French Farces at Adams House

Ever wish you could just get out of a relationship? Then check out George Feydeau’s French farce “Take Her, She’s Yours!”—translated by Norman R. Shapiro ’51—which will open Nov. 19 at the Adams House Pool Theatre. It’s the story of a husband trying to find a new man for his ambivalent wife after he starts having an affair. The Roving Reporter stopped by their dress rehearsal to feel the love.



Maria “Masha” O. Godina ’08



RR: So who do you play in “Take Her, She’s Yours!”?

MG: I play the wife, Claudine. The premise of the play is that a man marries a woman who’s very “sexually advanced” for the 1800s. She doesn’t want to marry him, so she marries him on the condition that when she finds the man of her dreams, he’ll give her a divorce, because only men could grant divorces at this point.

RR: Does the marriage situation remind you of any couples you know?

MG: It’s meant to be completely ridiculous, so I’m afraid not. But I’m currently engaged so it’s fun for me to listen to this person in the play tell me that, “Oh, she was great but then we got married and within a year she became this awful person, and she’s so boring and just sits by the fire.” So I’m excited for my fiancée to see that scene.

RR: Are you going to give him the same divorce condition?

MG: Um...



Eve H. Bryggman ’10



RR: So who do you play?

EB: I am Countess Popova. She basically is the tenant who lives downstairs from the main character, and she’s having an affair with him. Actually, she’s having multiple affairs. And so I come on for a couple scenes, talk in a Russian accent, or at least I attempt one, and then kind of leave again.

RR: You don’t have any experience with the Russian accent?

EB: No, no experience... I mean, besides just messing around, but it’s written into the script, a lot of it. And I think it’s less supposed to be accurate and more supposed to be ridiculous.

RR: Do you have anyone who inspired you for the role of an adulteress?

EB: Well, that’s a bit difficult. I don’t think I could name that one without getting in any trouble. So I’ll have to go with no.



Delon J. de Metz ’10



RR: Who do you play?

DD: I play Edouard, who comes back from America after inheriting a fortune from his uncle. I come back to attempt to court the woman I was in love with before I left, just to find that she is now married.

RR: Do you have any experience with married women?

DD: No, no, this is my first, but I’m not opposed to looking into it. I’m joking, of course. No, that’s probably something I should stay away from while dating. Jealous husbands aren’t too fun to deal with.

RR: So you’re wearing this nice blue paisley jacket. Is that the costume you wear for the performance or do you have a whole wardrobe of this stuff?

DD: No, this is my costume. My wardrobe is pretty cool, if I say so myself, but this is even a little outrageous for me.

RR: Where can I get a tie like that, with little Russian soldiers on it or whatever that is?

DD: I’m not sure. The director supplied this. I’m just the actor, I do what I’m told.



Iya Megre ’11



RR: So, who do you play in the French farce?

IM: I play Babette, the feisty French maid.

RR: How’s that going?

IM: Well, I was hoping for the typical slutty French maid costume. You know, the black and white, super short with the fishnets and stuff. But apparently that stereotype wasn’t invented until the twentieth century or something, so I’m wearing a dress and a silly apron. It’s not quite seductive but I’ll find a way to show cleavage.

RR: Are you now considering a career in housekeeping?

IM: I’m really fond of dusting but only when I don’t have to dust anything. So if I actually have to clean things, not so much.

RR: What are you concentrating in?

IM: I’m not sure, probably classics.

RR: So you’re probably looking forward to a career as a maid anyway.

IM: Yeah, and on the side I’ll translate some Virgil.