I don't often take the time to write stage reviews, but some shows are worth the trouble.
I've seen many Shakespeare productions in my life thus far, and most of them have been solid. Maybe not "phenomenal," but good enough. But the
Warehouse Theater delighted me this past weekend by mounting a show of
Midsummer that really lives up to the beauty of the Bard.
Director Jayce Tromsness pointed out in the post-show TalkBack that most productions of
Midsummer feel like a mere preamble to the "show within a show" (final act/scene) -- a comic masterpiece, I grant you. No matter how well your actors do in the first 90% of the play, people come to watch the spectacle at the end. The 4 lovers and their problems seem so shallow, often; the fairy story with its magic strikes us as odd and unapproachable. We might laugh at Puck and the two boys fighting over one girl, but in the end the audience is left to wonder why we should care about these mortal fools.
Tromsness hit upon a brilliant idea: What if the acting company itself were experiencing some of these same relationships? What if these characters so familiar to us theater-goers could be revitalized and enriched?
Thus "T
eatro Moltoimpassionato" was born, a "company" of Eastern European actors, somewhat washed-up and fractured into little warring factions. [These T.M. players somehow look suspiciously like 6 or 7 Upstate actors....
... but the troupe does not break character, either on stage or on Facebook. LOL And I *loved* the "actor bios" plus photos by
Stephen Boatright.]
Such a "frame tale" device might seem tired, or an attempt to slather on modern story to cover up the "old" Shakespeare. But the WT show instead enhances the play itself like a brilliant jewel in an engagement ring.
The "company" arrives late to the theater, leaving the show manager a nervous wreck. They find themselves thrown into a last-minute production of
Midsummer for their first-ever American show in their tour. Their own arguments and interpersonal problems give energy to the "play within a play within a play" that unfolds on a nearly-bare (yet brilliant) stage.
Six principal actors take on all the roles in
Midsummer -- most actors have to play a mechanical, an Athenian, and a fairy -- and these actors have the chops to pull it off. I found each character a distinct, well-developed whole -- including the alter ego Teatro M. personas in addition to the multiple
Midsummer characters. The quick switches from role to role never confused the audience because the actors had such a keen grasp of each individual.
I think the beauty of Tromsness's production lies in the depth that experienced actors can bring to the
Midsummer story. Often, we see young adults in these roles -- people who have lived a mere 20 or 25 years on this planet with a paucity of life and love to draw from. Contrast that with the seasoned life of a 40-year-old. Sure, there might be a few gray hairs .... but the rich depth that such an actor can add to his/her role is priceless. The characters are timeless -- shouldn't the casting be released from tedious constraints?
For once, I didn't merely
endure the silliness of a lovesick girl and a foolish boy, or the marital argument of two magical royals who seem to inhabit so different a world than I. In the WT production, the Teatro Moltoimpassionato "actors" were experiencing the same love triangle offstage as they were being forced to present onstage, and those layers of meaning colored the
Midsummer lines with emotion that finally made sense of Shakespeare's troubled romances. This time, I actually felt the desperation of a lonely, spurned woman as she pursued her Demetrius. I dearly hoped that Titania and Oberon would make peace because I wanted Sergio and Fantalina (the "actors" in those roles) to repair their own "backstage" relationship. I know it sounds weird, but it really WORKS..... It does.
Every line sparkled in delivery; the humor was spot-on; the interpretation was accessible and fun.
If you get a chance, you really ought to see the Warehouse Theatre production of
A Midsummer Night's Dream. It's one of the best productions of this fine comedy I've ever come across. Usually,
Midsummer doesn't really make you consider any major life questions -- but this show leaves you thoughtful
and satisfied.
Post a Comment