Prolific French playwright Molière wrote The School for Wives in 1662. This comedy was controversial at the time. A man is so intimidated by women and the idea of marriage that he decides to raise a perfect wife. It’s a centuries old variation of The Stepford Wives but told mostly from the male point of view. From the perspective of today and one hundred years after the 19th amendment was passed, this amusing story remains a relevant piece of theater.
Arnolphe (Tonya Pinkins) and his friend Chrysalde (Christina Pitter) begin the play in a conversation about women and their “long suffering husbands.” Arnolphe boasts about the type of wife he wants. “So simple is the girl I’m going to wed / I’ve no fear for horns upon my head.” The rhyme schemes are very entertaining in Richard Wilbur’s translation, a version which appeared on Broadway in 1971.
He continues his rumination against the “smart ones,” notably “women who versify too much.” His plan is nearly complete. A young lady was reared in a convent from the age of four under his careful control. Her “good and modest ignorance” was honed as he wished. Now she resides in one of his homes with two servants as naive as she. The marriage will commence and he will have a young wife who will not challenge him or his male superiority.
On his way to the house, Arnolphe runs into a friend’s son, Horace (Kaliswa Brewster). He confides his covert love story with a young lady. Apparently, a “blind fool” has sequestered her. Horace does not know he is divulging his secret to the fool himself. A series of increasingly cunning scenes follow.
Agnes (Mirirai Sithole) is so incapable of dishonesty that she vapidly discloses her innocently amorous suitor. She has no idea about the wedding plans. Arnolphe gives her a book about the maxims of marriage which list out the duties of a woman which was, of course, written by a man. The first maxim is to love, honor and obey. Those words were still in marriage vows three centuries after this play was written.
All of that makes The School for Wives an interesting historical artifact which highlights how far we have come in our thinking. It also highlights the continuing chasm between equality. The eighth maxim involves a woman being “veiled when she leaves the house.” That male domination is still practiced today in certain cultures.
There are laughs in this play for sure. The bumbling servants and Arnolphe’s increasing frustrations keep the kettle boiling on the stove. In order for this play to shine, however, the comedy has to be front and center. A live streamed format with no audience laughter was a deterrent to enjoying the comings and goings. Pauses did not happen when an audience might burst into a howl. The situations just kept rolling along.
This production also suffered in comparison to other multi-location streams presented in the last month, including the very clever Russian Troll Farm: A Workplace Comedy. There were interesting backdrops and some fun imagery in this show but there were also clunky line readings and some obvious confusion as to who was supposed to be speaking. The effect came across as a tad under-rehearsed.
Directed by Lucie Tiberghien, the play was cast with all women, most of whom are Black actresses. That added another interesting layer to consider on top of the domination and subjugation between white women and white men four hundred years ago. Equality remains elusive. Artists must continue to point that out no matter how much progress or how many centuries have passed.
This production can be recommended for those who may not know this play as it does entertain and feels important to consider as our culture hurtles further toward conservatism. The show also features a very memorable performance by Carolyn Michelle Smith in the dual roles of Notary and Oronte. The screen came to life with her extraordinary facial expressions.
Moliére in the Park will replay The School for Wives through October 28, 2020.