Pittsburgh theater gets up close and personal

“Private Lives”

Aug. 16 – Sept. 9

Henry Heymann Theatre

Phone:…

“Private Lives”

Aug. 16 – Sept. 9

Henry Heymann Theatre

Phone: 412-561-6686

www.picttheatre.org

Often in the macabre struggle between love and loathing, love proves to be the more malevolent of the two.

The Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre’s 2007 production of Noel Coward’s “Private Lives,” running through Sept. 9 in the Henry Heymann Theatre, shows just this, dabbling in humor like a criminal dabbles in arsenic: with effective finality.

On a graceful terrace in the south of France, newlyweds Elyot and Sibyl Chase (Paul Todaro and Winslow Corbett) enjoy their first night of matrimony opposite the honeymooning Amanda and Victor Prynne (Beth Hylton and Ross Hellwig). Alternately brazen and blase, Amanda and Elyot exhibit all the telltale signs of suffering from a previous marriage. Unfortunately for their new spouses, Amanda and Elyot were previously married to each other.

The chance meeting of the former lovers, and subsequent decision to flee passionately together into the night, torches the integrity of their new marriages and begins a cycle of attraction and repulsion that promises to engulf the exes in a storm of charred witticisms.

As Victor and Sibyl pursue their runaway spouses, developing a dynamic of their own, Elyot and Amanda’s infatuation degenerates into war. Petty jealousy and vicious quips take a fatal but hilarious toll on the stamina of the couple’s romantic revival.

Underhanded sarcasm and ironic affection are at their best here under the direction of Jeffrey M. Cordell, a Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre veteran. Original music by Coward himself and the occasional appearance of Louise the maid (Liz Labacz), pace the action and give the final confrontation between the four partners both dramatic and comic proportions.

Recognizing the attractive force of a relationship in perpetual conflict, Todaro and Hylton make Amanda and Elyot believable with exquisite grace and craft.

Todaro’s well-rounded performance subtly hints at Elyot’s silent motives, utilizing sarcasm to incompletely disguise the character’s deeper nature. Todaro ensures that Elyot’s humanity is evident amid callous but unrelenting humor.

Refreshingly unapologetic, Hylton’s portrayal of Amanda shows all the unmitigated confidence Coward intended. Hylton embodies love’s potential to bring out the worst. Poise in perfect harmony with speech, Amanda is sophisticated, unabashed and thoroughly compelling.

Sibyl, the delicate victim of Elyot’s roguishness, acts more as a prop than a character until the last act. Corbett shows her true power as an actor when Sibyl becomes aggressive. In mere moments, sweetness turns snide, and Corbett transitions between quarry and assailant seamlessly.

On the other hand, Victor barely overcomes his one-dimensional masculine blustering. Hellwig’s performance veers dangerously close to caricature, saved only by opposing instances of vacillation and fortitude in the final act. Nevertheless, Hellwig is able to generate enough chemistry with Corbett to provide the necessary duality against which the show’s conflicts are resolved.

Rescued from tragedy by wit and sincerity, “Private Lives” offers an overall satisfying performance and a worthwhile way to spend an evening. The important and entertaining points are hit in all the right spots, realizing Coward’s vision as effectively as at any other time in the production’s long history.

The Henry Heymann Theatre is located on the bottom floor of the Stephen Foster Memorial building next to the Cathedral of Learning. Tickets range between $38 and $45 depending on the day of the performance, with a discount for seniors and student tickets universally priced at $15. Tickets can be purchased at www.proartstickets.org or by phone at 412-394-3353.