BWW Reviews: THE MAN OF MODE at Rivals Of The West Theatre Company

The Man of Mode Lags at MICA

Why? Why would anyone choose an English restoration comedy from 1676 for a student performance? From the crowded plot lines to the endless dialogue to the sexual frankness to the callous treatment of women, the play's demands burden the student actors. And the performance labors on for over three hours! I think all the actors in the Rivals of the West Theatre Company at The Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) deserve a medal for endurance and perseverance in presenting George Etherege's The Man of Mode; or, Sir Fooling Flutter.

That said there were some solid performances despite the mouthful of words that spewed from each actor. Phil Jenkins as the lead character, Dorimant, the rakish man of means who is proud of his sexual prowess yet fragile in his ego, delivers a solid and steady performance to the bitter end. His energy never wavers through scene after scene which helps keep the audience engaged. His sidekick, McKinley Wallace III as Medley, is equally strong in his role and plays the perfect enabler supporting Dorimant's intrigues and keeping them moving along. These two actors seem truly comfortable in the skin of their characters while the rest of the cast struggle to get through their lines.

So why attend a production described as a riotous, witty, intellectual and sexually irresistible play? For the costumes, of course. It's MICA. The well dressed aristocrat in the play's era would be well adorned with heavy wigs with curls tumbling down their backs, coats and wide stiff cuffs and ruffles, lots of ruffles. Women would be outfitted in bell shaped skirts and veils and ribbons, lots of ribbons. Excessive make-up, highly rouged checks were the norm. Costume Director Melanie Lester takes the era's fashions and simplifies all the conventions of the times. This is The Man of Mode, the stripped down costume version.

The male's coats and waistcoats are sheer gauze outlined in ribbon and at least one character's pants are plastic see through (he has shorts on underneath). The women's bell shaped styles are replaced with all sorts of styles from the Victorian Era to burlesque. The best, most outlandish costume was granted to Sir Fopling Flutter, the eccentric 'fool' of the show who, having recently arrived from France, was supposed to represent the latest fashion. His wig glowed with embedded small colored lights, his coat was a plastic bell-shaped garment that made his whole attire seem more like something from the sci-fi channel. Actor Nick Daly as Sir Fopling Flutter enjoyed his outrageous attire and made the most of its unusual and over-the-top display.

The constant surprise of the costumes throughout the three hours of heavy dialogue worked well to keep the play moving along and the audience engaged. If fashion is your interest, then go see this production. I know I won't ever forget the men and women of restoration comedy outfitted MICA style.

The play runs through April 19 and tickets are available at rivalsofthewest.org.