I spent an enjoyable evening the other
night at a performance of David Hirson’s La Bête. Set in a 17th-century French court and written in iambic pentameter, La Bête
is the tale of two
playwrights—the dignified and priggish Elomire and the bombastic and buffoonish
Valere—whose futures are controlled by the Princess whose patronize they both
seek. Elomire, who is ensconced comfortably at court, is horrified
when the Princess insists that the street performer Valere, whom she finds
entertaining, join Elomire and his troupe. The ensuing arguments lead to victory for one and
banishment for the other.
The three leads are
marvelous in their roles. As the Princess, the striking Joanna Lumley mixes a regal composure with childish stubbornness. And her entrance, heralded
by a cloud of gold glitter, is absolutely fabulous. David Hyde Pierce, so
perfect at projecting silent burning rage, delivers Elomire’s words eloquently
but is at his funniest when expressing a wealth of emotions without uttering a
word. Yet as good as these two are, it is Mark Rylance as Valere who steals the
show. He enters at the beginning of the play, a wreck with foppish hat and
oversized teeth, spitting out words and food (in Elomire’s face) and doesn’t
stop talking for a good half hour. During his monologue he prances, belches, shouts, confesses
childhood secrets, mispronounces Latin, and even defecates while never seeming
to stop for a breath. It’s a standout performance and one that can’t help but
overshadow the other characters. It’s also one of the funniest performances I’ve
seen on stage in a long time.
Unfortunately, the
rest of the play never seems to live up to that opening monologue. The age-old
argument about high versus low art seems one-sided and the dramatic exit into the mist by one of the leads at the
end seems overly dramatic. Nonetheless, the excellence of the performances, especially Rylance’s antics, are worth seeing.
Like most plays
that opened this fall on Broadway, La Bête is closing soon (January 9). Until then you can catch it at the Music Box Theatre.
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