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Mar. 23--Chicago theater built an international reputation on the notion that conspicuous consumption belongs on Broadway and, here in the grittier Midwest, poverty begets creativity. So much for that. These days, the big players in town like to flaunt their toys.
Robert Fall's current production of "Life in the Theater" at the Goodman Theatre is the biggest two-character show you ever saw. And out on Navy Pier, the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre and Broadway baby Gary Griffin are blowing quite a wad on, of all things, a designer production of a silly Georges Feydeau farce.
The middle act of "A Flea in Her Ear," a souffle from 1907, takes place in the Frisky Puss Hotel. You don't need a lot of signifiers to tell an audience that the Frisky Puss is no Hampton Inn. And as long as you have doors and the odd spinning bed, a Feydeau farce can function just fine. But that doesn't stop Griffin and his designer Dan Ostling from building a colossal three-story, internal-external edifice, replete with illuminated signage, stairs, rooms and a whole extra loft level that (as far as I can tell) was there merely because . . . well, why not?
The Frisky Puss is onstage for all of about 40 minutes (the other two acts -- precursor to and fallout from the chasing and bed-swapping -- take place in a bourgeois living room). I spent most of that time staring at all the stuff on the walls of the hotel, even as some of the shtick was swallowed up by pink paint.
For connoisseurs of le farce, "A Flea in Her Ear" has its pleasures (it not-so-subtly even reveals that the French capacity for jingoism was alive and well in 1907). And for some loyal but often tired CST subscribers, there's no doubt relief that this is not another "Anthony and Cleopatra" to gamely sit through. Next to the boss.
Feydeau was the king of the meticulously molded misunderstanding. And by commissioning David Ives, a quirky writer whose humor is carefully wrought, Chicago Shakespeare found a guy who could update the creaking dialogue without destroying its spirit. It's a skilled adaptation, not least because it's quite subtle (Ives' impulse is more David Sedaris than Benny Hill). And because little else about this over-produced affair is subtle, that's a relief.
Several CST regulars -- most notably Rick Boynton, whose speech-challenged Camille Chandebise lands somewhere between Moliere's Tartuffe and midcareer Cher -- have a great time not so much chewing up scenery as swallowing an entire lake. I found the guy very funny, and I quite enjoyed the whole show -- although those with a low tolerance for this aged genre might well think otherwise. Nothing here will convert detractors to the charms of French farce, remodeled on epic scale.
This is a big cast, and the performances are mixed. There are a decent number of laughs, and solidly executed bits of business. But you wouldn't call this thing a laugh-riot. That's partly because of the age of the text, but also because the show often tries too hard. Farce is a particular skill and, despite direction that's smart and laudable fast-paced, it's on display here only intermittently (these things take time to jell). In general, the actors who stay close to credible truth (such as Timothy Edward Kane and the terrific Linda Hart) fare the best. Elsewhere, there are a lot of Hail Mary throws.
The best moments -- and the biggest laughs -- come from Anthony Crivello, exceptionally funny as Don Carlos Homenides de Histangua. With a terrified-looking Ora Jones as his foil, Crivello massages every little moment for maximum oomph. If every other performance were so studied and precise, we'd be roaring all night long. Farce is really in all the little details.
"A Flea in Her Ear"
When: Through April 23
Where: Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Navy Pier
Running time: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Tickets: $48-$65 at 312-595-5600
cjones5@tribune.com
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