'Au Pair Man' comes off as dated drama
The slang usage of “cougar” wasn't in the English lexicon back in the 1970s when Irish playwright Hugh Leonard penned “The Au Pair Man.” Nowadays Leonard's 1973 Broadway play could be written off as just a “cougar comic drama” since it focuses on an older upper-class Englishwoman engaging in a tenuous relationship with an initially uncouth younger Irish man.
Yet Steel Beam Theatre prominently pictures flags of the British Union Jack and Republic of Ireland in the logo for its production “The Au Pair Man,” more than hinting that the two-character play should be seen as a larger allegorical examination of the difficult cultural and historical relationship between England and Ireland.
Just look at the play's unflattering female character of Mrs. Elizabeth Woods. Slavishly devoted to the monarchy and living in a townhouse that has seen better days, the haughtily class-conscious Elizabeth (note the deliberately chosen moniker) could easily be interpreted as a stand-in for an economically troubled England still clinging to memories of its 19th century Imperial grandeur.
Much more sympathetic is Eugene Hartigan, the Irish debt collector who lets himself get ensnared in Elizabeth's trap of keeping younger men on the pretense that they're getting etiquette lessons while working to keep accounts for her absent stamp-collecting husband. Hartigan initially accepts his subservience to Elizabeth, but starts rebelling in drunken outbursts before he ultimately makes his escape and triumphant return to turn the tables on her (perhaps making Eugene an allegorical symbol of Ireland itself breaking away from the United Kingdom).
The personal and political dynamics of “The Au Pair Man” may have meant more in its 1970s debut. But now, it just feels dated and frequently politically incorrect (particularly when Elizabeth spouts bigoted sentiments about blacks, homosexuals, the Welsh or when she dismisses rape as an “unwanted gift”).
Just why Steel Beam Theatre has opted to produce “The Au Pair Man” now is also a puzzler, since it really doesn't have what it takes to honestly pull off Leonard's interesting but very odd play.
As the imperious Elizabeth, Donna Steele doesn't maintain a consistent upper crust English accent throughout. She also seems slightly uncomfortable about playing the domineering Englishwoman who also needs to have her carnal needs taken care of every now and then despite her posh facade.
As for Jim Poole, he reads as too old for playing the Irish boy toy Eugene, who is initially dazzled by the style and grace of Mrs. Woods and her decrepit surroundings. The sense of desperation that would drive a young man to want to be taken care of is missing from Poole's performance, and so is the drunken abandon that needs to be honestly portrayed when Eugene starts breaking free from Mrs. Woods.
Leonard's weird mix of allegorical and “real” characterizations gets the better of director Bernie Weiler. He seems as stymied as his cast to make the play snap along as a tension-filled battle between a man and woman who can represent two national opposites with a long history of belittlement and resentment.
Now “The Au Pair Man” might please fans of Irish and English history who could mine some metaphoric resonance from Leonard's unpleasant and not entirely believable characters engaged in an untidy mix of a manipulative love affair and elocution lesson. But for other audiences, waiting to see which character ultimately gets the upper hand might not be enough.
<B>The Au Pair Man</b>
★ ★ ½
<b>Location:</b> Steel Beam Theatre, 111 W. Main St., St. Charles, (630) 587-8521 or steelbeamtheatre.com
<b>Showtimes:</b> 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 3 p.m. Sunday through March 6
<b>Running time:</b> About two hours and 30 minutes with intermission
<b>Tickets:</b> $25; $23 students/seniors
<b>Parking:</b> Nearby parking garage and side street parking
<b>Rating:</b> For adults, implied off-stage sexual situations