Fata Morgana
For those of us who spent misbegotten youths lusting after our sisters’ friends, or cogitating an illicit tryst with a buddy’s mother, The Pacific Resident Theatre’s “Fata Morgana” surely harkens those desperate days of longing…and wishing…and believing…and ultimately feeling the pricks of life after an infatuation unrequited. While Ernest Vajda’s story deals with a theme as old as the hills, the telling here is fresh and lively due primarily to the wonderful performance of Ursula Brooks as Mathilde Fay, our resident Fata Morgana.
Mathilde seems to be a fish out of water when she bursts onto the Puszta, the barren Hungarian Plains where George (Michael Hanson) is staying home as punishment while his family attends the local ball. Refined and married to money, Mathilde is at first exasperated to learn she has missed the carriage to the ball, but soon becomes enchanted with young George’s affections. When the two sleep together, the result is a common dynamic…one person hurt with the other blithely dismissive.
Brooks is sensational in the lead! Vivacious and armed with a body that would be a match for no young man, Mathilde is both alluring and funny. Her facial expressions and coquettish whimsy are delightful and she does her best Paris Hilton when she exclaims she wants “Lots and lots of people who like me.” You can’t help but conjure memories of another daffy Hungarian….Eva Gabor in “Green Acres.” Indeed, the entire production has the rustic feel of the hinterland, from the country set to the wonderful period costuming, to the recurrence of a Mr. Kimball-type character played by Ed Levey.
The ensemble is steady and hilarious. Scott Conte is stuffy and windy as Mathilde’s pompous husband, Irene Roseen is sensational as the gossipy free-loader, and Penny Stephanie Safranek channels her best Jimmy Stewart in “Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation” with an old school luggage scene. “Fata Morgana” is an entertaining production, and it’s worth a look if for no other reason than to see if George has any better luck than the rest of us.
“Fata Morgana” is showing Thursdays through Saturdays at 8:00pm from November 8th, 2008 to January 30th, 2009. There are no performances on Nov. 20, 27, and December 11th. Purchase tickets at (310) 822-8392 or go online at www.pacificresidenttheatre.com.