I visited an old friend last night, born 36 years ago, sired by Alan Ayckbourn. This friend, currently at the Sunshine Brooks Theater in Oceanside, is How the Other Half Loves. I usually fret over shows repeated ad nauseam, year after year. This show, last seen six years ago at PowPAC, is a welcome, if belated, repeat.
Ayckbourn has a delightful way of blending sex, love and mayhem with crisp dialogue. In this offering, he presents three couples. Frank and Fiona Foster (Ivan Harrison and Renee Gandola) are the upper-crust sort. He is the boss of the two other husbands, she is a very proper (well, almost) lady who enjoys the better things in life.
Next there is Bob and Frank Phillips (Charlie Miller and Jennifer Lee Vernon), a middle-class, middle-of- the-road family with a new child. He not only works for Frank, he has a fling with Fiona. Finally, there is the terribly shy, non-social William and Mary Detweiler (Sean Vernon and Theresa Elliot). He is joining Frank's division. Mary, a dictionary-definition wallflower, is thrown into a situation she is not prepared to handle.
There are many reasons why How the Other Half Loves is not produced frequently. Comedy is extremely hard to do well. Farce is harder. Timing is everything. Add to this that the set design calls for the interiors of two different homes. No, not side-by-side on a split stage, but integrated completely full stage. Each is easily identifiable. The elegance of the Fosters' furniture contrasts with the commonness of the Phillips' furniture.
In New Vision Theater Company's production, the Fosters' elegant couch and chair are separated by a quite common chair and end table belonging to the Phillips. Believe me, it works quite well.
Director Al Valletta handles perfectly the difficulty of action taking place in both homes simultaneously. He begins by drawing together an excellent professional cast. Obviously, Valletta has a split personality, allowing him to direct the overlapping action impeccably. It does take a little getting used to, seeing both the Phillips and Fosters in their separate homes interacting only with their mutual spouses.
Comedy, especially farce, works at a peak when dealing with real-life problems. In How the Other Half Loves, infidelity is the subject, and misunderstanding is the power driving the plot.
Rarely are productions perfect. This excellent staging has two minor flaws, which are a bit of a distraction. The elegant wall covering of the Foster home carries over onto the wall containing the Phillips front door. This can confuse the audience. Secondly, a directorial bit (I assume) occurs at two different dinners. The visiting Detweilers make a totally over-the-top transition between the dinner with the Fosters and their simultaneous dinner with the Phillips.
The set and furnishings work perfectly. Except for the aforementioned set item, there is no doubt as to who is in which location. Costumes truly define each character's station in life. Each member of the cast is absolutely perfect for his role. While Harrison is the only true Brit in the cast, the sound from all is convincing. The Fosters speak a high, educated English. The Detweilers' usage is definitely of a lower class, and the Phillips are just a cut above them.
Please don't wait another six years for How the Other Half Loves to return to the boards somewhere in San Diego County. This is an excellent production and a credit to Ayckbourn's comedic genius.
