American Players Theatre’s ‘Circle’ Shaped By Wit, Heart

Wit and heart combineseamlessly in The Circle, W. SomersetMaugham’s comedy of manners that opened Saturday at American Players Theatre. Astrong emotional streak threads its way through the wry observations and witty bon mots peppering the 1921 play aboutstation, honor and infidelity. But the true spice in the pudding comes fromstellar performances by APT veterans embodying the notion that wisdom gainedthrough painful experience offers a better antidote to human foibles than doesthe unbridled passion of youth.

Elizabeth Cheney (SusanShunk), wife of parliamentary up-and-comer Arnold Champion-Cheney (PaulHurley), invites mother-in-law Lady Kitty (Tracy Michelle Arnold) and herparamour Lord Porteous (James Ridge) to their palatial country home in Dorset, England,to better understand how age and unfettered love have affected the formerbeauty.

Lady Kitty left herhusband, Clive Champion-Cheney (Brian Mani), 30 years earlier to take up withPorteous, effectively destroying the friendship and political careers of bothmen. However, the elder Champion-Cheney arrives for an unexpected visit,putting the three former friends and lovers together once again in a trianglethat mirrors Elizabeth’sconflicted emotions over her husband and Teddy Lutton (Marcus Truschinski),another guest at the house.

Arnold, Mani and Ridge all deliveroutstanding performances, with Ridge stealing most scenes with his surlyattitude and phlegmy retorts. Mani once again plays the patrician, a charactertype at which he excels, and Arnoldruns a rich range of emotions from vanity to delight to despair. In the end, itis a wiser love that does indeed conquer all.