Arms and the Man

War certainly isn't what it's been trumped up to be in 1885-86 Bulgaria. Not in general, either. So learns romantic Raina when Swiss mercenary Bluntschli, a Serb captain seeking safety from would-be captors, hides in her bedroom. Though Raina's father is a Bulgarian army leader, and she is engaged to up-coming officer Sergius, she helps Bluntschli by giving him food (notably chocolates), shelter, and a needed rest. Before he rejoins his regiment, he tries to disabuse her of her idealism about war, especially as espoused and practiced by Sergius. After all three soldiers have returned from battles, entwined wealth and social class become as clear targets as were notions of bellicose romanticism. Satiric salvos get fired off so cleverly and twists occur so rapidly that Shavian wit, not sermonizing, triumphs. The final conqueror is love.

Barbara Redmond's winning direction weds Shaw's literate dialogue, clearly enunciated, to exaggerated gesture. Devon Pipars' beautiful, dreamy Raina grows smoothly into a gutsy Shavian heroine. That Sam Osheroff conceives of Bluntschli's personality as rather neutral allows speech after speech to flow naturally. A clear contrast, Arlyn Mick's bootheels-clicking Sergius postures flamboyantly to fine comic effect. Between these two extremes is Raina's father, Major Petkoff, played by guest artist Patrick Egan. Unfortunately, Egan's maturity points up the youth of Deanna Gibson, unbelievable as his wife Catherine, though she does a bit about an electric bell to fine effect. Definitely lacking "the soul of a servant," Louka is both sexy and smart in Mary Lipple's sizzling interpretation. No wonder Aaron Kliner's consummate servant Nicola would rather serve than marry her!