‘My Fair Lady’ flourishes into sophistication, society

A classic tale of rags to riches warms the stage on cold, winter nights.

Chico Theater Company's latest creation, "My Fair Lady," explores themes of superficial identity and reveals the essential human need to connect with others. The cast is composed of Chico State students, alumni and local actors who have generated an excellent rendition of George Bernard Shaw's original musical.

Set in London in 1912, Eliza Doolittle, played by Katie Thornton, a freshman and musical theatre major, is a crude, uneducated woman who sells flowers to the London upper class. The plot follows a wager placed by Henry Higgins, a phonetics expert played by Chico State alumnus Marc Edson. He gambles that he can teach the woman to speak and act like a duchess.

After Doolittle is taken off the street by Higgins, she reveals her contempt for the gentleman who would assume her rescue by singing "Just You Wait" in a cockney accent. She proceeds to list the ways she could kill the man.

During her first encounter with upper class sophistication at the racetrack, the London elite took on exaggerated scowls to mark the absurdity of surface appearances and formal mannerisms. Instead of remaining casually reserved, Doolittle's background is revealed in a passionate and profane outburst of horse-track enthusiasm.

By the time she proves herself worthy of being called a "lady," Higgins has become fond of her, against his self-proclaimed identity as a bachelor. She runs away, feeling used and unappreciated, only to eventually return in the last scene bound by the friendship that started as a bet.

Thornton spent time perfecting her character of Doolittle, she said. "I did more voice work for this show, more technical work to make each accent distinct," Thornton said.

The theater itself, though relatively small in size, has its advantages. Viewers are closer to the action, allowing for a cozy exchange between performers and audience members.

The theater often holds big musicals despite its small stage, Edson said. "Everyone has such a high level of dedication to getting it right," he said.

Without the equipment afforded by the space of a bigger theater, all cast members assist with the between-scene set arrangements and take on widely different characters as needed.

While Chico is known as a college town, some have been here longer than most students have been alive. Steve Bogel moved to Chico 27 years ago with the intent to join a community theater. "This is the first show I have auditioned for," Bogel said.

The show runs Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. with a matinee on Sunday at 2 p.m. "My Fair Lady" examines social connection across class barriers and the arbitrary material conditions that prevent potential relationships.