COVER
STORY | IN
THE NEWS | PUBLISHER |
PREVIEW | THE HUM | CALENDAR
Feb. 3, 2005
Two
gents shine
by ELLIN BELTZ
O HEAVEN IF THEATER WERE CONSTANTLY
this perfect!
A distinguished roster of local
actors and an accomplished director create a sidesplitting yet
thoughtful version of William Shakespeare's Two Gentlemen
of Verona at the North Coast Repertory Theater. Director
Donald Forrest's background at Dell'Arte and elsewhere guides
the company in a marvelous verbal and physical interpretation
of one of the Bard's earliest comedies of love lost and found.
Each actor brought something
wonderful to his or her roles. I can't pick a favorite character
from this cast, each and every one melded into the piece, into
their roles and into the flow of one of the bard's most challenging
plays. A black stage with painted three-sided columns called
"periactoids" allows stunningly fast changes from streets,
to homes, palaces and forests.
The twisting storyline revolves
around the actions of the titular gentlemen: Valentine (Ben Clifton)
and Proteus (Zachary Rouse), who grew up together. It seems Proteus
is in love with Julia (Kimberly Haile) and sends her notes through
his servant, Speed (Brett Finta), which Julia's maid (Pam Service)
intercepts. Valentine is being sent to Milan to serve the Duke
(Ed Munn) and Proteus is jealous of his friend's opportunity,
but glad to stay home because he's head-over-heels for Julia.
[Photo: Zachary
Rouse as Proteus and Theresa Ireland as Sylvia.]
But after he lies about one
of Julia's letters to his father (Bob Service) and his devious
servant (Brian Walker), the next thing he knows his dad's sending
him off to Milan with his servant Launce (Bob Wells) and Crab
the Dog (Zack Dougan). Arriving at the Duke's palace with a flourish
of trumpets, he greets Valentine, meets the princess, Sylvia
(Theresa Ireland), and her ridiculous but high-born suitor, Thurio
(Nathan Pierce).
Proteus compares Julia's social
position to that of Valentine's new love, Princess Sylvia, and
loses sight of the real Julia in the dazzle of the court's wealth
and Sylvia's beauty and social position. His jealousy results
in his trying to steal Sylvia from both Thurio and Valentine.
The second act opens in a stunning
dance of the periactoids and scenes that would have left Shakespeare
himself helpless with laughter. First Proteus betrays his friend
and gets the Duke to banish Valentine, who with Speed become
brigands in the forest rather than return home in disgrace. Then
Proteus "helps" Thurio woo Sylvia in her tower with
song and dance. Julia shows up in drag as a young page and gets
to watch her lover make an utter fool of himself.
Finally Proteus kidnaps Sylvia
and drags her into the forest where she is captured by the brigands,
taken to their king Valentine and -- as was written in another
play -- all's well when it ends.
Probably one of the reasons
this piece was only performed in 1594 and not again for 170 years
is that it calls for a large role for a particular actor, a famous
Elizabethan clown named Will Kemp, who performed with a trained
dog. Shakespeare even scripted a part for the dog! Here the clown
role is taken to its full extreme by plastic-faced Bob Wells,
and in some flash of genius, the director cast Zack Dougan, from
the teen Hit and Run Theatre Company, as Crab the Dog. Agents
will tell you never work with animals because they'll upstage
you every time, and Crab is no exception. He and Wells are a
delight to watch, alternately poignant and hysterically funny.
Late Renaissance Italy is fantastically
captured in outstanding costumes by Dianna Theil, make-up by
Donald Forrest, sound design by Tim Gray and production set and
lights by Dan Mullins. Two Gentlemen of Verona continues
Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays through Feb. 19 at 8 p.m. at
300 Fifth Street in Eureka, except Sunday, Feb. 13, which is
a 2 p.m. matinee. Visit www.ncrt.net or call 442-NCRT for information
and tickets.
ELSEWHERE:
Desperate. Disparate. People.,
an evening for mature audiences
featuring humor, folly, music and acrobatics presented by the
students of Dell'Arte International School of Physical Theatre
on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 4 and 5 in the Carlo Theatre in
Blue Lake at 8 p.m. $7/$5 for students/seniors.
The Word for Word theater company
performs Stories by Tobias Wolff in the Carlo Theatre
in Blue Lake, Saturday, Feb. 12 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15. Further
information and online reservations for either show are available
at www.dellarte.com or 668-5663.
COVER
STORY | IN THE NEWS | PUBLISHER |
PREVIEW | THE HUM | CALENDAR
Comments? Write a
letter!
© Copyright 2004, North Coast Journal,
Inc.
|