‘Candida’ drained of its comedy

George Bernard Shaw wrote more than 50 plays, and, like Shakespeare who wrote 38, he paid particular attention to his woman characters. Between the two of them, women gained some of the most intriguing and provocative roles written for stage.

Shaw, in particular, was clearheaded about women. He saw them as smart, self-willed, determined. “Candida,” a love triangle with a woman in the lead as well as in the title, is a Shavian comedy that not only shows the elasticity of women’s intelligence and feeling, but it is also a story for our times. Running through Aug. 8 at Acadia Repertory Theatre in Somesville, it reveals that a woman can be married and still have meaningful relationships with other men – even if the men don’t quite agree.

Or even if the men aren’t quite worth fighting over. Candida, it turns out, finds herself flanked by two such men. Her husband is a smug preacher of

Socialist principles. Her chief admirer is an annoying poet, whose immature passion erupts combatively. The men vie for her attention, but both of them, particularly in this stiff production directed by Wayne Loui, seem daft and undesirable on just about every level.

John Geoffrion, as the Rev. Morell, and Peter Stray, as the versifying Marchbanks, were perfectly paired in last month’s winning production of “Stones in His Pocket.” So it is disappointing to see them as comically flabby. Of the two, Stray plays his role with more assurance and subtlety. But in general, their performances do not find a balance between archness, which is so integral to the theme, and the intellectual energy and mannerisms of a Shaw script.

Unfortunately, the same can be said for Jenny O’Sullivan, who adopts a kind of Katharine Hepburn stoicism for the role of Candida. Where she should provide grace and humor, she inserts didactic snootiness. She should, as Hepburn’s character did in “The Philadelphia Story,” show that she is lit from within. Instead, she comes off as a disciplinarian.

Certainly, Shaw means for us to see the silliness of the two men as well as the leadership of Candida. But Loui’s cast employs caricature, which – tempting as it is with these characters – is not terribly interesting. Add to that small oversights – Victorian men who fail to stand up when speaking to a woman, for instance – and the production never rises to the best quality this theater can accomplish.

Supporting roles played by Paul Jerue and Juliana Petersen contribute more than they detract from the show. But Phil Fox, as Candida’s father – a kind of Alfred Doolittle – adopts an accent that is utterly incomprehensible.

The star of this show is Ken Stack’s richly decorated set. Stack, the company’s artistic director, has a particular skill for adapting a small stage to big effect. His handsome vicarage sitting room is not enough to save the show, but along with Sandra London’s costumes and Shaw’s celebration of language, progressive politics and wit, it helps carry the evening.

Acadia Repertory Theatre will present “Candida” through Aug. 8 at the Masonic Hall in Somesville. For information, call 244-7260 or visit www.acadiarep.com.