Devotion versus Revenge. Lust and avarice trample the finer feelings in this subversive take on sexual manners and the cruelties of courtship. The 18th century French writer Marivaux is often deemed too precious for modern tastes, but director Carden, aided by a superbly elegant new translation, transposes the action to the Noel Coward 1930's and cuts through the high heels, wigs, and verbiage to reveal a thrillingly erotic and chillingly cold-hearted play; a timeless satire on our age-old ability to deceive ourselves for love or money.