THEATER REVIEW
“The Playboy of the Western World”
Grade: B
Through Oct. 11. 8 p.m. Wednesday (Sept. 30 only); 8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays; 5 p.m. Sundays. $15-$25. Georgia Public Broadcasting (Studio B), 260 14th St. N.W., Atlanta. 404-692-0053, www.aristheatre.org.
Bottom line: Buoyed by its two appealing leads.
Now in only its second season of producing Celtic-oriented plays — filling a void left by the former Theatre Gael, which ceased regular operations in 2008 after some 20 years — Aris Theatre has already shown an admirably gutsy balance between the rather obscure (“The New Electric Ballroom,” “The Artist Man and the Mother Woman”) and the more traditional (“Philadelphia, Here I Come!”).
The company's current show falls into the latter category: J.M. Synge's famous 1907 comedy "The Playboy of the Western World." For whatever the material lacks in freshness or edge, and whatever director John Ammerman's Aris staging lacks in flourish or innovation, it's still a solid and pleasant rendition of the funny old story about misguided hero worship in a small Irish village.
A “frisky rascal” and “gallant talker of folly” wanders into a hillside pub, spinning a tall tale about killing his abusive father – to the overwhelming adulation of blustery townsmen and giddy schoolgirls alike. All of the attention quickly goes to Christy’s head, and he takes full advantage of the sudden celebrity. Soon, intentionally and not, he fans the flames of both the headstrong barmaid Pegeen and the conniving Widow Quin — in either case, essentially meeting his match.
There’s a tangible spark between co-stars Chris Rushing (as the mischievous Christy) and Sophie Edwards (as the sensible Pegeen) that’s alternately sweet and involving. Although their romantic happy ending might seem predetermined, the chemistry they generate makes it feel genuine and well-earned. Their dialogue risks coming across like a lot of dated cliches, but they make it sound natural and real.
Elsewhere, Erin Greenway doesn’t strike a sufficiently commanding presence as the Widow Quin. Trevor Winfield Goble, however, has a couple of amusing scenes as one of Pegeen’s more clueless suitors. Among other scenery-chewers in supporting roles: Winslow Thomas plays her boisterous father; and C.W. (Clint) Thornton is a bombastic skeleton from Christy’s closet.
The show’s production values could probably be stronger, given the circumstances. Harley Gould’s set design is nice enough, but at times, the pictures on the wall literally wobble, with so much rampant activity taking place.
The Irish brogues are largely convincing, if periodically hard to decipher. Part of the problem here is that Aris performs in a studio space/soundstage of the Georgia Public Broadcasting building, which occasionally casts a reverberating echo in some of the more overheated scenes.
To be sure, as Rushing and Edwards demonstrate so simply and clearly, it’s the understated moments in “Playboy of the Western World” that ring most true.
