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‘Philadelphia Story’ remains relevant today
By LORRAINE WARDLE
If you think America’s obsession with socialites and debutantes started with Paris Hilton, you would be mistaken. Our interest in the lives of the rich and famous goes far back, at least to the 1930s, when the term “celebutante” was coined. Written in 1939, “The Philadelphia Story” could be about a celebutante today.
“The Philadelphia Story,” the latest production at Salem Community Theatre, tells the story of one socialite’s search for love. Playwright Philip Barry actually based his character on a real celebutante famous for her social hijinks. Barry wrote the role for Katharine Hepburn, who then brought the play to the silver screen.
“The Philadelphia Story” with Hepburn, James Stewart and Cary Grant has become a classic. Although the play is 70 years old, it could easily be remade today.
The play centers on the extremely rich, upper-class Lord family of Philadelphia as they prepare for eldest daughter Tracy’s wedding. The wedding, of course, is a spectacular affair, complete with scandal. It is Tracy’s second marriage; her first husband, wealthy C. K. Dexter Haven, apparently didn’t live up to her standards. Her fianc , George Kittredge, is a working-class man who has made a name for himself. Tracy’s mother, Margaret, is busy with wedding plans while suffering through rumors of her husband’s infidelity.
Meanwhile, the publisher of Destiny magazine (think Fortune or Life) has sent a reporter and photographer to infiltrate the ceremony and produce a revealing piece for the magazine. Mike Connor and Liz Imbrie try to pass as guests, but Tracy soon discovers their true purpose. As Tracy attempts to interrogate Mike, she finds herself becoming romantically interested in him. Her first husband, Dexter, who lives down the street, also invites himself to the nuptial festivities hoping to win back Tracy.
The entire play takes place within 24 hours, culminating in Tracy’s near breakdown as she tries to decide who to marry — George, Mike or Dexter.
Director Dan Haueter has assembled a capable cast for his incarnation of “The Philadelphia Story.” Rather that try to imitate Hepburn, Rachel Forney made the role her own. She was poised and regal throughout, even as she lost her grip on her perfectly sculpted existence. As Mike, the reporter, Anthony Melone was both gruff and sincere.
The supporting cast helped move the play along. Connor Bezeredi played older brother Sandy with appropriate exuberance and a maturity belying his young age. Bill Finley, as Dexter, was clearly the most comfortable and natural actor onstage, though perhaps a little old for the role.
The major problem with a script such as “The Philadelphia Story” is simply the age of the play. The dialogue is so dated that the director found it necessary to include a glossary in the program. Even with the glossary, the wordage and phraseology of the script made it difficult to follow, and at times, the audience was left wondering, “What just happened?” It’s almost as if the actors were speaking a different language.
Opening-night jitters can be blamed for some line flubs and a lack of chemistry between characters. The cast’s performances will surely smooth out the more they perform for an audience. Also, the sound crew needs to watch the level of the floor microphones, as they created an annoying amount of feedback.
“The Philadelphia Story” continues Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and next Sunday at 2 p.m.