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Regional Reviews: San Francisco Mirandolina! Mistress of a Tuscan Inn Also see Richard's reviews of Antigonick, In a Word and Sister Play; Jeanie's review of Violet; and Patrick's reviews of Head of Passes and Talley's Folly
Center Rep has managed an extraordinary feat, with the a new, very silver-tongued translation, direction by Timothy Near, and some of the company's finest actors. Near has given the production the look and feel it must have had when it premiered in 1793. Goldoni replaced conventional commedia dell'arte with characters as ordinary people. He was not turned off to women but saw them as an astonishing force. They were the very heart of the Italian theater. Everyone falls under the spell of the tough, sexy, and audacious innkeeper in this lovely Italian comedy. She is feverishly courted by a lascivious rich Count, a dithering girl-shy cavalier, and an impoverished popinjay Marchese—all the while hanging onto the handsome Fabrizio, both her fiancé and employee. Tracy Hazas is excellent as Mirandolina. She plays the role as a sassy, enticing, and devilishly seductive woman, but with a level head on her shoulders. She is an eighteenth century woman and not a twenty-first century feminist. She wonderfully plays the complex game of stratagem between the sexes as well as between the nobility and the skilled working class that she epitomizes. Gabriel Marin is outstanding as the Cavaliere di Ripafratta, an avowed woman-hater who would seem to be no suitor at all. He gustily equates being in love with women with a foolish pastime so, of course, Mirandolina feels that she will win him over. He skillfully changes from hating all women to madly loving one. Mark Anderson Phillips is a delight playing the Marquis of Forlimpopoli. He stylishly plays the role of fallen aristocrat with the style of 18th century Italian comedy. Michael Butler is pitch perfect as the Count of Albafiorita. He is full of bravo and boisterous masculinity and is a somewhat foolish male. Ben Euphrat nicely plays the handsome Fabrizio with a certain amount of humility. He also splendidly sings ballads composed by Michael Butler. Colin Thompson gives a nice performance as a deadpan butler to the Cavaliere. Also on board are Lynda DiVito and Lizzie O'Hara playing the two actresses. They are handsome and colorful to look at and they add some fun to this two and half hour production. Rounding out the cast was a good performance by Kathryn Butler as Sirena, a servant of the inn. All of the characters are attractively and accurately costumed and bewigged in the style of the period by Victoria Livingston-Hall. Nina Ball has designed three handsome sets on a turntable and there is some fancy fencing between Gabriel Marin and Michael Butler in the second act, thanks to fight director Dave Maier. All of this makes for a comical production that is original and fun to watch. Mirandolina! Mistress of a Tuscan Inn runs through May 2nd, 2015, at the Margaret Lesher Theatre in the Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Center Drive, Walnut Creek. For tickets call 925-943-7469 or visit www.CenterRep.org. Coming up next is Cole Porter's lively musical Anything Goes opening On May 22nd and running through June 27th.
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