She Stoops to Conquer

L.A. Theatre Works' dramatization of this late-eighteenth-century play remains strikingly relevant today with its satirical digs at sexism, class consciousness, and upper-crust wealth. James Marsters and Joanne Whalley lead the cast in an uproarious comedy of manners that is reminiscent of Shakespearean follies of mistaken identity, all the while championing womanly guile and intelligence. The energetic performers retain a peak level of hilarity throughout, with clear emphasis and enunciation. Divergent personas, played by a single character, can be easily identified, while comical asides to the audience are apparent by their ironic and lightly modulated delivery. Strange doings in an English country mansion are instigated by the arrival of misguided suitors whose passions are laced with bawdy schemes, deflated pretensions, and nonstop mischief. A.W. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

Mistaken identity is a device as old as Greek and Roman comedy. In this comedy it serves as the catalyst for the courtship of young Charles Marlow and Kate Hardcastle. While the confusion makes for hilarious misunderstandings in a well-acted and engrossing performance, it's sometimes difficult to distinguish characters' voices. Otherwise, this skilled presentation by British actors in the rarefied style of Restoration comedy is all that anyone could want. The incidental music is a charming addition. More music would have been welcome and might even have helped to distinguish characters. E.F.A. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine