Evening star., 1951-02-28

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This is being underscored for
Stage, which last night added MI
its fortnightly expanding reperto
listened to the scholarly critics
knows, this is pure impure COM
edy, a classic, and the forefather
of hundreds of amorous farces.
It is, therefore, not to be scoffed
at and this reviewer is not going
to scoff at it. He is merely going
to say that. although it has lived
nigh onto 800 years, 1t is not really
outrageously funny in Arenas fer
vently made version. Although 1t Is
played quite freely, as most things
are in central staging, and with
unflagging enthusiasm, 1t is lack
ing in the comic tartness that
classicists have so long proclaimed.
Arenas players who never were
more richly costumed in their
costume play careers are forced
to reach more for Molliere's laughs.
They get many of these, and Di-
rector Edward Mangum has been
clever in so much of his work, but
the old rich soil of the plays situ-
alton has lost its bounty. 1t has
not been done in by the Wildes,
Shaws, Cowards and scores of
others, but they have given it a
pummeling.
Moliere had no right, of course.
to anticipate such as these. New
ertheless, they and time have had
their effect upon what he had to
say of the ways of the sexes in
the most intense and everlasting
of their feuds.
1.-THE School for Wives" which
has been done infrequently on the
stage and has not been invitingly
translated for earnest drama
readers should not be mystifying
for any such reasons. 1t is elo-
quently synopsized in the four
words of Moliere's title.
It's pivotal characters - once
played by Moliere and his young
wife-are a middle-aged bachelor
who has spent his life arranging
a secure marriage. the innocent
young girl he has been educating
for wifehood since she was 4
years old, and the handsome
young man.
Having come upon this trio
by something less than a bril-
liant stroke of imagination, Mo-
liere contrived to make them
moderately laughable.
Most laughable, to be sure,
since he originally was played by
the playwright himself, is the
middle-aged husband-to-be. Now
In the hands of Warner Schreiner,
one of Arenas more competent
comic talents. he is still quite an
amusing fellow. This is a man
who will safeguard husbandly
honor by two devices. One OF
these is the carefully guarded
home, the other is the more re-
sourceful one of educating his
wife with great care not to spoil
her natural stupidity.
His error, to be sure, is the one
of grossly overestimating the
stupidity of attractive young girls.
This one, played by Marion Karcz-
mar, has basic brilliance that
draws her together with young
Horace as surely as if they were
met on a desert island instead of
In Partisan trap designed by the
elder man.
X 4
The richest revelation of "The
School for Wives" is that Moliere
is every word the comedy dia-
logue writer he has been reported
to be these last three centuries.
His creatures have a great many
satirical and sophisticated things
to say to one another and Of life
and love. 1t is a gift, French
naturally, which extends down
through the servants whose bold
and acid wit would do credit to
a man of Moliere's own repu-
tation.
The fact that this dialogue has
been rearranged in every con-
ceivable word combination since
"The School for Wives" was writ
ten does not destroy the effect
of the original F. Anstey's trans
lation leaves it with a surprising
ly bright crackle of which Direc-
tor Mangum and his players make
many lively moments in the plays
two acts.
Arenas Moliere is very busy
comedy 1t takes artful advant-
age of the numerous flight paths
given to the players. Yet even
this is not to keep the play from