Nina Metz

Known mostly for improv-threaded shows like "Flanagan's Wake," The Noble Fool takes a different route this time. Their production of "Mirandolina" is an adaptation of an eighteenth century battle-of-the-sexes comedy penned by Italian Carlo Goldoni. The story centers around a female innkeeper (Mirandolina), the cavalcade of male customers who adore and wish to marry her, and the one guy (Ripafratta) who disdains romance and believes women are "like a bad case of the flu--exhausting and hard to shake off." Our heroine takes on this confirmed bachelor as a personal challenge, slowly but surely reducing him to a puddle of love-struck mush. Perhaps inspired or energized by their new theater space on Randolph (a classy renovation of the Bavarian-style building right next to the Oriental Theatre) The Noble Fool's production has a polish that shines in spite of the somewhat hammy plotline. As the title character, Karen Janes Woditsch is a confident, desirable woman who is gracefully in charge of her own person without resorting to bitchiness. As Ripafratta, Kevin Christopher Fox brings a comedic dignity to his role, with priceless facial expressions (particularly when tasting a meal prepared by Mirandolina) that often speak louder than the words he speaks.

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