Wives? Better Keep Them Ignorant!

Claudio Lardo returns to the stage with Matilde Brandi and Vito Cesaro in “The School for Wives”, a 17th-century comedy that feels like it was written yesterday.

Back in 1662, Molière was already having fun exposing insecure men terrified of intelligent women, mocking their paranoia. Today, four centuries later, his L’École des femmes is still damn relevant.

“The School for Wives”, featuring Claudio Lardo as the wise friend Crisaldo, tells the tragicomic story of Arnolfo (Vito Cesaro), a Parisian womanizer convinced he’s found the perfect formula: marry Agnese (Matilde Brandi), a young woman he himself raised in complete ignorance. His theory? A simple-minded wife can’t cheat!

Too bad Agnese is so naive she doesn’t even understand what cheating means… but smart enough to fall head over heels for Orazio (Christian Salicone). While Arnolfo frantically tries to keep everything under control with his servants Alano (Alfredo Crisci) and Giorgina (Gerardina Tesauro), true love finds its way. Because yes, in the end, genuine love always triumphs over male paranoia.

Direction by Vito Cesaro, the evocative music score by Danny Elfman and the production by Assoteatro transform this classic into a merciless mirror of the present: that pervasive desire to control, to “manage” women like obedient dolls is daily news disguised as period comedy.

But it’s not just social commentary: it’s also a brilliant romantic comedy, where love – the real, visceral kind, without intellectual constructs – triumphs over everything else.