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The Clouds. At Westmont College’s Porter Theatre, Friday, February 23. Shows through March 3.

Reviewed by Bojana Hill

Be careful what you wish for — it may come true. Among the many themes in this “fantasia” adapted from Aristophanes’ The Clouds, this warning resonated most clearly. John Blondell’s modern rendition of the 5th-century-bce satirical play exposes human flaws and follies by being as irreverent as some ancient Greeks were. The difference was the lofty Olympian images here have been replaced. In this version, the “venerable goddesses” known as the Chorus of Clouds in the original play appeared as though they came from an Austin Powers movie. To the beat of Frank Sinatra’s “Come Fly with Me,” these chorus girls were all hips and swaying, their identical white mini-dresses and white boots completing the sweetly seductive look of ’60s go-go girls.

As they danced into view through fog and vapor, the go-go chorus was accompanied by Socrates (Amber Angelo), who looked very sharp in a shimmering disco outfit and dark sunglasses. Traditionally considered wise and knowledgeable, Socrates was summoned to dispense advice to Strepsiades (Nolan Hamlin), whose son has a gambling problem that has driven him into debt. Aristophanes’ Socrates is not the spiritual seeker described by Plato. Instead, this Socrates is lampooned as a charlatan. In his dialogues with the beleaguered Strepsiades he claims a monopoly on truth while mocking religion. Strepsiades, however, has no use for these esoteric teachings; he simply wants to master the art of false reasoning, so he can “twist any legal verdict in [his] favor.” Anxious to evade his creditors, he brings his son, Pheidippides, to be taught in the art of speaking. The ensuing debate on proper education is designed to help Strepsiades choose the right mentor and a more moral path. However, the sexy looks and subversive logic of the allegorically named New Ways invites the man to indulgence, not self-restraint. Wearing an astronaut suit, the defeated figure of “Old Ways” departs in a mood of nostalgia to the tune of Elton John’s “Rocket Man.”

Having taught his son the ends justify the means, Strepsiades eventually gets a taste of his own medicine. In a scene that must have seemed awfully disturbing to the patriarchal Athenian audience, the son whips his (virtual) father. Indeed, the art of twisted logic has justified Pheidippides in reversing the rules. Overall, Blondell’s up-to-date direction softens the didactic nature of the play and sharpens its satire of contemporary culture.

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