A Seasonal Lust for Life

Henry Dewlip was a cad in Benn W. Levy’s 1931 “Springtime for Henry,” and he’s a cad now.

He seduces women--preferably married ones. He gambles. His main exercise is walking to and from the martini shaker. So the Old Globe’s revival of “Springtime” at the Cassius Carter Centre Stage proves that certain behaviors are still frowned upon--even if daily television does dilute their power to shock.

The only reason for doing this stylish but substantively unremarkable play, by a British playwright whose popularity did not extend into the 1960s, is as an acting vehicle. Edward Everett Horton used it for that end for nearly 20 years. Here it’s a vehicle for Old Globe favorite Don Sparks and his mastery of the upper-class British sneer. (He was terrific in the one-man show “Jeeves Takes Charge” at the Old Globe.)

The problem, besides the inherent unlikability of Henry, is that Sparks himself doesn’t seem to enjoy him. The best way to play this cad would be as a challenge to the pleasure-deprived puritans of the world, testing their morality against Henry’s life-affirming lust for life.

Instead Sparks seems to mock his desires as much as he mocks those of the other characters. His come-hither look is less an irresistible invitation than leer.

Still, under Craig Noel’s adept and delicate direction, Levy’s often witty lines and, more often, Sparks’ marvelously nuanced double-takes get plenty of laughs. Sparks’ sharp wit plays especially well off Ivar Brogger’s dizzy delivery as Henry’s twit of a best friend, John Jelliwell.

*

Jane Fleiss is elegantly erotic--though a tad harsh--as Jelliwell’s wife, who is having an affair with Henry (with her husband’s full support, naturally). And Ayla Yarkut is deliciously prim as the attractive blond who tames the beast--for a while, anyway, until Levy adds a small variation to the basic stereotypes of women as madonnas or whores.

Kent Dorsey’s set, a vision of opulence in this theater in the round, is a visual banquet, as are Lewis Brown’s costumes, which revel in the rich, thick, layered fabrics of the day.

Despite the delights--and yes, there are many--ultimately “Springtime” offers little more than a mean-spirited vision of life, particularly where women are concerned. That’s what most dates this period piece.

One can imagine it a much bigger hit in a world where men bought the tickets.

* “Springtime for Henry,” Old Globe Theatre, Cassius Carter Centre Stage, Balboa Park. Tuesday-Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 7 p.m.; Saturday/Sunday, 2 p.m. Ends Aug. 16. $22-$39. (619) 239-2255. Running time: 2 hours, 13 minutes.

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“Springtime for Henry,”

Ivar Brogger: John Jelliwell

Jane Fleiss: Julia Jelliwell

Don Sparks: Henry Dewlip

Ayla Yarkut: Miss Smith

An Old Globe Theatre production of Benn W. Levy’s play. Directed by Craig Noel. Scenic/lighting design: Kent Dorsey. Sound: Jeff Ladman. Costumes: Lewis Brown. Stage manager Joel Rosen.