Cal
Rep’s ‘Chambermaid’ shows slow murder
By Gina Ponce
On-line Forty-Niner
 “Diary
of a Chambermaid” is supposed to be a story
about murder mystery, but it seems as though
it is really about a chambermaid’s perspective
of life and what it was like to work for
nobility during the French Revolution.
The setting of the play takes the audience
back in time showing only a small bed in
the corner of a room, meant to be the servants’
quarters, and an armoire that opens up and
allows the chambermaid to take the viewers
to various scenes.
The script for “Diary of a Chambermaid”
was taken from the text of a book written
by Octave Mirbeau and is currently being
presented by the California Repertory Company.
The chambermaid, Celestine, played by Kelly
Ford, travels from Paris to Normandy to
begin a new job working for a wealthy, prominent
couple, the Lanlaires. The story is told
from her point of view with a darkened stage,
with the exception of a date in lights signifying
the date in her diary, marks each scene
change.
With a slow and somewhat confusing plot,
“Diary of a Chambermaid” does not actually
get to the murder mystery until halfway
through the play. The storyline begins to
escalate as a neighboring little girl is
found raped and murdered in the forest and
Celestine begins to doubt the actions of
a fellow servant, Joseph, who has also proclaimed
his love for her. With this, Celestine sets
her heart on having justice prevail.
The story was forbidden for several years
in France for its obscenity and cynical
connotations, but was made into a movie
by two European directors. The Cal Rep playbill
states that “Mirbeau brings a journalist’s
analytical eye to Celestine’s adventures
as she loses her innocence and becomes as
corrupt and depraved as the men who exploited
her.”
“Diary of a Chambermaid” will be presented
at the Edison Theatre in Long Beach through
May 17. Show times are 7 p.m. Tuesday through
Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and
a Saturday matinee at 2 p.m.
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