'World' of green as in money

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By Jayne Blanchard

We've got green cars, green buildings, green groceries. Why not green theater?

And what green theater "The Way of the World" is.

Michael Kahn's immaculate production of William Congreve's 1700 Restoration Comedy borrows a palette from the most exquisitely tended parklands and ornamental gardens. From Wilson Chin's set - featuring lollipop topiary lining the back of the stage - to Jane Greenwood's dazzling, eye-freshening costumes, everything is rendered in the most lustrous, verdant shades of the refreshing hue.

In Mr. Kahn's staging, green represents the lush English parks and gardens where the elite and servant classes alike engage in pursuits far naughtier than bending over to inspect the roses. The color also symbolizes envy and avarice - two forces abundantly at work in Mr. Congreve's witty condemnation of duplicity and slavery to fashion in Restoration society.

Mr. Congreve's plot is more convoluted than the entire run of "Sex and the City." Basically, everyone's after the fortune of the lovely and smartly self-possessed Millamant (the radiant Veanne Cox, whose voice sounds like money) bestowed by her mother Lady Wishfort (Nancy Robinette, delectable in her vanity and extravagant self-deception). Her devious brother-in-law Fainall (Andrew Long, bringing out the humorous glints in a villainous role) wants Lady Wishfort's moola for himself - and for his similarly scheming mistress, Marwood (Deanne Lorette). Two aging suitors, Witwoud (Floyd King, a certifiable scream as an epicene dandy) and Petulant (J. Fred Shiffman, who makes dour affectation an art form), woo Millamant in the hopes she will keep them in the frilly, snuff-sniffing manner to which they've become accustomed.

Although it's hard to imagine turning down an inheritance, the earthy Mirabell (Christopher Innvar, grounded, yet deftly romantic) loves Millamant for herself and strives to capture her affections. At times, you may wish for a Powerpoint presentation to map out the family tree, not to mention the "Who's Had Who."

However, you really don't need to cramp your brain with a play that features servants named Foible (Colleen Delany, who brings depth to even the most frivolous of roles), Mincing (Julie-Ann Elliott), and Waitwell (Todd Scofield, switching suavely between playing a rube and a swell) and that ends with a burst of dancing.

"The Way of the World" is like gazing into the depths of a perfectly cut emerald, and you sometimes wish the show were as funny as it is beautiful. The laughs don't exactly roll throughout, though some of the moments invoke the necessary mirth. Among them: Miss Robinette's Lady Wishfort, preparing to meet a mystery suitor, fortifies herself with red rouge and cherry brandy, and any scene where Mr. King and Mr. Shiffman get to play off each other's clownish hauteur.

Miss Cox and Mr. Innvar also have a delicious exchange, where Millamant sets her conditions for "dwindling into marriage," which zings with the rhythms of classical screwball comedy.

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WHAT: "The Way of the World" by William Congreve

WHERE:Shakespeare Theatre Company at the Lansburgh Theatre, 450 7th St. NW

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, 7:30 p.m. Sundays, noon matinee Nov. 5. Through Nov. 16.

TICKETS: $23.50 to $79.75

PHONE: 202/547-1122

WEB SITE: ShakespeareTheatre

MAXIMUM RATING: FOUR STARS