by Michele Markarian
The Salonnieres, by Liz Duffy Adams. Directed by Weylin Symes. Produced by the Greater Boston Stage Company, 395 Main Street, Stoneham, through November 11.
As you walk into the theater, the first thing you see is Katheryn Monthei’s whimsically gorgeous set – what appears to be a lovely gilded cage, with period furniture, and a glossy purple cloth partially draped over it. This could be fun, I thought with some relief, a little subdued by the play’s fancy French title. And fun it is, as well as funny. Despite the laughs, the play has a pointed feminist bent that’s not without bite.
The motherless Madeleine de Sauveterre (Elainy Mata) has been invited to a salon hosted by her mother’s best friend, Henriette, the Comtesse de Mare (Laura Latreille). Madeleine, whose ambitious and broke father has arranged for her marriage to Claude, the Duc de la Beauchene (Bill Mootos), is determined not to marry by seeking Henriette’s aid. Despite the Duc’s terrible reputation – he has allegedly killed his previous two wives – Henriette finds the Duc charming, and is a little miffed that the younger girl doesn’t appreciate her good fortune. Her more cynical fiend, Gabrielle, the Marquise D’Aulney (Sarah Newhouse) thinks otherwise, and she and Henriette’s maid, the reluctant Francoise (Lisa Joyce) conspire to help Madeleine escape her fate as the French Revolution looms. Each salon participant, with the exception of Madeleine, is encouraged to tell a story, all of which reflect something of the storyteller’s views of what is unfolding. It is cleverly intertwined with the plot. And although the ending wraps itself up a little too neatly as a feminist/proletariat fairytale, the performances of this excellent cast are so good it’s worth it.
Laura Latreille gives a masterful performance as the batty Henriette. She mixes her metaphors and delivers pithy one liners with aplomb – “It’s been lovely sleeping through the night without fear of ambush”, she deadpans, when asked why she hasn’t married again. As a widow, she is socially ambitious, but not without conscience. Sarah Newhouse’s Gabrielle is a realist, less frazzled; she tells the impressionable Madeleine, “…you’ll never find a worse enemy than among your closest friends” and means it. Newhouse plays her with dignified command. Bill Mootos, as the Duc, is appropriately charming, oily, with flashes of ill temper. His class snobbery comes through when he condescendingly urges Francoise to tell a story – “Don’t be shy, little peasant”. (Such is the deftness of Mootos’ delivery that this actually got a laugh).
Francoise and Madeleine, bringing up the younger generation, are more than willing to stand their ground when it comes to telling their elders what to do. Joyce is skillful with playing intentions. You can see the wheels turning underneath the steely gaze of her stoical Francoise. When she tells Madeleine, “No one has any power over you that you don’t grant them,” you wonder just what the heck is going on in her head, because trust me, something is. Mata is terrific as Madeleine, transforming herself from a naïve, terrified young girl into a brave, independent woman. She is interesting to watch, as the power dynamics between Madeleine and the other characters shifts as she comes face to face with her own desire to be a free woman.
Gail Astrid Buckley’s beautiful period costumes, along with Jason Allen’s exquisite wigs, add verisimilitude to the story. And although the ending is a little too cleverly wrapped up, in an age where women’s experiences are being questioned and their looks judged, a play about sisterhood and intelligence is more than a pleasure to watch. For tickets and info, go to: http://www.greaterbostonstage.org/
