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Amanda castigates Elyot for hitting her,saying it is "beyond the pale, for a man tostrike a woman."

"A very poor tradition," replies Elyot.

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Private Livesby Winnie McCroy

EDGE Editor

Saturday Nov 19, 2011

Opening on Broadway to much buzz is gay playwrightNoël Coward’s "Private Lives", starring Kim Cattralland Paul Gross. This witty look at love, marriage, anddivorce proved a perfect vehicle for "Sex and theCity" star Cattrall, whose performance was nothingless than pitch perfect, showing her as a far moreversatile actress than her past typecasting may haveintimated.

The show opened up on the balcony of a tony Frenchbeachside resort, where Elyot (Paul Gross) and hisnew wife Sybil (Anna Madeley) are to begin theirhoneymoon. Unfortunately, Amanda (Cattrall) andher new husband Victor (Simon Paisley Day) on theirhoneymoon, occupy the suite next door.

It has been five years since Amanda and Elyotdivorced, but it takes only a moment before they arein each other’s arms again, kissing passionately. Theyditch their partners and steal away to Amanda’ssecret Paris pied-à-terre to celebrate their rekindledlove.

Perhaps this is for the best, as Elyot has alreadyshown his temper, saying, "Don’t quibble, Sybil! Ishould like to cut off your head with a meat axe!"Amanda has directed barbs at Victor as well,

attacking his rugged grandeur and calling him a host of names, the kindest of which is a pompousass.

As Act Two opens, Amanda and Elyot lounge around in an exquisite Art Deco apartment (kudos toset designer Rob Howell). The two run hot and cold, moving from kiss to cut in an instant. Theyeven devise a sort of safe word, "Solomon Isaacs", to bring arguments to a halt.

Three days into their "second honeymoon," the arguments are so frequent they have soonshortened it to a simple "Sollocks."

Elyot denies their affair is sinful, saying, "Not according to the Catholics, Catholics don’t recognizedivorce. We’re married as much as ever we were...We were married in the eyes of heaven, and westill are."

This all goes to hell soon enough. Between kisses, dances, and glasses of brandy, they fight like catsand dogs about their romantic liaisons during their five years apart, their respective spouses,Amanda’s lack of faith, and even past fights.

A turn at the gramophone turns into an argument; Amanda breaks a record over Elyot’s head, andhe smacks her. She smacks him back, and the claws come out, Amanda saying, "I hate you-do youhear? You’re conceited, overbearing, and utterly impossible!"

He retorts with, "You’re a vile-tempered loose-living wicked little beast, and I never want to see youagain so long as I live." They begin to fight, knocking over knick-knacks, glasses, and pictureframes, upturning tables, and busting an elaborate fish tank before Elyot turns Amanda onto thedivan and spanks her.

As they rush into separate rooms, slamming thedoors behind them, Sybil and Victor arrive to thisscene of chaos.

Act Three finds Sybil and Victor on separatesofas on opposite ends of the room. The maidLouise enters with a bag of groceries, opens the

Paul Gross and Kim Cattrall in "Private Lives" (Source:Cylla von Tiedemann)

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"Certain women should be struckregularly, like gongs."

windows, assesses the damage, and discoversSybil.

Their exchange awakens Victor, who asks for thetime, and puts on his pants, saying, "We’ve got to see them before we go back to England; we mustget things straightened out."

Both Amanda and Elyot attempt to sneak out with their luggage, but are pressed into addressingthe issue. Amanda castigates Elyot for hitting her, saying it is "beyond the pale, for a man to strike awoman."

"A very poor tradition," replies Elyot. "Certain women should be struck regularly, like gongs."

Amanda and Sybil remark upon this manly spirit, pressing their husbands to fight over their honor.Elyot talks Victor out of the fight, but later says, "If you’d had a spark of manliness in you, youwould have shot me." Elyots asks Victor if he loves Amanda. Victor asks Elyot about his intentions,but gets no straight answer.

In the end, both couples agree to stay married but separate for a year before seeking a divorce.Somehow, Victor and Sybil end up trading barbs, and over a slapstick session of morning coffee,come together.

"It’ll serve you right for being weak-minded enough to allow that woman to get round you soeasily," says Sibyl, to which Victor replies, "What about you? Letting that unprincipled roué persuadeyou to take him back again."

He unleashes her fury at her, she smacks his face, and he spanks her, while Amanda and Elyot, whohave in the meantime made amends, sneak out the front door hand in hand.

From the beginning, one gets the sense that stolid Victor and silly Sybil would make a much moresuitable match. They echo each other’s language about how a sunburn is not suitable on a woman,and each use diminutive nicknames for their respective spouses, a la Mandy and Elli.

Likewise, Amanda and Elyot share a heat that cannot be denied. There truly is a thin line betweenlove and hate, and "Private Lives" walks that line.

"Private Lives" runs through February 5, 2012 at the Music Box Theatre, 239 West 45th St. For infoor tickets visit http://www.broadway.com/shows/private-lives/

Winnie McCroy is the Women on the EDGE Editor, HIV/Health Editor, and Assistant Entertainment Editor forEDGE Media Network, handling all women’s news, HIV health stories and theater reviews throughout the U.S.She has contributed to other publications, including The Village Voice, Gay City News, Chelsea Now and TheAdvocate, and lives in Brooklyn, New York, where she writes about local restaurants in her food blog,http://brooklyniscookin.blogspot.com/

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