The Misanthrope

The Pearl's cleanly designed, sorbet-cool Molière revival will not upend how you look at classical French comedy, but it warms the hearts of those of us who love the company itself. Cleverly, director Joseph Hanreddy keeps the ensemble posing like preening chess pieces as troupe star Sean McNall ricochets among them. McNall's peripatetic Alceste thoroughly enjoys his disaffection; his face lights up at every unearthed hypocrisy.—Helen Shaw