BWW Reviews: IN PRAISE OF LOVE Finds Humor in Terminal Circumstances

The Crutwells seem broken. Wife, mother, Estonian World War II refugee, and fixer Lydia Crutwell (Julie-Ann Elliot) is dying from a terminal disease. She only tells family friend, Mark Walters (Steven Carpenter). Lydia does not tell her husband Sebastian (Conrad Feininger) because he is too preoccupied with his job and himself. Then, there is the tense relationship between Sebastian and their 20 year old son Joey (Christopher Herring); a communist and a liberal respectively.

However, sadness is secondary in Terence Rattigan's play In Praise of Love. Wit is actually central to this love story. Washington Stage Guild's performance captured the humor, while touching on grief.

The venue was small and intimate. Many times, I felt as if I were intruding in private conversation. I feel like I should have knocked on the front door of the Crutwell's Islington flat before entering. Perhaps then, I would have felt like I was had permission to hear the private conversations there.

The production was engaging. The actors brought incredible atmosphere to the set, which was necessary for a show that was comprised, primarily, of a series of conversations. When the show did lag, it seemed more of a result of unnecessary text rather than lack of effort on the part of the actors. Although Rattigan excels at merging language and life, some of his dialogue could be cut.

Feininger's physical and vocal decisions make him an exceptional Sebastian. He also has brilliant comedic timing making it difficult to dislike him even when you wanted to. Elliot mastered her accent and was able to switch between accents in her storytelling. She was able to bring joy to Lydia even though her death is near. Carpenter was kind and sincere. A simple gaze suggested he believed in the family he was holding together.

One issue with the production was the choice of Herring as Joey. This is not suggesting he acted poorly. On the contrary, Herring was lively and clear intentioned. However, the moment he walked on stage, I felt like he seemed out of place in his parent's home. His lanky stature towered over everything and fit there awkwardly. He also looked too old to play the part of a barely twenty year old. Perhaps, too, he was acting too young to be believable.

In Praise of Love is worth the see. This is the first time a Rittigan play has been performed in the DC area since the Kennedy Center presented the same show in 1974. Director Laura Giannarelli captures the shows potentially cheesy themes such as failure to realize what you have until it's gone, but makes them real and clever. Moreover, a production in which the audience feels like they are literally and physically "right there" is a rare treat. One that 3-D movie cannot even frequently provide.

Running time: 2 hours and 30 minutes with intermission.

"In Praise of Love" plays at Undercroft Theatre- 900 Massachusetts Avenue, NW Washington, DC- through January 25, 2015. For tickets, call 240.582.0050 or purchase them online.

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