The Metromaniacs at Theatre 40 at The Reuben Cordova Theatre

The Metromaniacs

Theatre 40 at The Reuben Cordova Theatre
241 Moreno Drive Beverly Hills

It's springtime in Paris, 1738. Metromania, the poetry craze, is all the rage. Damis, a young, would-be poet with a serious case of verse-mania falls for a mysterious poetess from Breton. She turns out to be none other than a wealthy gentleman with a touch of the mania himself-looking to unload his sexy but dimwitted daughter-who also just happens to be cuckoo for couplets. Soon scheming servants, verbal acrobatics, and mistaken identities launch a breathless series of twists and turns in this breezy "translaptation" of a rediscovered French farce by comedic master David Ives (The Liar, Venus in Fur, All in the Timing).

Thru - Aug 21, 2022

Thursdays: 8:00pm

Fridays: 8:00pm

Saturdays: 8:00pm

Sundays: 2:00pm

Show Type: Comedy

Box Office: 310-364-0535

www.theatre40.org

The Metromaniacs Reviews

Average Rating based on 6 reviews

Highly Recommended
Recommended
Somewhat Recommended
Not Recommended

Stage and Cinema - Somewhat Recommended

"...Poetry is all the rage in the madcap comedy, The Metromaniacs, David Ives’ 2015 English “translaptation” of La Métromanie (1738), an obscure French farce by Alexis Piron. While La Métromanie jocularly reflected the “poetry craze” of its era, Ives’ remake offers a modern lens in which to lovingly jeer that same 18th-century phenomenon. The plot is knowingly convoluted; Act II begins with a character attempting to piece it all together for the audience. For The Metromaniacs, however, it’s not about “getting” each of its outrageous plot points, it’s about the folly of mistaken identities while basking in lyrical poesy. More specifically, it’s about 18th-century poets and their crazed admirers — and it’s written (you guessed it) in verse. On the page, it’s a spirited delight; as directed by Marjorie Hayes for Theatre 40, it’s a recipe for departure."

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- Marc Wheeler

LA Splash - Recommended

"...Are you ready for a modernized French farce? Originally titled “Le Metronamie” and penned by French author Alexis Piron, the play was adapted into English by David Ives. No small feat, since THE METROMANICS is written in rhyming couplets in honor of its main characters, steeped as they are in the art of poetry. In fact, this is not a play about subway aficionados who go nuts – but rather about individuals so obsessed with poetry that they have lost touch with our reality and end up looking, well, crazy. As befits a farce, this is a tale of mistaken identities, disguises, and surprises galore. Untangling them is part of the fun."

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- Elaine Mura

Stage Scene LA - Highly Recommended

"...The rhymes come fast and furious, and so do the laughs, in Theatre 40’s 2022-2023 season-opener The Metromaniacs, David Ives’ très délicieux updating of Alexis Piron’s early-18th-century French farce of a similar name."

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- Steven Stanley

Showmag - Recommended

"...Under the direction of the accomplished Marjorie Hayes, Theatre Forty members have blossomed into technically proficient performers of poetic doggerel; their every move choreographed by Michelle Bernath. Ives’ own talents have been described (by critic Vincent Canby) as “a master of language.” His delight in words, words, words, lights up the sometimes convoluted plot."

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- Leigh Kennicott

Stage Raw - Somewhat Recommended

"...The intended audience for this particular play is very niche, or perhaps just unclear; the use of contemporary diction as parody is more successful at eliciting laughter than the clever jokes shrouded in flowery language, and the little meta moments feel targeted at a younger audience than the room provides. The enchantment of the rhymes would be more successful if not for being broken on occasion by an imbalance in the rhythm or a halting delivery. The nature of the dialogue leads to a handful of forced word choices, as can be expected, but the fleeting moments miss an opportunity to "lean" into the awkward. It's also never quite made clear if the characters know that they're rhyming, and the play's final twist may leave some audiences confused."

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- Socks Whitmore

Haines His Way - Recommended

"...Add in an inebriated, overly amorous valet Mondor (John Wallace Combs) and the requisite saucy and all-knowing maid (think Moliere's Dorine in Tartuffe among others). Here she is called Lisette and played to perfection by Mandy Fason. Stir swiftly and you soon have more than a soupcon of comic shenanigans as everyone pretends to be someone else and confusion and hilarity reign. Nunez plays her Valley Girl persona with spot on modernity. Carraso is larger than life most of the time which suits his character's peacock nature as does Michele Young's sumptuous period costumes. The Metromaniacs is tres drole!"

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- Rob Stevens

The Metromaniacs at Theatre 40 at The Reuben Cordova Theatre