Style, romance win in ‘Man of Mode’ at UNCSA – Winston-Salem Journal

Outrageous charmers and beautiful women, buffoons and musicians populate George Etherages Restoration comedy, Man of Mode, which opened Thursday at UNC School of the Arts.

In an inspired and inspiring collaboration, the Dan River Girls, an Americana sister band, played Restoration-era music for the ball scene, as well as more-contemporary folk tunes and incidental music. Fiona Burdette, mandolin, and Ellie Burdette, bass, are in the School of Music at UNCSA. Jessie Burdette, the younger sister, plays violin.

They opened the show with a freewheeling French-Canadian fiddle piece that set the mood for the romp and rowdiness to follow.

Guest artist Jesse Berger, director, has filled the stage with all the elegance and hedonism of the court of Charles II, who was called the Merry Monarch. The Restoration brought about the return of the monarchy to England after a five-year occupation by Oliver Cromwells Puritans. Much of the theater of the time reflected the courts mood.

The extravagant wigs by Emily Young could easily be the stars of the show on the heads of lesser talents, but these actors bend their properties to their wills, employing every fan and furbelow to express their characters inner life whether deep or shallow.

The costumes are meltingly gorgeous, from Patrick Nolins gold coat, nipped at the waist and encrusted with jewels, to Mrs. Loveits feather-festooned frock. They were designed by Jordan Jeffers.

Berger and the design team, from the School of Design and Production, present a gorgeous world that could seemingly exist in any time. Jacob Harbeck, scenic designer; Morgan Ochs, properties design; and Matt Tillett, lighting, change an elegant gallery into a garden by rolling on a couple of small hedges and subtly changing the illumination. The time of day and place are transformed.

Setting Man of Mode in Restoration England, where and when it was written (1676), only serves to make it seem more fresh and modern. With the exception of the deliciously coordinated curtsies, the manners and passions in the play are remarkably au courant, as Sir Fopling Flutter might say.

Sir Fopling, obsessed with style, has just returned from the fashion capital of the world, Paris, France, and he is mad about all things Parisian. He is wildly eager to impress his English peers with his newfound Continental sophistication. Alas, poor Fopling, played with blithe absurdity and over-the-top vanity by Tij Doyen, is the butt of every joke and the dupe in every scheme.

Tony Jenkins is appropriately appealing as the premier womanizer, Dorimant. Emily DeForest not only rocks an intimidating wig as Mrs. Loveit but also masters her character; shes a joy to watch. Emily Weider is wonderful as the cool and subtle Harriet Woodvill.

All of the performers are terrific, and Foplings Pages deserve a particular shoutout for their consistent prancing. Christian Muller, Chris Holtkamp, Christian Thomason and Dyer Rhoads move like a brace of white ponies. They also double admirably as footmen and hooligans.

Many hilarious stage directions are written into the dialogue. Berger and actors have found effective and comic gestures to punctuate the script.

Kelsey Buterbaugh, Emma Factor, Reed Horsley, Chessa Metz, Cameron Morton, Cody Robinson, Mary Mattison Vallery and Ricky Watson Jr. round out the cast.

Theres little point in describing the plot: Men and women fall in love, get bored, pick fights, marry for love or money. Its the whole catastrophe beautifully played.

And, in case youre wondering, the word fop was already in use at the time the play was written, but Etherages Fopling cemented it in the lexicon.

Go here to see the original:

Style, romance win in 'Man of Mode' at UNCSA - Winston-Salem Journal