Shaw’s ‘Philanderer’ has staying power

Alex Coolman

Feminism, vivisection and romance: it seems like an odd combination of

elements with which to construct a comic play. But George Bernard Shaw

did exactly that in his 1898 work “The Philanderer,” and South Coast

Repertory folks are excited to bring the mix to the stage.

“The Philanderer,” a play about the avoidance of marriage and the

condition of the “new” woman, starts previews today on the Mainstage and

opens on Friday. Director David Emmes, who is also one of the co-founders

of SCR, expects the comedy to resonate with contemporary audiences.

“The play speaks with a very strong relevance to today,” Emmes said.

The ideas Shaw discussed “are very much at issue today. Women are still

trying to balance it out.”

Shaw’s plot tells the story of Leonard Charteris, a man who has cooked

up serious philosophical objections to marriage. In lieu of such a

stultifying union, Charteris advocates the cultivation of “charming

friendships.” He skips from woman to woman in keeping with this rakish

outlook.

Charteris eventually encounters Julia Craven, however, and this

meeting tests his commitment to the vocation of the philanderer. Julia is

a “new” woman, a woman who refuses to belong to anyone -- and is for this

reason the most attractive lady Charteris has ever encountered.

Emmes feels that the play has the potential to speak powerfully to the

concerns of today’s society, but that it has to be handled well in order

to come across effectively on stage.

“We want to deal with this not as some museum piece,” Emmes said. “We

want to approach it in a very dynamic and vital way.”

The details that make the difference, bringing Shaw’s language alive a

hundred years after it was written, reside in the actors’ efforts at

characterizing and embodying the roles they play, Emmes said.

“It’s a certain kind of physical energy,” he said. “The body language

brings a kind of energy to the play.

“While these are British characters, we want to give them a vitality

and energy in pursuit of their actions that is truer to our day” than to

the 19th century.

Characterization can be a particularly tricky task when dealing with a

Shaw play because his protagonists will occasionally begin to

philosophize and theorize like frenzied graduate students. But his lines

won’t come alive, Emmes said, unless the motivation behind such

speechifying is thoroughly understood.

“Shaw is a playwright we have always been drawn to because of the

tremendous wit and intelligence he has in his plays,” Emmes said,

emphasizing at the same time that “there’s real flesh and blood to these

characters. ... That’s the challenge in doing Shaw well, to make sure

that these are real flesh-and-blood characters.”

“The Philanderer” is one of Shaw’s less-produced plays, dwarfed in

popularity by works like “Pygmalion” and “Major Barbara.” But Emmes said

he believes it is deserves more attention than it typically gets.

“I think it’s an overlooked gem,” Emmes said. “As you become more

appreciative of a playwright, you get down to the plays that are not

produced as often, but are no less worthy.” “The Philanderer,” he said,

is just such a beast, “particularly given the contemporary relevance of

the issues that he’s exploring.”

For Emmes, who has co-directed SCR since founding it with Martin

Benson in 1964, this production has been the occasion of some satisfied

recollection of his institution’s growth over the years.

“Only in America can this kind of Horatio Alger dream still be

realized,” Emmes said, noting that he began SCR with little more than his

degrees from Harbor High School and OCC.

“I think it’s been a great dream realized,” Emmes said. “It’s fun to

think back about how far we have come and what a welcoming place Orange

County has been.”

Emmes had praise for the area theatergoers who have supported SCR

during its evolution.

“It’s an audience that’s very dynamic and open to new experiences,” he

said.

It’s also an audience that has seen a lot of work by George Bernard

Shaw. SCR has presented more plays by Shaw than by any other playwright

with the exception of Shakespeare.

Part of the appeal of Shaw, Emmes noted, is that in additionto the

political concerns that characterize his plays, he is also able to create

a fairly gripping narrative.

“There’s good dramaturgy,” Emmes said. “There’s good storytelling. He

can construct a tale.”

WHAT: “The Philanderer,” by George Bernard Shaw

WHERE: South Coast Repertory, 655 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa

WHEN: through Oct. 10. Previews run today through Thursday; show times

are Tuesday through Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2:30 and 8 p.m. and

Sunday at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m.

HOW MUCH: Tickets are $28 to $47, $18 to $37 for previews. “Pay what you

will” for the Sept. 11 matinee.

TELEPHONE: (714) 708-5555