A Theatre Buff Reviews The School For Scandal

Juicy bits of information, true or false, have always been hard to resist and easy to pass on. Such schadenfreude is the driving creative force in Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s School For Scandal.

It’s a play that was written in the 18th century, but is timely for the 21st. If one changed the set to Manhattan condos, the costumes to modern day dress, the dialogue and intrigue would work equally well. To say that the satire delivers is an understatement; it’s witty, fast-paced and entertaining.

The play begins as Lady Sneerwell is literally finishing her morning toilette while being visited by a journalist, named Snake, who is both feared and admired for her malicious and salacious society column. There’s a game afoot. Lady Sneerwell is trying to secure the hand of Maria, for her friend, Joseph Surface, who (on the surface) is a thoughtful young man. However, Maria, the wealthy ward of Sir Peter Teazle is beloved by Joseph’s somewhat dissipated (on the surface) brother Charles. If Lady Sneerwell is successful, she will deny Maria’s hand to Charles and entrap him for herself.

This intrigue is set within two others: the travails of a May-December marriage (Sir Peter and Lady Teazle’s) that has lost its bloom, and an inheritance that the Surface brothers expect to receive from an elderly uncle, Sir Oliver. Throw in Rowley, a family manservant, who manoeuvres behind the scenes and the evening is set for intrigue and hilarity as loyalty and love are tested.

The play is set in a series of elegantly appointed rooms in the homes of Lady Sneerwell, Sir Peter Teazle, and Joseph Surface. Charles’ home, however, looks like an 18th century bachelor pad of a man who is on his last farthing, which is the case. Costumes are lush for both men and women.

I attend the Stratford Festival expecting excellence and I have yet to be disappointed. The teamwork that makes these productions possible speaks of a commitment to craft and polish. And for someone like me who took only one (obligatory) university English course, the excellent program notes are essential reading

School For Scandal is playing at the Stratford Festival in the Avon Theatre until October 21st.

Characters referenced in this review: Lady Sneerwell (Maev Beaty), Snake (Ansuree Roy), Maria (Monica Peter), Joseph Surface (Tyrone Savage), Sir Peter Teazle (Geraint Wyn Davies), Charles Surface (Omar Alex Khan), Lady Teazle (Shannon Taylor), Sir Oliver Surface (Joseph Ziegler) and Rowley (Brent Carver).

Bonnie Lendrum is the author of Autumn’s Grace, the story of how one family manages the experience of palliative care with hope and humor despite sibling conflicts, generational pulls and career demands. Autumn’s Grace is a powerful commentary on the need for well-organized and well-funded palliative care in private homes and in residential hospices. It’s a gift to people who would like to be prepared as they help fulfill the final wishes of a family member or friend.