On the Razzle, Constellation Theatre

Once upon a time, I tried to read Tom Stoppard's On the Razzle but gave up in frustration. Too many jokes, too much cleverness of the cloying sort. Even as I put the book back on my shelf, I held onto the hope that if ever I SAW the show, what was tedious on the page might find life on the stage. So imagine my excitement when I saw that Constellation was doing Razzle- rapture! Here was my opportunity at last!


Unfortunately, I was left feeling largely underwhelmed AGAIN, and after hearing peals of laughter from others in the audience all night, I started wondering if I should write a review from the "It's not you, it's me" stance. That seems to be such a cop-out, however, so instead I have to trust that it's understood between us that you're only ever getting my impression anyway and I'm happy to have you feel differently. Ok, not always HAPPY, but I promise not to judge YOU if you don't judge ME. At least not out loud. FANTASTIC, MOVING ON.

I also wondered Saturday night if I just didn't grok farce. But again, I don't think that's the issue and I don't want to wimp out because I AM A FOR SERIOUS HARDCORE BLOGGING TYPE PERSON AND WE DO NOT SHY AWAY FROM THE TRUTH HERE ON THT. Because I DO think there's an underlying problem with Constellation's production and I think it's to do with the company's entire approach to the material they've chosen. The worst thing that an actor can do with farce (or any comedy, really) is play it in a way that says, This is funny, aren't we clever? Again and again, it felt like the actors (a talented bunch! they were committed, all on the same page and those are HUGE marks in their favor, accomplishments not to be shrugged at) were ever-so-slightly stepping back out of the world they were creating, too self-conscious of the absurdity of it all. As a result, the jokes fell flat for me.

I DO want to point out a few good qualities before I'm accused (Vous m'accusez!) of being entirely unfair. A.J. Gubin's set features a revolve that director Nick Olcott uses to great advantage throughout the evening, keeping transitions fun (although I could have done without the pieces from the actors during these sequences). Kendra Rai's costumes are great fun and I maybe wanted to try a few on myself. Ashley Ivey and Matthew McGloin are Very Good Indeed as the central characters of the play, with McGloin in particular the standout performance of the night (seriously- he's FANTASTIC). When Ivey is joined by Heather Haney, the two generate some excellent comic chemistry that likewise lifts up the production.

Constellation prides itself on tackling the big stuff (I'm sure they have a better way of phrasing that), and you can't deny that a farce with a cast of thirteen is mighty big indeed. It's something I would never try to tackle myself and I commend their effort. But overall? I was left unconvinced and if not entirely unamused, I was underwhelmed.

The Comedy of Errors at The Folger Shakespeare Library

Aaron Posner, director of The Comedy of Errors and other Folger shows such as the well-received Orestes: A Tragic Romp from last season, brings another charming production to the Folger Shakespeare Theatre. The main trick of this show is to make the audience truly believe that the actors are two sets of identical twins, and Posner cleverly side-steps that by using masks in the Commedia dell'Arte tradition with much success. The set, designed by Tony Cisek, is made up almost entirely of doors, which adds slapstick to the witty dialogue of the show.

I found myself sort of against the show from the start, only because of the conceit that's being used. Posner went with a play-within-a-play, and I don't think the play needs it. I felt it took away from the actual work. The business before the play began with the video and the talk took so much away from the performance, I felt like I was holding a grudge against it before it even started. When I go to a play by Shakespeare, or anyone, really, I want to see their play, not whatever ridiculous thing the director has cooked up. Fortunately, the rest of the show was absolutely charming and very funny, so I warmed to it quickly. I'm bummed that the beginning left such a bad taste in my mouth because I truly enjoyed the rest. Without that, I would most certainly try and go see it again before it ends on March 6. 3.5 stars

The Comedy of Errors
by William Shakespeare
directed by Aaron Posner
through March 6, 2011

Comedy of Errors, Folger Theatre

Oh Aaron Posner.

Mr P and I have had our difficulties in the past. I was fairly horrified by his Measure for Measure, underwhelmed by his Tempest, and just couldn't get into his Macbeth (yes, the one everyone and their brother raved about).

But then came a perfect Arcadia, and last year I couldn't get enough of Orestes. Had the tide turned? Were Mr P and I finally to be friends? Would his Comedy of Errors make me recant my professed wariness and fall into line with the majority of DC theatregoers?

Welllllllll, yes and no.
One the one hand, Posner has assembled a fantastic cast and while this isn't my first commedia dell'arte inspired Comedy, you can't deny that it really works for the play. Combine Aaron Cromie's masks and the finely tuned physicality of the ensemble's performances and suddenly, Shakespeare's play of mistaken identities works a heap better than you'd ever expect. As the two Dromios, Nathan Keepers and Darius Pierce look nothing alike... until you add Cromie's masks, Kate Turner-Walker's costumes, and a carefully crafted physical performance. It took me a few scenes before I could tell the two men apart and that's a tribute to how beautifully this concept can work for the play, as well as to the talents on display.

(L-R) Domio of Ephesus (Darius Pierce) with his master, Antipholus of Ephesus (Bruce Nelson), in The Comedy of Errors, on stage at Folger Theatre through March 6, 2011.
(photo by Carol Pratt)

Indeed, there's a fantastic level of commitment in this cast. There's a not a weak link in the bunch, although special praise must go to Keepers, Pierce, and Suzanne O'Donnell's Adriana (and a special-special nod to Rachel Zampelli's "effortlessly" funny, scene-stealing Courtesan). The humor is big and broad and I had a blast- it's a show full of fantastic performances that bring this strange, kooky play to life.


Tony Cisek, who designed a dark and moody set that fed directly into the machinations and manipulations of the Folger's Henry VIII this fall , this time gives us the exact opposite. Cisek has produced a candy-colored shopping arcade of a set, filled with doors of different shapes and sizes that called to mind both classic farce and the scaenae frons of the Roman theatre from which Shakespeare stole the plot of Comedy. Turner-Walker's costumes are half Edwardian, half topsy-turvy fun and fit right into the world created by Cisek and Posner.


So it sounds like Mr P and I might have resolved our problems and that I enjoyed myself thoroughly- and I did!


Almost.

What I haven't talked about is the SECOND concept Mr P has strapped on top of this Comedy, because apparently a solid and splendidly funny commedia take wasn't enough. No, because this is what HAPPENS when Mr P does Shakespeare- he's got to mix it all up and put his stamp on and make it HIS show, not Shakespeare's. This time, Mr P has added a frame to the play that only matters for the first 15 minutes of the evening. If he EVER revisited it during the show in any way other than through the design, it might have worked, but as it stands? Utterly unnecessary. In fact, the frame introduction went on so long that I quickly became frustrated and half-wanted to yell out 'GET TO THE BLOODY PLAY, ALREADY.' If I were wearing my pretentious pants today, I might call this a sad attempt to mimic the Christopher Sly induction to Taming of the Shrew, but hey- my pretentious pants are in the laundry (I tossed them in after that scaenae frons reference). Instead, I'll just say that it's not worth the time spent- the play DOESN'T NEED IT and this production sure as hell didn't need it either. If I could take a giant pair of magic reality-altering scissors, I would snip out that 15 minutes and just bestow the rest of Mr P's production with a happy sigh unto the audience. Yes it's all well and good to extend your subject material's Fun with Double Identities a little further, but not when you do it Just Because. That's not clever, that's half-assed.

FAST ASIDE- I sat next to a gentleman on Sunday night who took out his cellphone three minutes into the show and proceeded to CHECK HIS GD EMAIL for the ENTIRE FIRST HALF. He may have turned the brightness of the display down, but my ire was at FULL FORCE. Withering glances had no impact upon his galling audacity. He moved at intermission to a different seat out of my direct line of sight, but JEEZY CREEZY, sir. If you don't want to actually watch a play, DON'T GO TO THE THEATRE. It's bad enough when the teenagers I work with constantly whip out their phones, but when adults can't behave themselves either, I WEEP for AMERICA.

ANYWAY.


Posner's Comedy of Errors is delightful. His cast is superb and throw themselves into the play with a panache that is a joy to watch, and his design team have created a sparkling, shiny world in which I'd like to play around myself. I just wish Mr P had trusted Shakespeare's play a skosh more and reveled in his cleverness a mite less. I DO think you should get your tuckus down to the Folger for this play... but don't be concerned about getting there early. A late seating break might be just what the blogosphere ordered.