Intelligent ‘Design’ at Shakespeare Theatre

A great deal has been made of No‘l Coward’s scintillating wit and sophisticated dialogue. Although there’s plenty of charm and graceful humor in the splendid “Design for Living” at the Shakespeare Theatre, Coward’s intelligence and sensitivity to human emotion appear even more important than the play’s glamorous surface appeal.

“Design for Living” is often identified as a play about bohemian life, as it’s the story of three artistic friends: a painter named Otto, a playwright named Leo and Gilda, the interior decorator they love and who loves them both. But Director Michael Kahn wisely suggests that, in this production, real passion for another human being — not just a desire for the artist’s unconventional way of life — ignites and motivates his characters.

Three superior actors make credible the somewhat incredible, convoluted story. Leo is played with delicious impishness by Robert Sella, delivering many of the comedy’s most famous lines. Playing a character modeled on Coward himself, Sella is particularly memorable in the scene where Leo and Otto get drunk to console themselves when Gilda leaves them.

Otto is portrayed with a blend of seriousness and insouciance by Tom Story. Gretchen Egolf is beautiful and enchanting as Gilda, an independent woman, determined to choose her appropriate mode of existence, and ultimately the one character capable of making the perpetual romance-ˆ-trois continue,

James Noone’s set, which follows the three from a run-down garret in Paris to an elegant suite in London to a snazzy penthouse in New York, visually traces one of the play’s main concerns: how people deal with success.

Robert Perdziola’s costumes impressively illustrate the same issue, portraying Gilda at first barefoot in Paris, then increasingly well-dressed to reflect her social status. At the end of the play, Gilda wears an evening gown, but has kicked off her high heels, along with her “appropriate” behavior.

“Design for Living” touches on many serious notes, including betrayal, rejection and anger. Kahn’s production neither ignores nor overemphasizes those issues, blending them into a stunning example of Coward’s ability to paint human beings who stand out — brilliantly — from the crowd.