Considering The School for Scandal debuted in 1777, the latest production at Topanga Canyon’s Theatricum Botanicum feels remarkably in tune with the times. Once your ears begin processing the rapid-fire stream of five-dollar words, it’s hard to ignore that the gossip and defaming have merely changed venues, from the salons of the 18th century to the blind items and frothing immediacy of the blogosphere.

If Jane Austen captured the passive-aggressive nature of British society, then “Scandal” is clearly a man’s play on it. The show made an overnight sensation of its writer Richard Brinsley Sheridan (who’s bio reads like a sequel to “Barry Lyndon”), and it’s a fitting creation of a mad genius in his twenties.

The twisted plot centers on Joseph Surface (a charming scoundrel, played with viperish glee by Mark Lewis) his brother Charles (a playboy with a heart of gold), and the local clique of tattles who seek to manipulate them for their own amusement. When the beneficent Uncle Oliver returns from a profitable stint with the East India Company, Joseph puts the tongue-waggers to work tarnishing his brother’s name in a sly bid for the family fortune.

Lip service is paid to themes of unrequited love, family honor, and fidelity, but with characters named “Backbite,” “Sneerwell,” and “Teazle” it’s always been a broad comedy to the core, a satire of the then-common (and perhaps still common) bawdy chain of fools. A clan with much too little to do other than berate the less fortunate, delight in their own libertine behavior, and revel in grabass-ery.

Theatricum Botanicum proves to be an ingenious setting. For the unfamiliar, it’s entirely outdoors, a natural amphitheater carved from a canyon on the Geer family property. As an artists’ refuge for blacklisted performers (and arguably one of the best things to come out of the McCarthy Era) there’s a rebel spirit that’s taken residence in Sheridan’s work. The most outlandish characters are dressed in neon colored versions of period fashion and Ellen Geer’s resourceful staging has its stars literally springing from the woodwork, unencumbered by traditional wings or curtain. Sets are scattered across a wide platform and the result is a serious boost in pacing. No scene changes. No dead time. It’s closer to a movie than a performance.

Adjustments are made during intermission, but even these are worth watching as they’re done by cast members in a short, silent comedy. Maids and footmen shuffle furniture, shake rugs, and chase each other through the house. Most of the audience, myself included, stayed in their seats to watch.

Innovation aside, the play is up in years. Its language is from three centuries ago and is so alien from our own that many of the punchlines will be lost on those who’ve never connected with classical theatre. That said, the uninitiated will be hard-pressed to find a production that is more accessible and fun. The cast is packed with natural physical comedians who play to the rafters, were there any.

The first act belongs to the most colorful roles, the circle of backstabbers led by Susan Angelo’s irresistible villainess, the Lady Sneerwell. Katherine Griffith plays the slanderous “dear friend to all” Lady Candour completely without irony to uproarious effect, while Jeff Bergquist and Bill Durham are sublimely repugnant as Uncle Crabtree and Sir Benjamin Backbite. Willow Geer’s lively Lady Teazle is a surprising turn on the country gold digger with a mean streak, a habit that crumbles against the earnest affections of her bear-like elder husband Sir Peter Teazle (portrayed with deftness and warmth by Franc Ross)

Things are exploding at the multiplex every weekend. This is the apex of the season, when stupidity reaches fever pitch. For those seeking something wildly different, and a great deal smarter, “The School for Scandal” is the perfect summer antidote to the remedial entertainments of “The Hills” and “TMZ.” For those who are already fans of the work, this is a buoyant interpretation that shouldn’t be missed.

(Just don’t forget to bring a blanket and cushion. It’s outdoors, after all.)

Playing June 28th - September 27th

@ The Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum

1419 N. Topanga Canyon blvd.

Topanga , CA 90290

Call the box-office direct at: 310-455-3723

www.theatricum.com

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