Remember me, your dear, old frenemie?

By Scott Harrah

Everything about this revival of John van Druten’s 1940 comedy of manners is antiquated, from the costumes to the lavish nostalgic sets to the sometimes-outdated narrative. The play was adapted into a movie starring Bette Davis and Miriam Hopkins, but “Old Acquaintance” remains one of the playwright’s more obscure works (van Druten is best known for “I Remember Mama” and “I Am A Camera,” which was later adapted into the musical “Cabaret”). The primary reason to see this mildly amusing but ultimately mediocre show is the incredible performance of the marvelously gifted character actress Harriet Harris, who won a Tony for her performance as Mrs. Meers in “Thoroughly Modern Millie” and is known to TV audiences for her popular role as the high-strung, show-business agent Bebe Glazer on “Frasier” as well as smaller parts on “Desperate Housewives” and “Six Feet Under.”

Harris is a hilariously histrionic actress and comedienne that can take even the silliest line of dialogue and make it seem like a true gem with her impeccable comic timing and delivery. With her wild facial expressions and domineering presence, she commands attention whenever she’s on stage. She is also a total pro when it comes to slapstick, and audiences that don’t mind physical comedy will love her many pratfalls, such as a scene in which she haphazardly maneuvers a flight of stairs after having too many cocktails. In “Old Acquaintance,” Harris plays Mildred Watson Drake, a hugely successful author of trashy bestselling romance novels, the modern-day equivalent of which might be Jackie Collins or Danielle Steele.

Her longtime friend Katharine “Kit” Markham (Margaret Colin, best known to Broadway audiences for the bio-drama “Jackie”) is also a writer, but her novels don’t sell well despite the fact that they are critically acclaimed. Kit and Mildred are competitive about everything, from their careers to their love lives. Without giving too much of the story away, the plot basically revolves around the two women’s rivalries and Mildred’s 19-year-old, boy-crazy daughter, Deirdre (Diane Davis). The young girl idolizes her mother’s friend and wants to move in with her, but Mildred is not exactly thrilled about the idea. We are supposed to believe that Kit and Mildred grew up together in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and that they are both in their early 40s, but this is stretching things somewhat as the actresses playing them are obviously at least a decade apart agewise.

One of the major problems with the show is Colin’s uneven performance. There is very little chemistry between her and Harris, and Colin at times just does not seem to be that enthused with playing her character. For example, in one vital scene, after a heated argument, Kit grabs Mildred and shakes her, but Colin’s Kit is less than convincing. Instead of shaking her friend aggressively, Colin seems to merely push and rattle the woman lightly as if they are only pretending to be mad at each other. Perhaps director Michael Wilson should have spent more time coaching Colin on the physical demands of her role.

There are also few emotional sparks between Colin’s Kit and Rudd Kendall (Corey Stoll), a hunky, younger junior publishing executive who is a decade younger than Kit and proposes marriage to her. Although Kit is supposed to be ambivalent about her feelings for the guy, Colin adds little passion to her scenes with Rudd, and their romance is not entirely believable as a result.

However, there are still many enjoyable aspects of the show. The sets—especially Mildred’s gaudy, garishly elegant Manhattan sublet apartment—are first-rate, and there is some marvelously bitchy dialogue. Van Druten’s story of women that are friends and rivals, in many ways, still holds up today with its numerous feminist themes, but it is hardly a classic, and it is perplexing why Roundabout chose to revive it. Regardless, “Old Acquaintance” is still a great vehicle for the always-entertaining Harriet Harris and her many comic talents.