Smarmy Aplomb

By T. E. Kalem

THE SCHOOL FOR SCANDAL by RICHARD BRINSLEY SHERIDAN

Behind its dramatic structure, the English comedy of manners presupposes a class structure. Endemic to it is a social vocabulary in which the urbanely bent knee, the suavely kissed hand, the smartly swirled cape and assorted dandyish flourishes come as second nature. In such comedies, style is substance, and the witty gesture counts for as much as the witty word.

When American actors tackle a play like The School for Scandal, they often get jittery and are tempted by the safety exit of farce or the urge to humanize characters that are basically stylized commentaries on such moral vices as slander, hypocrisy and deceit. To its credit, New York's newly formed City Center Acting Company avoids these two traps fairly well. They give the Sher idan classic the old college try, which is only natural since this troupe springs from the drama division of Manhattan's Juilliard School, herewith embarked on a whirlwind repertory of six plays in four weeks.

The company's youthful look and spirit complement what is prankish in the play, though the actors playing the older roles lack a certain plausibility.

The famed "screen scene" fails to det onate with the explosive comic impact it should have, but the cast scores more than enough direct hits of laughter. Pat ty LuPone brings a peppery pique and a sweet contrition to Lady Teazle. As Joseph Surface, the false merchant of noble sentiments, David Ogden Stiers has the smarmy aplomb of a drawing-room lago and marks himself an actor to watch.

. T.E. Kalem

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