” The School For Scandal” reviewed by Julia W. Rath

**** Richard B. Sheridan’s “The School for Scandal” was initially presented in 1777 as a comedy of manners and a critique of the hypocrisy of the British upper classes. Today’s production by the Idle Muse Theatre Company is sublimely directed and nicely adapted by Evan Jackson to retain the flavor of the original masterpiece, with its emphasis on material affluence, unfaithful men, and cheeky women. When it comes to gossiping, inventing rumors and falsehoods, and putting on airs, the humor works just as well nowadays as in the past. Plus, despite the language differences from two centuries ago, the sparkling and witty dialogue in British English is remarkably understandable (especially the longer you listen to it), thanks to fine dialogue coaching by Mario Mazzetti.

This combination morality play/satire hinges on the integrity of two brothers, Joseph Surface (Eric Duhon) and Charles Surface (Brian Healy) and how their uncle Sir Oliver (Ross Compton) tests out whether each of them is worthy of his fortune. Whereas Joseph appears worthy superficially and Charles appears to be the scoundrel, the opposite is actually true (at least in the eyes of conventional 18th century British morality). Joseph is the one who hide his deceptive nature when it comes to both his financial matters and his sexual pursuits, whereas Charles, by comparison, is honest in his dealings and straightforward in his roguery. At the same time, Lady Sneerwell (Elise Soeder), together with the sly Snake (Boomer Lusink), conspire with Joseph to tarnish Charles’s reputation and try to turn Maria (Cat Evans) and Joseph into an item, knowing full well that Charles loves her and intends to be her suitor. A subplot involves Sir Peter Teazle (Eric Schnitger) and his much younger wife, Lady Teazle (Caty Gordon) and their impossible marriage. Whereas Sir Peter seems to be sincere in his affections for his spouse, she, on the other hand, seeks to take advantage of him, particularly when it comes to acquiring more material possessions. Aspiring to live a higher lifestyle than her social class, she wishes him dead because of the money she would stand to inherit. Then too, we see the (working-class) servant (Brooks Whitlock) who occasionally hints at breaking the fourth wall and thus serves as a conduit between the characters from this bygone era and today’s audience members. Other characters include: Mrs. Candour (Mara Kovecevic), Mrs. Crabtree (Elizabeth MacDougald), Sir Benjamin Backbite (Cameron Austin Brown), Rowley (Andrew Bosworth), and Careless (Whitlock).

There is a saying that the first act sets up the characters whereas the second act is what you would like the characters to accomplish. With so many characters having their own back stories, it takes a full hour (in this 2-hour and 15-minute show) to get to know each character and what they are capable of doing. Yet following the story can occasionally be difficult because of the large number of characters we have to learn about—while at the same time, we need to figure out who exactly is important. Our initial lack of knowledge about how the characters fit into the plot is made up for through the actors’ expressive body language and clever use of physical comedy. Watching this is quite a treat! For example, I loved the segment in the beginning of the second act where the actors freeze to form their portraits. (While this last sentence probably won’t make sense to the reader of this article, you’ll have to see the play in person to understand exactly what I mean—and how Tristan Brandon’s prop design and Laura Wiley’s lighting design contributes to making this possible!)

Anachronous tidbits not only make this production memorable but add to its brilliance. Chief among these is the use of heavy metal music between most scenes; it’s an odd and unexpected interlude that makes the show funnier, thanks to the work of music director Kati Lechner and sound designer and composer L.J. Luthringer. Then there is the superlative costume drama aspect of the show. The clothing is beautifully tailored using vintage patterns from the late 18th century, including waistcoats and white stockings for men and dresses that include hip pads and bum rolls for women. But while most of the fabric being used is true to the era, the themes, swirls, and uses of color in the women’s wear are of more recent design, with larger and bolder prints than the chintz of that time period. That said, I liked seeing the unusual color combinations used by costume designer Victoria Jablonski and assistant costume designer Katie Fletcher in yet another nod to modernity. Of course, one of the first things we notice on stage is the hair and makeup design, a tribute to Jennifer Mohr’s style coaching and Jacque Bischoff’s makeup design. All of the actors’ giant wigs are marvelously coiffed, portraying what the aristocracy might have worn in the late 18th century. Yet it is the occasional “non-wig” which makes us take notice: that a character is being their authentic self! Apparently in this production, the larger and more convoluted the wig, the more superficial the person is who wears it!

In sum, “The School for Scandal” is a sharp commentary about the ways that the British aristocrats tried to give those in their social class a more high and mighty impression of themselves while working to hide their flaws and vulnerabilities. What a familiar retort in almost every day and age, for, alas, human nature has not changed over the centuries! This is an entertaining show with great acting, and if you are interested in seeing a contemporary production of this play, this is the one that I would recommend.

“The School for Scandal” is playing through April 12, 2025, at The Edge Off-Broadway Theater, 1133 W. Catalpa Avenue, in Chicago.

General admission tickets: $30
Students and seniors: $20

Performance schedule:

Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays – 8:00 p.m.
Sundays – 3:00 p.m.
Additional performance: Wednesday, April 9th at 8:00 p.m.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit https://www.idlemuse.org/ or the Idle Muse Theatre Company Box Office, 773-340-9438.

To see what others are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.com, go to Review Round-Up and click at ” The School For Scandal”.

photos :Steven Townsend /Distant Era