Can a jealous actor fool his cheating wife? Lillian Groag (artistic associate at the Old Globe) directs a new adaptation of The Guardsman, the comic tour de force about love, fidelity and illusion by Hungarian playwright Ferenc Molnár, opening May 17 at the NoHo Arts Center.
The Guardsman is Molnár’s 1910 masterpiece that inspired Harold Pinter’s The Lover. The premise: thespian Max Schuman is certain that his wife, actress Elena Beck, is being unfaithful, and disguises himself as a Russian guardsman to test her devotion.
In this new rendition by H. Patrikas Zakshevskis, Molnár’s classic has been freely adapted to be played by older actors. These are not the young twenty-somethings of the original — fresh newlyweds in the ascendance of their lives and relationship. This couple is in the autumn of their lives with a personal history between them that goes back much farther. They KNOW each other.
Stars Henry Olek (actor: Idiot’s Delight, Twentieth Century at the Lillian; screenwriter: All of Me starring Steve Martin and Lily Tomlin) and Susan Priver (Backstage West awards for David Mamet’s Reunion and Sidney Kingsley’s Detective Story), a real-life couple who have performed opposite each other many times for over a decade, bring an important authenticity to their roles.
Performances of The Guardsman take place Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 7 p.m., May 17 through June 22. There will be two preview performances on Thursday, May 15 and Friday, May 16, both at 8 p.m. All tickets are $25, except previews which are $15. The NoHo Arts Center is located at 11136 Magnolia Boulevard in North Hollywood. It is air-conditioned and wheelchair accessible. For reservations and information, call (323) 960-4418 or go to www.plays411.com/guardsman.
