by John Quinn

Posted: Jan. 17, 2015 at 3:20 p.m.

Hold on. This really is a review, not an article in “News and Previews.” The above headline is a deception. Given the shabby state of journalism it’s not the first, nor the last you’ll encounter. The Hilberry isn’t renovating; it is, in fact, preparing to build a whole new theater. The project they’ve undertaken is a play driven by deception; full of characters who revel so joyously in self-serving manipulation and callous disregard for the holy state of Matrimony that they seem positively 21st Century. The Restoration project is, in fact, William Congreve’s 1700 classic, “The Way of the World.”

Charles I allowed his royal prerogatives go to his head, and he lost it – his head, that is. Convicted of treason, Charles was executed by Parliament 1649. The Interregnum was dominated by puritanical morals; the theaters, in fact, had been closed as early as 1642.

One can only imagine a rousing chorus of “Happy Days Are Here Again” resounding through the streets when the monarchy was restored in the person of Charles II in 1660. A “Good Time” Charlie indeed, his reign permitted everybody let his hair down, figuratively and literally, and playwrights were still writing naughty bits four decades later. “The Way of the World” remains a witty, sassy, thoroughly cynical comedy even after three hundred years.

The plot is convoluted, the more so since many of the characters’ names are similar. Mirabell (Kyle Mitchell Johnson) loves Millament (Annie Keris), who comes with a big dowry attached. But in order to get both the girl and the cash, he must win the approval of Millament’s aunt, Lady Wishfort (Bevin Bell-Hall), who despises him. Milady would rather have Millament marry an oafish nephew, Sir Wilfull Witwoud (Santino Craven), and keep the money all in the family, as it were. Worse for Mirabell, if Lady Wishfort should marry before her niece, a big chunk of the money goes with her.

In order to compromise Lady Wishfort, Mirabell marries off his servant, Waitwell (Michael Phillip Thomas), to the Lady’s maid, Foible (Devri Chism). Waitwell, in the guise of Mirabell’s aristocratic “uncle,” woos Lady Wishfort as part of a “bigamy as blackmail” plot.

The paradox in “The Way of the World” is that, while none of the characters are likeable, they’re all, perversely, lovable. Congreve is responsible for much of that. All the characters delight in their decadence because, as we are frequently reminded: it’s “the way of the world.” There are memorable characters that are hold-overs from the hedonism of Charles’ days into the dourer reign of William and Mary. Michael Manocchio (Witwoud) and Brandy Joe Plambeck (Petulant) play two over-the-top fops; complete with bizarre wigs, clown-white makeup, garish raiment and heeled pumps that could pass muster in “Kinky Boots.” While costumer Anne Suchyta has outdone herself with this entire production, how well these designs define the comic foils is worth noting.

Other characters stand out, not for their finery, but for their licentiousness. Mrs. Fainall (Sarah Hawkins Moan) and Mrs. Marwood (Tiffany Michelle Thompson) both have histories with Mirabell and alternately conspire for and against him. Mr. Fainall (Miles Boucher) isn’t about to let a little thing like marriage stand in the way of snatching all the dowry for himself – by any means necessary.

The scope of the Hilberry experience is educational, and success depends on a skillful, thoughtful teacher. For “The Way of the World,” that’s director Lavinia Hart, Associate Professor of Theatre and Head of the MFA Acting Program at Wayne State University. By adhering to the conventions of Restoration Theatre, she has not only taken her cast out of their comfort zones established by modern technique; she has made a three hundred-year-old script totally accessible to a modern audience. Objectively, the vocal inflections, movement and gestures seem stilted; subjectively, they bring out the best in Congreve. The ensemble is first rate, with few weak performances.

Adding to the visual feast are the complementary scenic and lighting designs. Sarah Pearline, an Assistant Professor of Set Design, provides a backdrop of huge, white flowers on a gilt-edged black backdrop. They are three-dimensional, but hit by Amy M. Schneider’s lights, they take on the striking luminescence of mother-of-pearl marquetry. It’s a dazzling effect.

I suppose it could be argued that theater is all about deception. I prefer to think of it as “illusion” instead, since the audience is a willing participant in the experience. Illusion, entertainment, education – make of it what you will, “The Way of the World” is the real deal.

SHOW DETAILS: ‘The Way of the World’ by William Congreve

Hilberry Theatre

4743 Cass Avenue, Detroit, at the corner of Hancock.

Jan. 16 – Mar. 7

2 hours 40 minutes 2 intermissions

313-577-2972

http://hilberry1.com