The Rivals by Richard Brinsley Sheridan


Reading The Rivals, by Sheridan


The Acting Company in The Rivals

Today we read and discussed The Rivals, by Richard Brinsley Sheridan in one of my classes. I have taught this play many times over the years, but have only seen it once. This was done by The Acting Company in 2000, when we brought them to Sweet Briar College as part of the Babcock Season that year. Although you really have to suspend your disbelief in this play - if you surrender to the idea that everybody can be mistaken about who everybody else is, it's a lot of fun.
Hearing the student's opinions is always fun - predictably, they all liked Mrs. Malaprop, and interestingly they seemed to like Lydia Languish (a character I have a hard time believing that Captain Absolute can be so attracted to). Many of them especially related to her choosing things against her interest, just because Mrs. Malaprop was against them. I have to agree that it is also very funny when Captain Absolute refuses to marry his fathers choice - just because it is his father's choice. They also did not think it was funny when Sir Anthony and Mrs. Malaprop go off against the idea of educating girls, until someone pointed out that similar attitudes are held today by people who worry that access to the Internet is bad - why they might learn things!
One particular thing that I remember from the Acting Company's production - they added an extra malapropism for Mrs. Malaprop. When she says "Men are barbarians" near the end of the play - they changed it to "Men are librarians!" I think Sheridan would have liked that change.

Posted: Wed - December 3, 2003 at 09:55 AM          

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