Dean Poling | The Valdosta Daily TimesDon Carlos (played by Jackson Whipple) calls for Castano (Matthew Cline) to 'follow me, Castano, come hell or high water' in Valdosta State University Theatre & Dance production of 'House of Desires.'

PLAY REVIEW

VALDOSTA — Valdosta State University Theatre & Dance’s “House of Desires” arguably has something almost any audience could want.

Action, romance, lavish costumes, live special effects and plenty of laughs.

Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz’s play is a romantic farce of a brother and sister caught in a web of desires with four other people. 

Dr. Melissa R. Porterfield directs a delightful evening of theatre. One that is light and fun with a subtle salute to the women’s empowerment of Sor Juana, a Mexican nun who lived in the 1800s.

“House of Desires” keeps true to the term farce with characters running in and out, back and forth, mistaken identities, and other madcap antics.

There are several fun moments in the show but a few to watch for include:

— Chases and sword fights set in the dark where the audience can see the action but the characters are blind to each other. These scenes are interspersed with slow-motion movements and complete stops as characters intermittently step out of the action to speak directly to the audience. There are a few of these moments and each one is as lively as the next. The cast took a stage combat course that pays off in the grace and skill of the sword fights.

— The comic nuns who announce the settings between each scene. With no words, they create marvelous, well-choreographed moments of fun with each appearance.

— The cast is a hard-working ensemble. Each cast member has moments to shine individually and as an ensemble. Each cast member deserves hearty applause but Matthew Cline’s Castano may well steal the show as a servant who dons women’s clothes to secretly deliver a message. His act of putting on a woman’s clothes is hilarious in a scene that is worth the price of admission. As is the following scene where Castano in drag is confused as the love of Don Pedro played by Trevor Poli. The interaction between Cline and Poli is wonderfully paced.

The entire cast deserves notice: Magda Roub, Jordan Van Dyke, Diamond Smith, Mahogany Wesley, Sarah Mott, Trevor Poli, Drew Chunn, Jackson Whipple, Matthew Cline, Shaunya Evans, Kate Zerbian, Kevin Reyes, Emma Marsico, Shaunya Evans, Emma Marsico, Kate Zerbian, Sarah Suzor.

On the night of the preview/dress rehearsal performance, Porterfield did double duty. Not only is she the director of the show but she stepped into the role of the servant Celia. The actress scheduled to play Celia suffered an injury during a rehearsal and Porterfield is expected to play Celia for the first few performances.

The last-minute cast change may have caused a few awkward interactions in the early moments of the show but only then. The cast soon found its rhythm and the fun never stopped.

“House of Desires” is a quick-paced joy. A comedy that is pleasing to the eye with laughs that are good for the soul. And a run time of about two hours. What more could any audience desire?

The review is based on the Wednesday evening preview/dress rehearsal performance.

 

Valdosta State University Theatre & Dance presents “House of Desires,” 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, Nov. 8-10; 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 11; 7:30 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, Nov. 12-14, Sawyer Theatre, VSU Fine Arts Building, corner of Oak and Brookwood. More information: Call (229) 333-5973 or visit www.valdosta.edu/comarts.