Shakespeare Review: ‘All’s Well’ With a Dark Comedy By the Bard
By Dana Oland, The Idaho Statesman, Boise
Jun. 11–Filled with knights in shining armor, misguided love, pride’s folly and deceptions revealed, "All’s Well That Ends Well" opened the Idaho Shakespeare Festival’s 32nd season. An audience of about 600 warmly received the production — one of The Bard’s most interesting yet under-appreciated plays — despite the crisp, fall-like chill in the air on Saturday.
It is an interesting play for this company to tackle early in the season. A comedy, yes, but not quite a rollicking laugh riot like previous season openers such as 2007′s "Hay Fever."
"All’s Well" is a more thoughtful play, an exploration of the feminine archetypal journey and an intriguing humanist exercise.
And, it is a departure from Shakespeare’s earlier comic style. Written at the same time as "Hamlet," it is darker, almost a "Hamlet"-lite. It explores similar themes, such as the death of a father, the effects of grief and the loss of power to act, although here, it is more literal than psychological.
The play weaves multiple plot lines, that, when brought together, are less than satisfying because there is no clear resolution in the text. There is no happy ending tied in a bow, and the musings of clowns and lords seem to dilute the purpose, rather than punctuate it.
It is fun to see a play that you don’t know.
One of the hallmarks of this company is that the actors speak the text with the utmost clarity, and that is extremely well done in this production. The actors executed the text with precise timing, and eloquent expression.
The nut of the story tends to chafe against modern feminist sensibilities, but it is completely in line with Shakespeare’s habit of pairing women with undeserving men, from Julia and Proteus in "Two Gentlemen of Verona" to Imogen and Posthumus in "Cymbeline."
The heroine, Helena, played by the ever-charming Sara M. Bruner, loves Bertram, played by company newcomer Markus Potter.
He is a man above her social station, yet beneath her in moral and spiritual development. Because she cures the king of a mysterious disease, she earns the right to choose her own husband.
She chooses Bertram, who is blindsided and at first rejects her, but then is made to marry her by the king. He quickly humiliates and then abandons her.
Then, like Psyche in the Roman myth, she must perform impossible tasks to achieve her goal of love.
Instead of the forces of nature and benevolent gods, Helena uses her wits and one of Shakespeare’s favorite devices: coincidence.
The other character who embarks on a journey — only his is to eventual destruction — is Parolles, whose name means "words" in Italian. Words are his character flaw and his downfall as he brags his way into the graces of Bertram and then is undone by his cowardice and his words.
David Anthony Smith gave the most affecting performance of the evening as the consummate blustering buffoon, a role he has perfected in this company. And he was equally moving as the humbled Parolles, who desires only to tell the truth.
Bruner’s Helena and Lynn Allison’s Countess Rossillion, Bertram’s mother, provide the most sweetly endearing relationship in the play.
Director Charles Fee crafts his production as a classic fairy tale, setting Helena off on an epic feminine journey to find her knight in shining armor.
It is a great idea, but probably played better in Cleveland’s indoor Ohio Theatre, where this staging premiered, than in Idaho’s outdoor amphitheater, which is bathed in sunlight until about 8 p.m. That’s when Rick Martin’s rich lighting takes over and brings Gage Williams’ set to life.
Until then it takes a bit of work on the audience’s part to accept the premise of a magical portal that takes a modern day Helena back to a very-contemporary-looking medieval France and Italy. It is a subtle shift in time anyway, but in broad daylight, it is a bit clunky.
Nicole Frachiseur’s costuming is beautifully evocative of the time periods, but adds to the ambiguity because of its contemporary elements.
Peter John Still’s sound design produces one of the most realistic occurrences: the sound of a jet soaring overhead in the first act, which actually happened about a half hour later when a Southwest jet flew overhead. At least one night of the run, it will happen in sync.
Dana Oland: 377-6442
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