SCHOOL FOR WIVES @ Weston Playhouse

By Moliere – Translated by Richard Wilbur

Set Design by Howard Jones, Costume Design by Anna Oliver, Lighting Design by Nelson Downend, Jr., Production Stage Manager – Michelle Kay, Managing Director Stuart Duke, Artistic Directors Steve Stettler, Malcolm Ewen, Tim Fort

(Reviews Below Slideshow)

“Tell all your friends — I certainly did!!  The Weston Playhouse has a superb production of Moliere’s School For Wives currently on their stage.  (When I say it’s superb, I want you to know that I sent e-mails about the performance to 40 or so friends the next day, a first for me.)
Dan Wolfe – The Shelburne News

“Weston’s ‘School For Wives’ showcases Moliere’s comic genius”

“The current Weston production is a highly polished exercise in farce. Assisted by a brilliant Richard Wilbur translation, director Michael Unger has crafted an evening of theatre that is quite funny and employs many broad farcical bits of action to amuse the audience.  …a handsomely constructed evening of theatre.” – William Menezes – The Brattleboro Reformer

“The Weston Playhouse finishes off its stellar season with a vibrant showing of Moliere’s ‘School For Wives’.  Director, Michael Unger, has made excellent use of Richard Wilbur’s classic poetic translation.  Even the very serious moments are not allowed to drag. This ‘School For Wives’ boasts a magnificent, practical set — perhaps the most inventive construction of this season.  Weston again finds itself ending on a note of triumph.” – Bob Couture – The Bennington Banner

Speaking the translation by Richard Wilbur, the company managed to come in only slightly shy of a laugh a minute. Even when they acted in mute tableaux vivants between scenes that advanced the plot and made the following scenes more immediately comprehensible, they were perfect. Director Michael Unger has produced an amazingly clear-sighted realization of the play. Kudos to him for the work he did with the actors.  It was truly wonderful. The first-night audience laughed uproariously, especially the women.  When Agnes reads from a book supplied by Arnolphe about the duties of women, and grows angrier page by page as she reads, the scene brought the house down.  The sets were wonderfully telescoped into one another, with enough doors, trapdoors and windows to pop into or through that the audience kept wondering where the actors would appear next — and laughing when they did.  In the midst of this wilderness of color, the cast wore resplendent period costumes that any noble of the period of the play would envy.  Thanks to the Weston Playhouse for restoring Moliere to their stage in such a spry, sly production. If you’re lucky, you can make the performances through this weekend, when, helas! the play will only linger as a beautiful memory.” – Manchester Journal