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| Glenn Close. |
LOVE FOR LOVE [Dramatic
Revival] A: William Congreve; D: Harold Prince; D: Douglas Higgins; C: Franne
Lee; L: Ken Billington; M: Paul Gemignani; P: New Phoenix Repertory Company; T:
Helen Hayes Theatre; 11/11/74-11/10/74 (24)
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| David Dukes, Ellen Tovatt. |
Harold Prince’s revival of this 1695 Restoration comic
classic about the debt-ridden Valentine (Joel Fabiani), his love affair with
the apparently disdainful Angelica (Glenn Close), and the varied assortment of
comic fornicators, money-grubbers, and fops that whirl around them delighted
some, mildly amused others, and was ridiculed by the rest. All agreed that the
interpolation of several new songs by Paul Gemignani and Hugh Wheeler was unnecessary and tended to slow the play down. Also, there was nothing but scorn
for what Clive Barnes dubbed the “heavy and drab,” clunky and cluttered Douglas
Higgins set. Critical disagreement centered on Prince’s staging and the quality
of the acting.
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| Peter Friedman, Charlotte Moore. |
Prince’s directorial approach updated the action to an 18th-century,
Hogarthian world, putting great stress on extravagant comic business. It did
not aim for a fussy and artificially mannered style, but went for
laughs via the farcical exaggerations of its more outrageous characters. One
scene at the end crowded so many characters together some likened it to the
stateroom scene in the Marx Brothers’ film A
Night at the Opera.
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| John McMartin, George Ede. |
This was “an effervescent revival” to Douglas Watt, and T.E.
Kalem said “it is difficult to imagine a more delightful revival.” It was an “energetic,
good natured, colorful production” in Martin Gottfried’s eyes. Clive Barnes
especially liked Prince’s handling of “the farcical and brilliant
constructional elements,” but argued that there was no clearly defined “attitude”
toward the play: Prince “never fully demonstrates to the audience the play’s
themes.” Howard Kissell thought the production had “more virtues than faults,”
but conceded that its effect was “tepid” and deficient in “polish” and “glitter.”
And to John Simon this was “a production of . . . consistent tackiness,
witlessness and ineptitude,” badly blocked and paced.
The role of Angelica had been given to understudy Glenn
Close only a day or two before the opening, when the original actress, Scottish
star Mary Ure, was fired because of problems related to her alcoholism. She
died, only 42, several months later after a disastrous performance in London,
the cause being alcohol and barbiturates. Close was acceptable, especially under the circumstances, but those who had
seen Ure in previews considered her truly excellent. Of the rest, John McMartin as
the cuckolded hypochondriac astrologer Foresight, and Mary Beth Hurt as the
adorable Miss Prue got the nicest notices. Hurt was recognized with a Clarence
Derwent Award.
Company members included David Dukes, Patricia Conwell,
Peter Friedman, Munson Hicks, Charles Kimbrough, Charlotte Moore, and Ellen
Tovatt.