14 • THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
ARTS
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2002
Shaw comedy entertains, brings characters to life
In 1897, George Bernard Shaw wrote You Never Can Tell to prove that he was capable of writing light, witty comedies. The purpose of the show was to entertain and entertain it does.
You Never Can Tell, presented by the University Theatre, focuses on a broken family much like Shaw's own. Mrs. Clandon, an independent modern woman, left her alcoholic husband after realizing that their marriage was a mistake. Taking their three children with her, she set off to find a career as a writer of treatises on the 20th century.
The play opens with the family on holiday in the seaside resort town of Torbay in Devon. After having a tooth pulled, Miss Dorothy "Dolly" Clandon invites the young dentist Mr. Valentine to lunch. Dolly and her brother Phil also invite Valentine's landlord, Mr. Crampton.
It is discovered that Crampton is in fact Mrs. Clandon's husband. He is dismayed at the upbringing of his two younger children, who are unabashed in their dealings with others. Cramton is also upset that his eldest daughter, Miss Gloria, is to follow in her mother's footsteps as a modern woman.
In the course of it all, Miss Gloria and Valentine fall in and out of love with each other, ultimately deciding to get married.
THEATRE
Under the direction of John Staniunas, associate professor of theater and film, the cast excels in bringing the characters to
John Nowak/Kansan
Mr. Crampton, played by Jeffrey Goeckel, Overland Park freshman, grabs his persistent dentist, Valentine, played by Dylan Hilpman, Lawrence freshman, during a scene in You Never Can Tell.
Donovan Atkinson
datkinson@kansan.com
YOU NEVER CAN TELL
George Bernard Shaw's You Never Can Tell will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 5-7 in the Crafton-Preyer Theatre. The play is directed by John Staniunas, associate professor of theater and film.
life. Staniunas said he saw Shaw's writing as a type of bell jar preserving the characters in time.
Kelly Mengelkoch, Wichita senior, and Matt Greer, Tulsa, Okla., junior, stand out as Dolly and Phillip. They portray the characters with the broad humor and fast pace that the roles deserve, without resorting to slapstick or over-the-top acting.
Playing the Clandons' crotchety father, Jeffery Thomas Gockel, Overland Park freshman, does a remarkable job as Mr. Crampton. However, he appears to be unsure at times of his next move, something that also stood out in his performance as Thurio in The Two Gentlemen of Verona.
The theater's production of You Never Can Tell has the added bonus of a Shaw scholar working behind the scenes, as well as on the stage. Dean Bevan, emeritus professor of English from Baker University, put his nearly 50 years of experience studying Shaw as the production's dramaturge, or an adapter of plays. Bevan also plays the Waiter, who proves through his wit that he is the equal of the society members he serves. Bevan does a fine job, although his overemphasis of words, such as "sir" or the play's title, proves to be slightly grating.
Staniunas' concept of the bell jar has been carried over into a beautiful set by Delbert Unruh, professor of theater and film. At the center of the stage is a gazebo, shaped like a bell jar. Each of the three sides of the revolving set resembles displays inside of bell jars.
Aside from a few dull moments where Shaw obviously tried to interject a greater social message, You Never Can Tell is a light, witty comedy. Fast paced jokes, repartees, and oddball characters combine to create a night of entertainment.