In 1927, no one knew that the stock market would soon crash, plunging citizens secure in their affluence into poverty -- not even Philip Barry, whose explorations in the Land of Plenty contrast those who earn their own money with those who inherit it, and those who use it to enjoy themselves with those who allow themselves to be imprisoned by it.
The Remy Bumppo cast, under the well-crafted direction of James Bohnen, rescue this vintage three-act romantic comedy from argumentative protraction with likewise carefully-considered characterizations and an array of oral-interp flourishes -- in particular, Linda Gillum as a rebellious young heiress (a role that could have been reduced to a hackneyed rich-brat stereotype but instead emerges as the Woman Of The Future) and Aaron Christensen as her genially alcoholic brother. Add in Tim Morrison's stately brownstone decor, Carolyn Cristofani's dernier cri gowns and Chris Fuller's period-precise score of incidental music, and it becomes quickly apparent why this company has, after only a few years, found itself acknowledged as one of the highest-quality in the region.
