The Theater Texts and Theory Class' production of The Learned Ladies opened to an overflowing Merrick Theater Saturday night, presenting its audience with a classic rendition of the French playwright Moliaere's 1672 salon comedy directed by Rachel Ginsberg '06. It was clear from the beginning that the actors' understanding of the period of intellectual overindulgence, as well as Moliaere's writing, enhanced their interpretation of the characters on stage. The plot is simple. Henriette (Jessie Podell '06), a down-to-earth girl, is in love with the simple Clitandre (Brian Paternostro '07). Her father Chrysale (Michael Carnow '07) would love nothing more than for his youngest daughter to be happily wed. Unfortunately, his word has little leverage in a family run by the "learned ladies"-his wife Philaminte (Michal Zecher '07), his elder daugher Armande (Sarah Lackritz '06) and his sister Belise (Rebecca Kotlicky '06), who plan to remedy Henriette's simple ways by marrying her to Trissotin (Adam Curley '07), an "intellectual." The plot develops as the knowledge-thirsty women make fools of themselves, Chrysale overcomes his wife's dominion and Clitandre persuades the audience that "knowledge in a pedant turns to dust."

The elegant set and beautiful costumes were some of the production's strongest points. Unfortunately, some of the acting seemed inconsistent. For instance, the actors' accents and mannerisms seemed to slip as the play progressed, and as such, some lines sounded forced at times. Luckily, Kotlicky's superb performance saved the day. Her awkward quips and generous clumsiness were the cause of much comic relief. Likewise, Zecher's splendid vehemence and embellished melodrama strongly contributed to this heartwarming comedy, and her constant squabbles with Carnow were convincingly executed.

Ginsberg's selection of Richard Wilbur's classic translation of Moliaere's Les Femmes Savantes posed a huge risk. As a consequence, some actors had trouble demonstrating the elegance of the text. Emphasis and failure to physically interpret the verse were common, but ultimately, minor problems. On the other hand, the audience responded well to Moliaere's never-ending witticisms, which would have been troublesome even to the most polished production. In addition, some classic themes present in a typical salon comedy, such as intrigue, vanity and pedantry, were easily identified.

Overall, Ginsberg's directorship was a hands-down success-the performance was captivating from the start. Most actors tried hard and succeeded at interpreting their characters, pleasing the audience every step of the way. Each act was successfully rendered in the classic manner, paralleling the salon life of the era of overindulgence of late-17th century France. The set, costumes, music and lighting contributed to the professionalism of this class production. Ginsberg made some great choices with this project. Few renditions of this period piece could have fared so well.