The Servant of Two Masters, SummerNITE, at the Theatre Building Chicago. The “anything goes” attitude characteristic of commedia began as a reaction against the strict theatrical conventions of the time. With this 1743 play about pompous fathers, befuddled servants, and two pairs of lovers–one traveling incognito–Carlo Goldoni attempted to rein in some of the form’s slam-bang humor. But SummerNITE’s production acknowledges commedia’s original spirit, playing squarely to contemporary sensibilities. Thus suitors in knee breeches and tricornered hats court a miniskirted, Walkman-toting, Britney Spears look-alike. Truffaldino’s motley garb includes red sneakers and a Cubs hat. The play’s setting is now Venice Beach, the shingle on Brighella’s inn looks remarkably like that of Starbucks, and the text alludes to Star Wars.
