A Class Act

Another Country

Written by Julian Mitchell

Directed by Heather Cross

At the Winthrop JCR

Through this weekend

BEATINGS, sexual perversion and political betrayal shake the cloistered campus of a tony British prep school!! Sounds like a sensationalist headline from London's Daily Sun or better yet a passage out of David Copper-field. Wrong on both counts. This intriguing plot comes from Julian Mitchell's 1981 West End hit Another Country.

The character of 18 year-old Guy Bennett (Jason Tomarken) is at the center of the drama, which takes place in pre-war Britain. A scion of the upper class, Bennett is obsessed with becoming a member of the elitist "Twenty-Two" Club, which will hopefully open all the right doors for him after graduation.

Like the other boys at his school--a mixture of Winchester and Eton--he lives in constant fear of having his homosexual activities revealed. And once he is "found out," Bennett knows that the members of the "Twenty Two" will never accept him. As much as he'd like to participate in this world of ties and waistcoats, he comes to the wry conclusion that "Some people are better than others, just because of the way they make love."

Meanwhile, his Bolshie roommate, Tommy Judd (Benjamin Karney), also has a tendency to raise the eyebrows of his classmates. While Bennett takes latenight strolls with his pretty boyfriend, Judd makes secret nocturnal visits to the library to get in a few more pages of Marx. The pairing of the starry-eyed Bennett with the intellectual Judd proves to be as convincing as it is funny.

Throughout the production, Tomarken and Karney convey a wonderful chemistry. Tomarken plays Bennett with just the right combination of effeminate flair and brooding passion. His pensive sighs and pouty fits would make even Hamlet a little envious. Karney's Judd provides comic relief with his caustic wit. At one point Judd deadpans "I don't have to try. I am clever."

In fact, the highlight of Another Country is the verbal jousting of the pair, reminiscent of Mercutio and Romeo. In one scene Karney admonishes Tomarken for offering one of the young boys a drink. Tomarken counters, "Well he's too young for anything else!" and quickly adding, "I'm not a pedophile you know!"

The stand-outs in the rest of the cast include Jeremy Bollinger, who ably captures the self-officiating nature of Fowler, a priggish "Twenty Two" club member. David McConaughy, as Delahay, also does a convincing job with his role of a self-centered snob. His snide comments and vicious glances could make even William F. Buckley cower in his chair. Mark Kessler inspires a chuckle for his performance as the lisping literary critic. The problem with most of the other actors is that they don't play up the viciousness of their roles--they fade into the background because they don't have enough witty one-liners.

With its bay windows and wood-paneling, Winthrop's JCR serves as the ideal location for the play's prep school setting. Director Heather Cross certainly makes the most of the intimate space and of the intriguing script. The strong performances and provocative themes make Another Country more than just another night out.