Boulevard Theatre presents: CECILE

By Mary Boyle

Celebrating its 38th season, local actor, director, and producer Mark Bucher's small but steady Boulevard Theatre has done over 300 productions over the years, persevering after the loss of their permanent home in Bayview by moving on to the Plymouth Church in Milwaukee, where they continue to create "elevated presentations" that focus on back-to-basics theatre and the use of local talent, while also striving to make live theatre accessible and affordable to Milwaukee area audiences.  I stopped in to catch their season finale, which happened to be the Midwest premiere of CECILE.

French playwright Jean Anouilh seems to be experiencing a bit of a renaissance, as of late.  Milwaukee's newest small theatre, Vanguard Productions, did a reading of Anouilh's Antigone at the beginning of the month, and American Players Theatre has his Ring Around The Moon in their upcoming season. A prolific writer, Anouilh’s career began in the 1930’s and didn’t finish until his final play in 1981.  Written in 1954, Cécile (ou l'École des pères – or the School for Fathers) is a romantic comedy that follows a common theme among Anouilh’s plays of “maintaining integrity in a world of moral compromise.”

Directed by David Flores, who acts as a bit of a narrator for the production, we meet Cécile’s widowed father, Monsieur Orlas (Matt Specht), who is questioning aloud the wisdom of hiring such a young governess for his seventeen-year-old daughter to the governess, herself: twenty-three-year-old Araminthe (Caitlin Kujawski Compton).  On the one hand, Orlas complains that his daughter and her governess are basically the same age, so how can the governess possibly guide her? On the other hand, Orlas admits he is in love with Araminthe; but, when she points out that she is too young for him according to his own words, he insists that, in fact, she is much more mature. 

Orlas is unhappy about his daughter’s suitor, le Chevalier (A.J. Magoon), who has no fortune - though neither does Cécile (Sarah Donofrio), which is why le Chevalier admits to Araminthe that his own father has forbidden him to marry Cécile.  Instead, he confides to the governess that he has plans to abduct both Cécile and Araminthe and elope with Cécile that very evening.  Araminthe reports the plan to Orlas, who is certain his daughter cannot be the target of le Chevalier, but that it is Araminthe, his love, who will be abducted that evening.  Orlas calls on his old friend and Araminthe’s father, Monsieur Damiens (Michael Pocaro), and the two fathers hatch a scheme to foil the lovers’ plans, but what will happen when Monsieur Damiens finds out that Orlas wishes to keep his friend’s daughter for himself?

This production of Cécile was a dramatized reading, meaning the actors had their scripts with them, but also had costumes and a bit more freedom of movement than a traditional reading.  Although the original play had no music, this version truly was elevated by the addition of several songs, under the direction of Donna Kummer, who also served as the pianist.  The entire cast was quite vocally proficient: “La Vie En Rose” was performed beautifully by Donofrio and Kajawski Compton, and “Mimi” by Richard Rodgers, C’est Si Bon” by Henri Betti, and “C’est Magnifique” by Cole Porter were all excellent additions to the show.  The intimate space at Plymouth Church was a lovely setting for this type of production, where the performers really must carry the show without the help of sound enhancement or fancy lighting – luckily, they were up to the task.  A.J. Magoon, who was recently seen in A Moon for the Misbegotten with Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, was particularly delightful, funny, and charming as le Chevalier.

Small theatre companies like Boulevard offer area audiences the chance to see plays that often escape the notice of larger outfits.  While Anouilh’s Antigone regularly makes the circuit because it is the play he is best known for, Cécile is rarely staged.  I feel lucky to have had a chance to see it and, in particular, to see this version, which was made entirely entertaining by the addition of live music – I would love to see a full staging of this production. 

While Milwaukee’s small theatre companies contribute so much to the fabric of the arts scene here, offering a less costly ticket while still producing a quality performance and making work for local actors, they are terribly underfunded.  Boulevard has been implementing a Pay-What-You-Can admission policy since the pandemic, which is so admirable, but not sustainable without support from audience members who can support their work. Want to help grow our theatre community?  Commit to seeing shows from smaller companies while broadening and enriching your theatre experience!

To learn more, donate, and keep abreast of Boulevard Theatre’s 2024/25 season, go to: https://milwaukeeboulevardtheatre.com/