(11/19/04 -- NEW BRUNSWICK) – Don’t be fooled by the quaint description of Celadine as a “charming and delightfully funny historical romance” that’s found on the George Street Playhouse website. In truth, this play gets down and dirty and is simply hilarious from the opening moments until the very close. It’s a play that everyone from fans of Shakespeare to Howard Stern will find funny and that’s a stretch you don’t often come across.
There is nothing more wonderful than the sound of laughter in the theatre. It was a sound that was heard again and again during the opening night production of Celadine at George Street Playhouse. The world premiere play by Charles Evered proved once again that theatre at its finest is an experience that has no rival. The only disappointment is that I suspect many younger people will be turned off by the words “historical romance” and miss out on this great comedy. Trust me, it’s their loss. This play may be set in the past, but clearly written for a modern audience. You will not find a funnier play anywhere.
The play stars Amy Irving (the Academy Award nominated actress) as Celadine, a playwright who also dabbles as a spy during 17th Century England; Leslie Lyles as Mary, a maid (and former prostitute) who runs a Coffee House along with Celadine; Matt Pepper as Elliot, an actor who appears at their door one day asking for Celadine to write a play for him; Rob Eigenbrod as Jeffrey, a man who cannot speak because his tongue was cut off; and Michael Countryman as Rowley, an old friend of Celadine who holds a very interesting secret identity.
Celadine, who has stopped writing plays, is thought to be cracking up. The play opens while she is away and Mary deals with visits by Elliot and Rowley to the coffee shop. Celadine then enters riding on Jeffrey’s back as a horse. She rides around and around and tells Mary that they will be keeping him. Once Mary discovers that Jeffrey’s strong as an ox, has no money and can’t talk, she proudly proclaims him the perfect man! Elliot and Rowley both vie for Celadine’s love and ultimately lead her down a dangerous path where she no longer knows who to trust or who to believe. The play is the third in a trilogy of spy plays by Charles Evered, but it is much more of a comedy than a spy tale.
Evered, a graduate of Rutgers University, dares to go where few male writers ever venture – deep inside the psyche of a woman – and not only makes his female characters believable, but may have created one of the most powerful female lead characters in recent memory in Celadine. She is a woman fighting through the depression caused by her daughter’s death yet remains a vibrant, intellectual, and strong independent figure.
George Street has once again come through with a simply stunning performance from the gorgeous set design to the direction and cast itself. The set literally brings the 17th Century to life with a wonderful recreation of a London coffee house. Utilizing a second floor and hinting of the outside world beyond its doors, the set provides an enormous amount of depth to the stage area. GSP’s Artistic Director, David Saint, does the direction. Actors blur the lines between the audience and the play by sharing their conversations with the audience through glances, winks and nods. The effect is that of having the audience be inside the coffee house with them.
The cast is as good as any ensemble you will ever find. Amy Irving gives an excellent performance but is overshadowed somewhat by Leslie Lyle’s brilliant take on Mary. While Irving’s character deals with heavy issues such as the death of her daughter, Mary gets punch line after punch line. Likewise, the roles of Elliot and Rowley are immensely enjoyable and highly memorable, but Rob Eigenbrod’s “silent” take on Jeffrey is a tour de force. Forced to express himself through mild grunts, facial expressions and body language, Eigenbrod succeeds masterfully.
Celadine is an outrageous comedy that will have you laughing non-stop from beginning to end. Don’t miss this wonderful production, which is running at George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick now until December 12th.
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