The School for Scandal

directed by Heather Sartin

The intrigues of such aptly named characters as Lady Sneerwell, Sir Joseph Surface, Lady Candour, and Sir Benjamin Backbite have amused audiences for more than two centuries. The invention of Irish-born playwright Richard Brinsley Sheridan, they unfold, collide, and backfire hilariously in this masterpiece, a play still widely considered the best comedy of manners in English. The two plots, one involving Sir Oliver Surface and his two nephews, and the other unleashing Lady Sneerwell’s attempts to ensnare the hapless Lady Teazle and others in her designs, converge brilliantly in the screen scene – one of the most famous in all of theater. The School for Scandal reveals not only Sheridan’s mastery of stage comedy, but also his flair for witty dialogue and his delight in skewering the pretentious affectation of 1770’s London society. Visually beautiful, linguistically melodious, and shamefully hilarious, it remains one of the most produced of all theater classics today and a truly enjoyable night of theater for both actor and audience alike!