Review: THE MADWOMAN OF CHAILLOT at Theatre Artists Studio

Theatre Artists Studio’s THE MADWOMAN OF CHAILLOT is a whirlwind of wit, whimsy, and moral purpose. It’s an ambitious production that demands a nimble ensemble and sharp direction, and it delivers on every count. The co-direction by Carol MacLeod, Judy Rollings, and Sue Back pays off in an imaginative, brisk, and highly entertaining staging.

Written in 1943 and first produced after Giraudoux’s death in 1945, CHAILLOT is both fairy tale and satire, balancing whimsy with a social critique that resonates in today’s world. Written as both an anti-capitalist allegory and a post-war ethical response to the upheavals of the era, the play pits the eccentric and idealistic Countess Aurélie (the Madwoman) and her companions against a cabal of profiteers who would literally dig up Paris in search of imagined oil.

In Giraudoux’s inverted logic, Aurélie’s so-called “madness” is not delusion but clarity. She sees greed, exploitation, and soulless “progress” for the sins they are and envisions a world in which beauty, imagination, and communal resistance can prevail over the “wreckers of the world’s joy.”

Polly Chapman fits the role perfectly. Flamboyant yet purposeful, she seems to float across the stage, infusing the role with physical vitality and comic confidence. She commands every scene with flair and authority, mining humor in Aurélie’s eccentricities while never losing sight of the character’s moral purpose and determination to foil the conspirators.

The conspirators themselves are a motley group of men in black, caricatures of corruption seduced by promises of wealth. The Baron (Roy Major), the President (Andrew Driggers), the Broker (Jay Weston Jones) are persuaded by the Prospector (Scott Sims) that there’s oil to be had beneath the city. Sims is dynamic, emerging as the chief provocateur, prowling the stage with predatory charm, claiming to smell oil in the city’s water, proclaiming civilization as an obstacle to progress, and exhorting the others to follow his plan.

Weaving in and out of the action is a cross-section of everyday Parisians: a waiter (George Cohen), street singer (David Schramm), flower girl (Courtney Koelbel), policeman (Curt Hills), and the Sergeant (Dan Peitzmeyer). Collectively, they form the human backdrop against which the Countess’s moral crusade unfolds.

The roles of Irma (Zhara Negrete) and Pierre (Javier Santiago) merit particular mention. Their budding romance is understated yet thematically central. Pierre, driven to despair by unemployment, nearly drowns in the Seine before being rescued, later becoming an unwitting witness to the profiteers’ scheme. As the play evolves, Irma and Pierre embody the ordinary human connection that the Countess is fighting to protect.

The play kicks into full gear when Aurélie is joined by her fellow madwomen, Constance (Patti Suarez) and Gabrielle (Judy Lebeau) and by Josephine (Judith Eisenberg), one of her loyal allies. Together, they stage a fantastical trial, predetermined to find the villains guilty and subject to punishment. And, oh, it’s a treat to see these icons of local theatre on stage together.

One of the show’s most powerful moments belongs to Steven Mastroieni, whose Ragpicker is selected to serve as the key witness for the prosecution. Whenever Mastroieni is on stage, he’s a powerhouse and here, as in past productions, he delivers a commanding performance that crystallizes the play’s moral argument while preserving its humor.

The set design by Mark Baris and Maia Landau shifts from the café terrace at Chez Francis in Act I to the Countess’s lair in Act II. Celia Erickson’s flashy period costumes, along with carefully chosen props supplied by Marilyn Linde and Dolores Goldsmith, clearly delineate character and social strata.

THE MADWOMAN OF CHAILLOT remains timely. Its warning about unchecked extraction and its faith in collective resistance resonate strongly today. For audiences drawn to poetic, idea-driven theater and willing to embrace theatrical oddness in service of a larger moral vision, this production offers a lively and meaningful time at the theater.

THE MADWOMAN OF CHAILLOT runs through December 21st at:

Theatre Artists Studio -- https://www.thestudiophx.org/ -- 12406 N. Paradise Village Parkway E, Scottsdale, AZ -- 602-765-0120

Photo credit to Kandyce Hughes – L to R: Polly Chapman, Steven Mastroieni

Phoenix Awards - Live Stats

Best Musical - Top 3

1. TOOTSIE (Arizona Broadway Theatre)

17.4% of votes

2. LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS (Stray Cat Theater)

8.3% of votes

3. CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY (Starlight Community Theater)

6.7% of votes

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