UNDERWEAR TYCOONS AND AERIAL INTRUSIONS:
THE UNRAVELING COMEDY OF MISALLIANCE
So, you stroll into the theater, right? You see this fancy conservatory set up, all English manor-style, and you think, “Oh, a nice, polite little comedy is about to unfold.” But hold your horses! George Bernard Shaw, that sly old fox, has other plans with his 1909 gem Misalliance, now getting a snazzy production at A Noise Within in Pasadena.
Deborah Strang, Riley Shanahan, Josey Montana McCoy and Erika Soto
The title’s a bit of a teaser, making you wonder if this tale of a young blueblood and an undies tycoon’s daughter tying the knot is going to be all about the social hoo-ha. But Shaw? He’s not having any of that. The proto-feminist socialist Shaw chucks that Edwardian storyline out the window and dives headfirst into a pool of zingy banter on everything from the generation gap to women needing to run their own show, the iffy business of empire-building, capitalism’s dark side, and a whole bunch of other juicy topics that still get people talking today.
Frederick Stuart and Riley Shanahan
Shaw called Misalliance a “debate in one sitting,” but let me tell you, there’s hardly any sitting going on with the wild shenanigans that kick off one sunny afternoon. We’re at John Tarleton’s place’”he’s the big cheese in the underwear game, played by the suitably patrician Peter Van Norden. His daughter, Hypatia (Erika Soto), is all set to marry Bentley (Josey Montana McCoy), a scrawny diminutive chap who’s the son of Lord Summerhays (Frederick Stuart).
Josey Montana McCoy and Frederick Stuart
But Hypatia’s got her eye on the more seasoned Lord Summerhays, though what she’s really after is a slice of adventure. And wouldn’t you know it, adventure literally falls from the sky when a plane crash-lands nearby. The dashing pilot Joey Percival (Dan Lin) sweeps Hypatia off her feet, while his passenger Lina (Trisha Miller), a bold Polish acrobat, turns all the gents’ heads. Just when you think you’ve got a handle on things, in walks a young bloke (Joshua Bitton) with a gun and a bone to pick with Tarleton.
Josey Montana McCoy, Frederick Stuart, Dan Lin and Peter Van Norden
Critics back in the day didn’t know what to make of this comedy, but it’s since become a precursor to the absurdist theatre of Ionesco, Pinter and Beckett. Hypatia says at one point, “It never stops: Talk, talk, talk, talk,” and she’s not wrong. But the chatter in Misalliance is a funfest, and the classically trained cast, under Guillermo Cienfuegos’ tight direction, nails it with style and a wink.
Trisha Miller and Peter Van Norden
The main man, Peter Van Norden, is a hoot with his unkempt hair and zest for life. He’s all over the place, from dishing out parenting woes to chasing after Lina with a twinkle in his eye. And Trisha Miller? She’s dynamite as Lina, a force of nature who’s all about living free and fending off admirers without breaking a sweat.
Deborah Strang and Joshua Bitton
A peppy Erika Soto gives Hypatia a playful edge, especially when she’s toying with Frederick Stuart’s dignified Lord Summerhays and his walrus mustache, or running after Dan Lin’s cheeky Joey. Josey Montana McCoy and Joshua Bitton are riotous as the upper crust and working-class chaps, respectively. The rest of the gang, lounging around in Angela Baloch’s expansive gorgeous country home set, includes Riley Shanahan as Tarleton’s stuffy son and Deborah Strang as Mrs. Tarleton, who’s got more backbone than you’d guess from her motherly vibe.
Joshua Bitton and Trisha Miller
Cienfuegos once again proves why he is one of LA’s very best stage directors. He masterfully turns Misalliance into a whirlwind of wit and whimsy, proving yet again that classic Shaw can still surprise and captivate modern audiences. Fight director Kenneth R. Merckx, Jr. masterfully choreographs the physical shenanigans. Lighting by Ken Booth beautifully captures the sunlit proceedings.
Bottom line? Misalliance is a riot of a chat-fest that keeps you on your toes. Expect the unexpected and get ready for a good laugh.
Peter Van Norden, Frederick Stuart, Erika Soto and Dan Lin
photos by Craig Schwartz
Misalliance
A Noise Within
3352 E Foothill Blvd in Pasadenaends on June 9, 2024
for tickets, call 626.356.3100 visit A Noise Within