“The Guardsman” by Ferenc Molnàr, translation by Frank Marcus is set in pre-World War I Budapest.  Nandor, a Hungarian stage star is worried that his wife of five months, Ilona, also a star of the stage, had grown tired of him and their marriage.  As a means of testing her fidelity, Nandor concocts a scheme wherein he will pose as a Viennese guardsman in order to seduce his wife.  In this role of a lifetime, he will either prove that his marriage is truly over, or prove that his wife is faithful and loves him. Assuming of course, that she doesn’t see through his disguise.

Elyse Mirto and Freddy Douglas

Freddy Douglas, is fantastic as Nandor the brooding actor, and his over-the-top guardsman is hysterical.  His affected Viennese accent is reminiscent of Jacques Clouseau and his celebrations whenever his scheme is working are brilliantly timed.  His unflagging confidence and hubris, in his ability to convincingly play the guardsman, beautifully sets up much of the comedy in the second act.  Elyse Mirto is wonderful as the fickle Ilona and matches Douglas step for step.  The interrogation scene in the second act is as brilliantly played as it is scripted.  Robertson Dean, as the critic, is the perfect balance to the two actors in his role as the stoic straight man.

The set, by Tom Buderwitz, creates a beautiful backdrop for the action, and by dressing all of the stage hands in servants clothing a second intermission is avoided and the audience has the opportunity to see the ingenious way that the opera box is transformed back into the sitting room.  Garry D. Lennon’s costume design is fabulous.  Each successive dress that Mirto appears in is more beautiful than the last.

The only hiccup, in this otherwise enchanting production, is that director Michael Michetti’s blocking becomes muddled in the opera box anteroom.  The set is such that upstage there is a seating box where the actresses are presumably watching an opera down below.  Down stage is the anteroom with a small seating area and entrance.  Despite having the entire down stage area at his disposal, he keeps three actors in the confined seating area.  As none of them are sitting down the blocking seems to consist of the three of them awkwardly changing places with each other or shifting in an attempt to keep the sightlines clear.  Luckily this arrangement doesn’t last for long and the blocking returns to its relaxed, natural feel.

With its elements of farce and witty banter, “The Guardsman” is charming and uproariously funny from start to finish.  A Noise Within, known for being California’s home for the classics, proves that the classics are not only palatable for today’s audiences, but highly entertaining.

*Coverage provided for  the Culver City News