The Lady's Not For Burning

  • October 28th, 1977 - November 5th, 1977
  • Campus Theatre
  • Comedy
  • Contemporary Piece Series
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Burning is 'Hot'

— Fullerton College Hornet  - Cynthia Gross - Friday, November 4th, 1977

Is it possible for a pessimist and an optimist, who meet in a mayor's home on the eve of the optimists ·death, to fall in love and let the world suffocate in its own madness?

. It can, according to Christopher Fry. He wrote a play about just that, and Fullerton College's Theatre l)epartment is presenting it.

The play, "Lady's not for Burning," opened last Friday night and will continue its showing until tomorrow night. Starring in the leading roles are Mike Halverson and Joan Papazian, playing Thomas Mendip (the pessimist), and Jennet Jourdemayne (the optimist), respectively.

The play takes place in ''the 15th . century, either more or less or exactly,'' in the market town of Cool Clary, England.

All the scenes are set in a room of the house of the town's mayor, Hebble Tyson, who is played by Dane Madsen. Mendip has come to plead guilty to the death of a missing townsman, Matthew Skipps (Blaine Baker). Hoping to be hung for this misdeed, Mendip instead gets pushed aside and laughed at. He keeps· insisting, even under torture, he killed Skipps.

In the meantime, Jourdemayne is being sought by the townspeople, who believe that she is a witch and has turned Skipps into a dog. She runs to the mayor's home for protection, where she meets Mendip. The two opposites clash, but inevitably attract each other.

Alongside this main plot, a subplot unfolds concerning a love triangle that turns into a love pentagon. The comedy is further enhanced by an absent-minded chaplain and the town justice.

The chaplain, well played by Kevin Coots, seemed to be the hit of the show.

The acting is very good. There was a small problem in the opening scene, concerning delivery. The actors seemed to say their lines rather quickly. But as the play progressed, it was easier to understand the actors. I'm sure this problem has been completely ironed out by now.

· Director James Harrison did a fine job. The actors never upstaged one another. The play was presented in a professional manner.

The most impressive thing about the play was the set. It was by FC students, and added to the reality of the play. Todd Glen designed it and did a magnificent job.

Supposedly, movies are the best form of entertainment today, but for $1.50 for students and $3 for adults, one can't lose by seeing FC's production of "Lady's Not For Burning.''