STAGE REVIEW : ‘RING ROUND MOON’ IS HEAVY SATIRE AT LAMB’S

NATIONAL CITY —  “Things are going so wrong, you’d think we had no money at all,” pouts a blond, bejeweled heiress in Christopher Fry’s “Ring Round the Moon,” as if her wealth entitled her to a trouble-free spot among the less fortunate masses.

Fry’s satire, at Lamb’s Players Theatre, is thoroughly indulgent in its portrayal of the monied classes through unkind caricatures. The play is peopled with creatures whose lives turn on values that are, indeed, no more solid than a vaporous ring around a bright, winter moon.

Adapted from Jean Anouilh’s “L’Invitation au Chateau,” the comedy takes place in the garden terrace of an estate we never see but come to envision as monstrously opulent. Hugo--handsome, wealthy, young and obnoxiously self-centered--is plotting to rescue his twin brother, Frederic, from the throes of unrequited love for Diana, the blond heiress. She has agreed to marry the shy Frederic only because his egotistical brother refuses to pay her any attention.

Hugo’s scheme involves Isabelle, a poor but beautiful young dancer whose sincerity, Hugo hopes, will jar his dazzled brother loose from his obsessed nearsightedness. But the girl’s genuineness disrupts this world of artifice in unexpected ways as the pretender, Isabelle, becomes Fry’s device for unmasking the follies of his money-obsessed characters.

But Fry’s parable is too didactic; funny, but self-defeating. We’ve heard that money is evil. When one of his characters starts shredding it onto the patio, we long for the subtle grace of a Noel Coward, slicing up the idle rich for his dessert. Our response to “Moon’s” heavy-handedness too often is, So what?

Director Deborah Gilmour Smyth rescues the production by shifting the emphasis from message to character. Her centerpiece is a captivating performance by Katherine Faulconer as Madame Desmortes, the twins’ dowager aunt.

From her wheelchair, she keeps watch on the proceedings with eyes that see much more than the surface life that those around her are living. Faulconer’s every line is a gem, delivered with exquisite poise and timing, wringing every drop of humor from the script.

David Heath is better as the dashingly arrogant Hugo than as his humble twin brother. The need for him to play both roles is a distracting handicap. This overt theatricalism keeps him from attaining a complete aura of reality--a problem that pervades this play.

Darlene Trent has fun as Isabelle’s mother, playing up her brassy maternal interference to the edge of excess but no further, a risky demonstration of comic control that makes her scenes delightful.

Likewise, Lauren Hamilton as Lady India, the sultry mistress of Messerschmann, the richest man on the premises, dips into the gold digger routine with relish and delivers all she can in a role that allows--craves--the extravagant overplaying. Phil Card, as her uptight lover-on-the-side, adds his own flair for caricature, making the pair the most fun couple at Madame Desmortes’ grand ball.

Gail West has less luck as the fragile Isabella. She seems lost on the stage, taking the script’s references to her penetrating looks too seriously, overworking her facial expressions in an attempt to telegraph emotions that aren’t rooted inside, where they count. It makes her hard to watch.

Susan Bennett overdoes the phoniness as the heiress, Diana Messerschmann. Bennett and West both do their best work when Smyth sets them loose upon one another in a hair-pulling tussle that leaves them no time for pasted-on motivations.

Making the most of a juicy character role, Carolyn Schade infuses her performance as the aunt’s companion with all the excitement, as she puts it, of “a little yeasty bun in a good oven.” As the millionaire Messerschmann, Race Wilt would be quite convincing if he settled on a single accent, or none at all. Henry Le Clair lends the proper touch of buffoonery to the character Romainville, while Geo (pronounced like Joe) Williams had a little trouble with his lines as the butler.

One of the nicest touches in the production is Don Lonsbrough’s confectionary set, all pink and gray and black, dressed with white wicker and lavender plants. It features a real fountain, which Smyth uses to underline the money-worshiping. Her cast repeatedly kisses coins and tosses them into the fountain--prayers to the godforce of dollars they hope will bring them happiness. The fresh color scheme is echoed in Lonsbrough’s rich costumes, adding to the overall harmony.

But much more could have been done with Mike Buckley’s lighting. Opportunity abounded, with Japanese lanterns, fireworks, fountain lights and night-to-dawn scenes, but no one took advantage.

Lamb’s Players’ forte is smooth ensemble work. For “Ring Round the Moon,” it saves the production from the inferiority of Fry’s adaptation.

“RING ROUND THE MOON” by Christopher Fry, adapted from “L’Invitation au Chateau,” by Jean Ahouilh. At Lamb’s Players Theatre, National City. Directed by Deborah Gilmour Smyth. Costume and scene design by Don Lonsbrough. Lighting by Mike Buckley. Stage manager, David Carminito. Sound design by David Thayer. With Katherine Faulconer, David Heath, Darlene Trent, Lauren Hamilton, Gail West, Phil Card, Susan Bennett, Carolyn Schade, Race Wilt, Henry Le Clair and Geo Williams. Performances continue through Aug. 24 at 500 Plaza Blvd., National City.