|
||
|
Disclaimer:
The reviewers' opinions are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TheatreLouisville.org. |
Peer Reviews As You Like It By William Shakespeare Reviewed by Keith Waits Entire contents copyright © 2009, Keith Waits, all rights reserved.
Le Petomane Theatre Ensemble is somewhat famous for a previous excursion into Shakespeare, a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream that I, sadly, never witnessed. I had seen the delightfully inventive and almost literally indescribable Leap from 2008 and, based on that experience, I was expecting this new version of As You Like It to be...different. While it is unlike anything else I had ever seen, with its Western setting, six cast members playing all the roles, and highly clever use of masks and puppets, I was surprised by how solid an interpretation it turned out to be. I sat down expecting parody or pastiche, only to find the story treated with respect and delivered with affection for the romance as well as the farce. The text has been cut judiciously with a concentration on the narrative and character interaction that sacrifices some of the flower of Shakespeare's language but maintains the plot and humor of the play with force and style. It cuts to the heart of the matter and reminds us that his plays are, above all, good storytelling, and becomes one of the most satisfying productions of the playwright's works I've seen. The plot follows Rosalind as she roams the forest in exile with her cousin, Celia, and a clown, Touchstone, for companionship. She falls in love with Orlando but, as she is disguised as a young boy, their courtship becomes complicated by subterfuge and misunderstanding in that way that is so typical of Shakespeare. Many other characters are introduced as the six cast members are challenged to render them all, aided by strikingly individual masks and minor but effective changes in costume. What might seem like a disadvantage is often turned into magic, as when Tony Dingman, playing Orlando and his brother, is required to play a scene in which the two characters argue. By engaging in some adroit juggling of masks, the actor effectively engages the audience in the humor of the staging, but the integrity of the scene is never sacrificed. The gimmick is repeated throughout the play and works beautifully each time because of the quality of the playing. The audience is always an active participant in the awareness of the absurd presentation, yet the intention of the dialogue is delivered with sufficient force that the story is never off track. The clowning is made a crucial part of character development and not a distraction. The well-shaped production follows through with six actors who never fail to demonstrate what the word "ensemble" truly means. It is almost impossible to write about Le Petomane without focusing on the unity of purpose and consistency of technique in the performances. They are all so excellent, and in tune with one another and their story, that it is injustice to single out any one actor from the rest. Besides the aforementioned Mr. Dingman, they are Abigail Bailey Maupin, Kyle Ware, Heather Burns, Gregory Maupin and Kristie Rolape. Still, it should be said that Ms. Burns makes for a radiant Rosalind, lumpy mask not withstanding. She is aided by the fact that she is the one performer not required to jump back and forth between different masks, and also that she is playing a character often considered to be one of the most fully developed women in Shakespeare. The cutting of the text wisely narrows the action
down to only a few characters onstage at any given
time, perhaps a necessity given the nature of the
production, but inevitably they all must come together
for the resolution of the many plot strands and
romantic entanglements, a result that understandably
strained the production, if only slightly, in the
closing minutes. By the time this moment arrives,
however, the players have more than earned the
forbearance of the audience through the grace and
intelligence of all that has come before, and the
evening closes on gentle notes of laughter and
longing.
As You Like It
|
|