Delightful action in 'Ladies Man'

Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Jan 17, 2007 by Ivan M. Lincoln Deseret Morning News

"THE LADIES MAN," PIONEER THEATRE COMPANY, Pioneer Memorial Theatre, through Jan. 27 (581-6961 or www.pioneertheatre.org); running time: 150 minutes (one intermission)

Georges Feydeau (1862-1921) was a master at French farce. His first major success was "Tailleur pour Dames (The Ladies Dressmaker)," an 1889 work that Pioneer Theatre Company artistic director Charles Morey has "freely translated and adapted" -- and which is having its official English-translation world premiere in a sumptuous production at Pioneer Memorial Theatre.

Most of the action -- and there is plenty -- takes place in the parlor of the home and office of Dr. Hercule Molineaux in Paris.

Guest designer Gary English fills the stage with splendid La Belle Epoque trappings -- five doors and a couple of alcoves, a luxurious setting for eight characters running amok. The Eiffel Tower looms in the background.

The plot, cleverly adapted from "The Ladies Dressmaker" and other Feydeau gems, is pure silliness. The cast is an uproarious delight.

Max Robinson is right in his element as the doctor, suffering from an ailment that was probably not talked about in "polite" circles in those days -- but which would also stir up much gossip.

As the comedy opens, Molineaux and his exuberant wife Yvonne (played to the hilt by Michelle Six) have been sleeping in separate bedrooms for some time after only two years of marriage.

Etienne, the hilarious butler, played by Sean Arbuckle, explains that Yvonne is young and beautiful and that Hercule is not so young and definitely not beautiful.

A central element of the marriage is Yvonne's mother (Nance Williamson in a frightening performance). Her son-in-law has the best description: "Medusa was a sweet, sensitive country girl compared to Madame Aigreville."

The action kicks into high gear early on, when Hercule sneaks home through a second-story window after a particularly disastrous night at the infamous Moulin Rouge. He was supposed to meet -- and offer counsel to -- playful Suzanne Aubin (Anney Giobbe), but instead he is beat up by a Prussian soldier (a robust performance by Kurt Zischke), who turns out to be Suzanne's insanely jealous husband, Gustav. His thick German dialect is nearly impossible to understand.

One of the comedy's best performances -- and most hilariously drawn characters -- comes from John Guerrasio as Bassinet, one of the doctor's patients and also his confidant. Guerrasio is a throwback to Charlie Chaplin, the Keystone Kops, Groucho Marx and Buster Keaton all rolled into one delightful Parisian clown.

Dr. Molineaux spins one fantastic tale after another, trying to extricate himself from what begins as a fairly simple white lie.

All of the characters -- including maid Marie (Cheryl Gaysunas), who is pivotal in one of the subplots -- eventually converge at 70 Rue Sans Souci, a former dress shop, which is actually the front for another far more salacious business.

The only problem with "The Ladies Man" is that the conclusion takes much too long to fall into place. The production evolves into more of a British pantomime and seems about 15 or 20 minutes too long.

Sensitivity rating: Some slightly ribald French double-entendres and innuendo.

E-mail: ivan@desnews.com