Printer Friendly
The Free Library
19,573,962 articles and books
Member login
User name  
Password 
 
Join us Forgot password?

'SEE IT,' HE WHISPERS IN YOUR 'EAR'.


Byline: Evan Henerson Theater Critic

THE BED SPINS, the innuendos are tossed, and the dental plate dental plate
n.
See denture.
 flies - you read that right. It's an important plot point - with equal abandon in A Noise Within's rendering of ``A Flea in Her Ear A Flea in Her Ear is a 1907 play by Georges Feydeau written at the height of the Belle Époque.

A bedroom farce, its plot is a series of misunderstandings, clandestine assignations, misplaced jealousies, and frantic chases.
.'' The pace and timing of George Feydeau's tried-and-true farce are on the button and a couple of performers - predictably those cast in the choice comic roles - separate themselves from the rest of the performance's loony bin.

Surprises? Not particularly, but so often is this play staged, it's hard to expect the unexpected from it. That said, the rhythms of Geoff and Julia Rodriguez Elliott's production are tight and focused and the casting hasn't a weak link. ``A Flea'' flies along on its merry and occasionally bawdy bawd·y  
adj. bawd·i·er, bawd·i·est
1. Humorously coarse; risqué.

2. Vulgar; lewd.



bawdi·ly adv.
 way, easily enticing us along for the ride.

And what a zany ride it is. Yvonne Chandel (played by Dorthea Hanrahan) mistakenly believes her husband Victor-Emmanuel (Stephen Weingartner) is stepping out. So, setting a plan to prove her suspicion, Yvonne dictates a perfumed love letter to her husband from a secret admirer This article or section needs sources or references that appear in reliable, third-party publications. Alone, primary sources and sources affiliated with the subject of this article are not sufficient for an accurate encyclopedia article.  proposing a rendezvous at the Pretty Pussy pus·sy
adj.
Containing or resembling pus.



puss, pussy

term of endearment addressed to a cat. Called also moggy.
 Inn. If Victor-Emmanuel shows up for it, he's guilty.

Because Yvonne has her best friend Lucienne (Jill Hill) write the letter and since everyone in the household - secretaries, doctors, jealous husbands - somehow ends up at the Pretty Pussy at inopportune in·op·por·tune  
adj.
Inappropriate or ill-timed; not opportune.



in·oppor·tune
 moments, the result is farcical far·ci·cal  
adj.
1. Of or relating to farce.

2.
a. Resembling a farce; ludicrous.

b. Ridiculously clumsy; absurd.



far
 chaos.

Particularly winning are Louis Lotorto as the sometimes speech-challenged secretary Camille and Richard Soto as Lucienne's crazy-jealous Spanish husband.

Evan Henerson, (818) 713-3651

evan.henerson(at)dailynews.com

A FLEA IN HER EAR - Three stars

Where: A Noise Within, 234 S. Brand Blvd., Glendale.

When: 8 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday; through Dec. 1. Plays in rotating repertory. Call for specific show days and times.

Tickets: $20 to $40. Call (818) 240-0910.

In a nutshell: Fast and zany. A crack ensemble easily handles the mayhem.
COPYRIGHT 2004 Daily News
No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder.
Copyright 2004, Gale Group. All rights reserved. Gale Group is a Thomson Corporation Company.

 Reader Opinion

Title:

Comment:



 

Article Details
Printer friendly Cite/link Email Feedback
Publication:Daily News (Los Angeles, CA)
Date:Nov 26, 2004
Words:328
Previous Article:SOUND CHECK.
Next Article:IT'S DIRTY DANCING - IN THE 'MODERN' STYLE.



Related Articles
Tiny tubes could ease eavesdropping.
Speech processor, new implant.
Is a finger phone in your future?
Speech processor.
Whispers.
Ruby Lee the Bumble Bee.
A communication gap.
The Invisibles.
Get a bone tone with Invisio.

Terms of use | Copyright © 2012 Farlex, Inc. | Feedback | For webmasters | Submit articles