A little learning may indeed be dangerous, and in American Players Theater’s production of Garson Kanin’s modern classic, Born Yesterday, two relevant dangers get amplified. One is to the bribing, conniving, self-involved “businessman” Harry Brock when his mistress learns how he gets his money and power over even our government. Another danger is a warning by journalist Paul Vertel that we citizens must learn and act on how to protect our democratic rights against demogogues like Harry and those he controls. In the swank D.C. hotel suite that David Daniel’s crude but shrewd rich junk dealer Brock reigns over, his mistress Billie Dawn (curvy Colleen Madden, epitome of a dumb blonde stereotype) is going to get smart. She’ll upset his crooked plans to increase his fortune through getting his lawyer’s and congressional help to pass an amendment that won’t favor the American people. James Ridge is right on being wrong as weak Senator Hedges. John Taylor Phillips shows a corrupted lawyer, Ed Devery, whose conscience drives him to drink as Brock’s fixer. But when Brock hires Vertel to help “polish” Billie to fit into Washington life, he doesn’t realize how a little teaching will affect her and defeat his plans. I’ve seldom believed in how a talented, brainy idealist like Vertel could in such short time really love and want to wed Billie for life, even if also inspired by the money she turns out to have. Though I think William Holden’s Vertel in the movie of the play showed the most chemistry with her, here it’s his journalist’s and citizen’s concern that seems most to motivate the rather scholarly Reese Madigan’s actions. A wrap-around set with many symbolic black and white props is lavish but sometimes seems to cramp actors’ movement. In a realistic situation, director Brenda de Vita wisely dictates telling gestures for hippy, tongue-clicking Billie as well as barefoot Brock who shoves both people and the very air. When Madigan’s Vertel expounds, however, he gives what appears to be a set speech directly to us. Costumes are appropriate, including stunning sexy ones for Billie that she exchanges later for tailoring. Too bad a band on her forehead shows her blonde hair’s pasted on. A wealth of technical details proves well invested in providing a changing atmosphere and attitudes in this comedy with a punch and a purpose. It’s disturbingly fresh in light of present political, social, economic, and especially moral situations.
