop him, Agnes all the while rooting fervently for Horace to win. One little problem for the young lovers -- Horace keeps confiding all his secret plans to Arnolphe, not realizing that Arnolphe is actually Agnes's guardian. This classic, moderately amusing story is currently being brought to life by the La Jolla Stage Company. The players are led by Mark Petrich as Arnolphe -- the part originally played by Moliere himself. Mark's performance swings back and forth between a frustrated buffoon and a crafty, ruthless schemer. Kim Hawkins definitely has the sweet look and demeanor of the young Agnes who has been "protected" from the outside world, but who quickly finds great delight when Horace slips through that protection. Robert Borzych does a fine job as Horace, displaying both machismo with Arnolphe as he foolishly tells of his efforts to win Agnes, and showing great sensitivity, affection, and tenderness as he woos the young woman whom he knows is ignorant of such things. Agnes can be fairly grateful it was Horace that found her first, rather than someone who would merely want to take advantage of her ignorance. But most of the comedy in the show probably comes from Arnolphe's dimwitted servants charged with keeping Agnes isolated: Alain (Jabe Hammond) and Georgette (Holly Pollock). With all manner of confused, ridiculous, and blank expressions, it is laughably obvious how Horace was able to sneak past the "guards." With few smarts and a weak spot for bribes, Arnolphe's biggest mistake (next to trying to keep Agnes locked up in his "school for wives") was hiring Alain and Georgette to be his truant officers! Rob Hopper San Diego Playbill ~ Cast ~
Arnolphe: Mark Petrich Agnes: Kim Hawkins Horace: Robert Borzych Alain: Jabe Hammond Georgette: Holly Pollock Chrysalde: Patrick Heald Enrique: Darren Philips Oronte: Brian P. Evans Notary: Darren Philips Director: Kathryn Lee Moss Stage Manager: Michael Turk Woodbury Set Designer: Stephanie Paquette Lighting Designer: Brandon I. Moss Costume Designer: Ann Marie Houghtailing |