Theater Review: Present Laughter

A Pleasant, Witty Romp on a Fabulous Set
By Lauren Yarger
Characters in smoking jackets, sipping champagne against a backdrop of a gorgeous two-story deco apartment set are the stuff of a fun night at the theater in Roundabout Theatre’s Broadway presentation of Noel Coward’s comedy Present Laughter.

Victor Garber shines as the debonair, womanizing over actor Garry Essendine, who must juggle all the women in his life, ingénue Daphne (Holley Fain) and her aunt (Alice Duffy), his producer’s wife Joanna (Pamela Jane Gray), his crotchety housekeeper Miss Erikson (Nancy E. Carroll), his long-suffering secretary Monica (Marriet Harris) and his ex wife, Liz (Lisa Banes), before going on tour in Africa.

Meanwhile, his best friend, Morris (Mark Vietor), also is in love with Joanna whose husband, Henry (Richard Poe), is oblivious to her involvement with either of the men. The butler, Fred (James Joseph O’Neil), also is on hand to try to clean up the mess.

Mayhem ensues as the various parties find out about all of the entanglements and there is some great fun with Garber’s perfectly delivered comedic lines and in Brooks Ashmanskas’ portrayal of Roland Maule, an overambitious, hopping, skipping playwright who ingratiates himself with the others.

There are some witty jabs at the theater industry and everyone runs around in lovely jammies and costumes of the period (Jane Greenwood, design) on a to-die-for gilded set (Alexander Dodge, design) that is a character in itself (it received applause when the curtain went up). A beautifully arched top to the set is an excellent compliment to the American Airline Theatre’s own arched proscenium.

The play, directed by Nicholas Martin, is a bit too long in two and a half hours with three acts and two intermissions (the second act is the tightest) and rushed delivery sometimes makes the accents difficult to understand. These shortcomings aren’t overwhelming, however, and Present Laughter is just that, a witty romp still funny after all these years.

Present Laughter plays at the American airlines Theatre, 227 West 42nd St., NYC. Tickets are available by calling (212) 719-1300. Special discounted tickets for groups of friends of Masterworks are available at http://www.givenik.com/?code=Masterworks.

Christians might also like to know:
• Minor language
• Adultery is part of the plot