William Shakespeare’s stories, indeed, are universal in any age.
Thus it’s no surprise why their settings are constantly being shifted to fill the axiom of “giving the people what they want in a way they don’t expect.”
And maybe those people will even learn something about it.
Comedy troupe Eat, Drink, and Be Larry has found a home for its American Reconstruction era production, “Twelfth Night.”
“Twelfth Night” follows the comedic devices Shakespeare is known for: sexual hijinks involving cross-dressing and mistaken identity.
Essentially, there are male and female twins separated in a ship crash where they both believe the other is dead. The female twin, Viola,
disguises herself in drag (Why not?) and begins working for Duke Orsino, who sends her to take requests of his love to the Countess Olivia.
Viola finds herself in love with Orsino, but can’t do anything about and is mostly just awkward around him because she’s dressed as a man.
Countess Olivia, on the other hand, falls in love with the mysterious young man who comes a knocking, not realizing that he’s a lady in disguise.
Then the male twin, Sebastian, enters town to find everyone wants to fight or have sex with him, thinking he is Viola in drag.
The subplot (it’s considerably more interesting, and takes up more of the play) involves the drunken, lewd goings-on of the other members of Olivia’s household.
After the first few rough scenes with Orsino (Paul Rodriguez, Jr.) and Viola (Kelsey Ann Olson), the show slowly begins to take shape.
The core group of scheming jesters take more stage time, and the audience is better for it.
Sir Toby Belch, the drunken knight (Scott Bryan); Sir Andrew Aguecheek, the stupid one (Jason Witter); and Maria, the sexpot maid (Christy Lopez) are the central comedic team of the play, adding most of its raunchy flavor, character and mood.
Witter’s physicality is strangely staccato. He walks cartoonishly with his limbs and motions bursting at regular intervals. It grows on you, however, especially combined with his maddeningly expert comic timing.
Lopez’s best craft, by far, is specifically with Witter. The three work fine together, and their chemistry takes them a long way.
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Fabian (Mathew Alexander) tags along for their plans in small part, but he is highly funny in his own right and not to be forgotten.
The “fool” and clown, Feste, (Bridget S. Dunne) is not very foolish, however. She does sing a few songs, (original works by Casey Mraz) which add contrast and more of the southern atmosphere.
Best of all, however, is Lee Francis’ performance as Malvolio. He, too, uses his drawl for the forces of good theater, inflicting a raucous Dixie bark or sliding in with a smooth southern twang.
His scene discovering the letter is easily the show’s high point.
Francis talks. A lot. But his control of pace, tone,
physicaity, improvisation and timing are incredible. Bryan, Witter, Lopez and Alexander are there to help him along and add much, but Francis could carry the scene if he had to.
Largely, he already does.
Costumes are also fantastic. Too often in community theater, time and attention to costumes fall victim to cost-cutting measures.
But if the necessary illusion for American Civil War Shakespeare is really to succeed, the look of the characters is certainly important, and it is treated as such.
The incredible detail in the costumes gives the impression that it was a serious labor of love not lost on designer Jenn Daugherty.
The ugly, bored set, however, does not give the same feeling of time or thought. Its only prominent feature, the centralized “Soliloquy Bench,” is as constantly used as it is cliché.
And then there’s the Muppet.
There’s no moving around it or calling it anything else. It’s a Muppet. From the moment it appears to when it vanishes from sight, you should be laughing for every second of it, simply for the sake of its pure ridiculousness.
Nick Ganjei plays Antonio, the Muppet’s stalwart companion and brother-in-arms. Ganjei appears largely to be on Sesame Street in his scenes, leaning over and delivering his lines with a straight face to the Muppet.
Kudos to you, sir.
Much of the acting talent in this production performs selectively in Albuquerque theater. Seeing them now is a rare chance that makes it all worth it.
