Once again I found a local play via the TO.Tix website. This time is was The Misanthrope by Molière. Unlike the last play I went to see (The Mousetrap) this one was
set outdoors. The setting was the Guild
Inn Gardens in Guildwood, on the outskirts of Toronto with the Guild Festival
Theatre staging the play.
Before purchasing my ticket I had quickly read a little
about the play. Phases and words like
“comedy of manners”, farce and satire instantly appealed to my taste. So for the price of $24.90 I click “buy”.
On with the play itself and I found it to be everything I
thought it to be. It was a hilarious
look at one man’s quest to not partake in any “folly” or fake niceties that was
prevalent in 18th Century French aristocracy. He decides that he will say nothing but the
truth. This leads to all sorts of
problems including a trip to court after he insults a fellow member of high
society when he writes a love sonnet.
Whilst the words of the sonnet were truly bad, the over-the-top way in
which it was delivered made it a highlight of the show.
The main problem our “honest aristocrat” faces is the fact
that one person who does enjoy a good gossip happens to be the lady he
loves. She enjoys the high society
lifestyle to the full, which means never saying no to a host of suitors who vie
for her love and attention.
As the story unfolds, we see all the backstabbing and
bitching that comes with putting on airs and graces instead of being
honest. In the end the truth comes out
and everyone is left in no doubt as to where they stand.
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