22 GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE MARCH 19, 1993

ENTERTAINMENT

The heart cannot live by

rules

by Barry Daniels

Marivaux's comedy, The Triumph of Love, first produced in Paris in 1732, is like a precious rococo toy, a glittering music box working intricate variations on the theme of love.

Watching a rehearsal of the Ensemble Theatre production, directed by Licia Colombi, I was struck by the fanciful comparison of a good comic plot to good sex: we all know how it will end; our pleasure and delight reside in the twists and turns the action takes along the way. And, if I may extend the image even further, I would add that really good sex often is more than a matter of artful mechanics. When the heart is present, it is part of something we call love.

Because the actors in Marivaux's intricate mechanism are real people, observed by a writer sensitive to the nuances of the heart, the play is not simply very good sex, but like its title, represents the triumph of love.

The heroine, Leonide, ruler of her country, has fallen in love with Agis, the rightful heir to the throne that had been usurped by Leonide's uncle. Agis has been raised in seclusion from society by a severe and misogynistic philosopher, Hermocrate, and his unmarried sister, Leontine. Because Leonide fears Hermocrate's hatred of her

family's bloody history of tyranny will make it impossible for her to approach his ward, Agis, she disguises herself as a man and gains access to Hermocrate's estate.

Leonide represents love entering the philosopher's garden where reason rules nature--this conceit is charmingly represented in the clipped hedges and topiary trees of Robert Wolin's set. She awakens love in

Hermocrate,

Leontine, and Agis, and, as always, when love does battle with reason, general havoc

ensues.

If Leonide uses deception with the philosopher and his sister, they, nonetheless, seem enriched by the experience. In her scenes with Agis, we watch the wonder and delight of the blossoming of love between the youthful pair.

Director Licia Colombi has captured Marivaux's polish in her elegant and witty staging. The delicacy of feeling and nuance of psychology are wonderfully realized by her principal actors, Shannon Doyle

(Leonide), Michael McIntosh (Agis), Harriet Deveto (Leontine), and Greg DelTorto (Hermocrate). The latter pair capture nicely both the foolishness and pathos of their roles.

Marivaux does not neglect the origins of comedy in buffoonery. His trio of comic servants include a lusty, dim-witted Harlequin (Jeff Blanchard), Dimas (Bernard Canepari), a clever, surly gardener, both of whom pursue Leonide's maid, Corine (Karrie King).

"The heart cannot live by rules," says a character in the play. This thought, a para-

dox in times when rationalism is highly valued, expresses the soul of this charming 18th century comedy. And I agree with director Colombi when she said to me, "There is something about going to a play that is 260 years old and realizing how true it is to humanity, and that it can make us laugh and move us in a way that is timeless." It is The Triumph of Love.

The production continues through April 3, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm, Sundays at 3:30 pm and 7:30 pm, at the Ensemble Theatre, 3130 Mayfield Road, Cleveland Heights. Tickets are $8 and $12. For reservations, call 321-2930.

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