NEW YORK—In 1900, in a dentist’s office in a seaside town somewhere in England, a dentist is in the throes of extracting a young woman’s tooth. Thus begins a Shavian saga of courtship, rejection, marriage, and social standards.
Afterward, captive tooth in hand, the successful Mr. Valentine (Sean McNall) divulges the story of his present near-destitution to the young patient, his first, Dolly Clandon (Emma Wisniewski). She in turn invites him to lunch with her mother and her two siblings, Philip (Ben Charles) and Gloria (Amelia Pedlow).
The delightful play is co-produced by The Pearl Theatre Company and Gingold Theatrical Group and directed by David Staller, founder and artistic director of Gingold. It presents the adventures of famous author Mrs. Margaret Clandon (Robin Leslie Brown), who has recently returned from an 18-year sojourn in Madeira. There she had whisked away her three now-grown children to escape from an unhappy marriage.
The three children don’t even know their father. But they soon will, quite by chance. As coincidence and Shaw will have it, Mrs. Clandon’s estranged husband Fergus Crampton (Bradford Cover) is landlord to Mr. Valentine, who owes him back rent.
Serendipitously, having to pay an emergency dental visit to Mr. Valentine, Crampton forgives the debt, and he in turn is invited to lunch with the entire Clandon entourage.
Needless to say, Crampton and estranged wife Margaret Clandon aren’t too happy to see one another. But Valentine, on viewing Gloria for the first time, is beside himself with desire.
Here, in a wonderful directorial touch, the couple is spotlighted for a few moments—lighting by Stephen Petrilli is outstanding throughout, with subtle changes indicating mood and change of place and pace.
A battle of the sexes begins in earnest, as Valentine and Gloria draw together and apart repeatedly. Someone opines to the effect that there’s not too much difference between love and hate. Filtered through all the hijinks is the question of women’s rights and men’s too.
When Mrs. Clandon accuses Valentine of being a fortune hunter, he readily admits it. “Do you expect my wife to live on what I earn?” he retorts. Up to this time he’s earned only what Dolly had paid him, five shillings.
However, there’s a marvelous new character on the scene: the waiter, Boon (Dan Daily), contributes both class and comedy. Furthermore, he discloses that he has a son, a son who goes to the bar. A barman, it is thought. But no, it is the other Bar.
The waiter’s son, who spells his name Bohun (Zachary Spicer) has become a barrister and a highly respected one at that. His waiter father had paid out of his tips for the younger man’s schooling. And it’s a good thing too, as the son had no inclination for real work. “He was much better wrangling with the law than putting in an honest day’s work,” his father remarks.
Unbeknownst to the waiter, his son has been invited to this meeting to settle the various disputes. Spicer’s performance is particularly delightful. His height is a plus, as he towers over the rest, and when he makes his entrance in cloak and intimidating mask (a costume ball is in progress), one simply must listen to his imperious pronouncements. He puts everyone in their place and then sweeps Dolly off to the dance.
Valentine and the waiter are left alone onstage, with the latter remarking, “You never can tell.”
The overall production is a winner. Acting, direction, sets, costumes, and lighting merge into a delicious whole.
Robin Leslie Brown’s Mrs. Clandon is firm but appealing. Sean McNall’s Valentine is charming. Amelia Pedlow’s Gloria is feisty but sensitive. Emma Wisniewski’s Dolly is sprightly; Ben Charles’s Philip effectively tries to be mature beyond his years. Bradford Cover’s Fergus is down to earth. Dan Daily’s waiter Boon carries his scenes magnetically. Dominic Cuskern’s Finch, Mrs. Clandon’s solicitor, offers just the right tone of obsequiousness when required. As mentioned, Zachary Spicer’s Bohun sweeps all before him.
Barbara A. Bell’s gorgeous costumes illuminate the proceedings, as does Stephen Petrilli’s lighting. Sets by Harry Feiner are spare but on the mark.
Kudos to director David Staller.
You Never Can Tell
The Pearl Theatre
555 West 42nd Street
Tickets: 212-563-9261 or visit Pearltheatre.org
Running Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Closes: Oct. 13
Diana Barth publishes New Millennium, an arts publication. For information: [email protected].
