ETSU’s division of theatre is presenting the 17th century comedy The Country Wife by William Wycherley Thursday-Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Veterans Affairs Memorial Theatre at Mountain Home.
The adult comedy of 1675 is considered one of the best of the English Restoration.
The story revolves around the antics of Mr. Horner, London’s most notorious playboy, who devises a plot to seduce unsuspecting women. He does this by spreading the rumor that he is a medically certified eunuch.
“A lot of Mr. Horner’s so-called victims are women who sleep around on their husbands, anyway,” said Bobby Funk, the director of the play and director of the division of theatre.
Funk said the play makes fun of hypocrisy and those individuals that lead different lives than those they present to the public.
“They want everyone to think they’re virtuous,” he said.
Funk said Wycherley, like many playwrights of the period, tried to show the follies of society. The play is a commentary on love, lust, honor and class.
Funk said the play is composed of a series of interweaving plots and escapades that by play’s end are resolved.
Like all the plays, extensive work went into producing the play. Lavish costumes were designed to represent the fashions of the period. Funk said the 17th century was a time of great vanity.
An attractive appearance was as important to men as to women. Actors and actresses in the play wear long curls, lacy clothing and makeup.
Funk said much of the comedy centers on looks, grooming and clothing.
One of the challenges for the actresses in The Country Wife was to learn fan language.
“Women did all kinds of things with their fans. What they did with their fans meant different things,” Funk said, adding women of the period could say one thing, but, by careful placement of the fan to their faces, suggest the opposite.
Funk said the late 17th century was a changing time in England. The play reflects the “bawdy” nature of the time that represented freedom from Puritan rule.
“They had all this freedom after repression, and they went crazy with it,” he said.
Theaters reopened during this time, and women became actresses.
It was also a time when there was a fear of waterborne disease.
Bathing was kept to a minimum. Funk said, for example, heavy makeup was not removed. A new layer was added to those already existing.
Funk said it is a long play in its original form. Plays of the period were much longer than those today because they were one of the few forms of entertainment. They also provided theatergoers with opportunities to socialize.
Funk said it was a challenging process to shorten the play. They cut lines and jokes the audience members would not understand because the references were specific to that time.
“If it didn’t help push the plot, it was cut,” he said.
Funk said he worries students will think the play is too old to be relevant to them.
He said the themes of the play are timeless. Much of today’s entertainment revolves around the relationships between the sexes.
“People will love this play,” he said.
Tickets are $8 for general admission and $4 for students. Groups of 10 or more that make advanced reservations get special prices.
For information or reservations, call 439-7576.

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