Born Yesterday

Contrary to popular belief, A Christmas Carol is not the only production currently making a home at the Guthrie. Born Yesterday is playing through January 5th and it's well worth a visit on its own merit and not just as choice #2 should the rush seats for Christmas Carol sell out.

A dramatic comedy set in post-WWII Washington, D.C., the show's central arc is Pygmalion-esque. A dim-witted damsel comes under the tutelage of a kind and somewhat lovesick glasses-wearing reporter (Paul), all for the benefit of strengthening a facade of propriety for the damsel (Billie) and her not-husband (Harry), whose business depends on Washington favors.  That underbelly of Washington muscle is almost its own character, standing just behind the curtains, smirking at an uncivilized mess. 

Pygmalion roots it may have, but this is no My Fair Lady.  Jeff Still plays Harry with a deft hand, able at once to both patronize and adore his mistress.  He is cruel and yet, on occasion, seems to convince himself and the audience that he does love her.  The trick, of course, is that he loves her wound up in a tight little cage, wings clipped, with only a mink coat here or there to blind her from the misery of her life. It's no wonder Billie's often chasing a bottle around the hotel room, a beautiful set perfectly depicting the decadence of $235/night in the late 1940s. 

As the books and Paul's sincere attention start to open Billie's eyes to her trap, some of the hilarity is brushed aside for more shadowy conversations. Political corruption, freedom, education, the rights of men and women...all the heady topics of the day are seemingly encapsulated in that shiny hotel room. Alexis Bronkovic, as Billie, and John Patrick Hayden, both in their Guthrie debuts, are excellent.  Bronkovic's Billie is crass and flirtatious and wholly ignorant not only of Harry's shady dealings, but also of her own misery. Hayden's Paul manages to be brilliant without steamrolling his student.  Despite questions that would make any teacher's eyes roll ("What's a Supreme Court?"), Paul provides encouragement without being patronizing.  Most importantly, he guides Billie on a path of her own, never lecturing, but only providing the means by which Billie can educate herself.  She is her own rescuer, making her a damsel that eventually grows tired of her distress. 

Rounded out with a strong supporting cast of a self-loathing lawyer and a corrupt senator, Born Yesterday is a fast-paced, funny, emotional ride.  So don't forget it in your rush to see the Christmas classic, this one may be headed to classic territory, too.

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