The Winter's Tale
Presented by ACT I
Through Feb. 17 at Darkhorse Theater
The last time I reviewed an ACT I production was in November. The notice was not favorable, though not without its attempts to acknowledge the positive. I received a subsequent e-mail from a local theatergoer who took me to task for not being more enthusiastic. If critics can't say nice things, she suggested, then perhaps they should stay home.
If only I had taken her advice last Saturday night. If only she had come over for tea. Instead, I ventured out to see ACT I's new production of Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale. (Fasten your seatbelts, readers; it's going to be a bumpy ride.)
The play was first produced in 1611. It's among the last works the Bard wrote and fits into the category of romance, though more broadly it's categorized as a comedy. There is much to recommend in the script, strange as it is. Act 1 is a dark tale of jealousy and vengefulness; Act 2 is an airy, frothy romp with clowns and shepherds. The calamities of Act 1 are happily resolved in Act 2, and in between there are plenty of majestic speeches.
ACT I set designer Gregg Colson and lighting director Rich Davis have made an admirable effort in transforming the Darkhorse Theater into a luminous playing area. It's a little crowded on those multilevel platforms, but a big, bold, beautiful moon looks down lovingly on the players, and the designers' journey from Act 1's icy winter to the warmth and frolicking attitude of Act 2's summer is generally successful.
There are a handful of good performances, most notably by the women in the cast. They provide energy and appealing good looks, but they alone can't salvage the predominantly blustery, meandering, dispassionate declamations that precede them. And so the endurance test of Act 1 turns to outright boredom by the middle of Act 2, by which time it's hard to know who's working harder—the actors or the audience.
But let's concentrate on the good: As Paulina, the queen's confidante, Wesley Paine proves she is a fine actress; Sharon Collins and Caroline Davis writhe and giggle winningly in various roles; and Karen Eke offers a nice surprise, distinguishing herself as Perdita, long-lost daughter of Sicilian King Leontes. Among the men, only Marc Mazzone merits a mention. As the petty thief Autolycus, he does his level best to infuse theatricality and playfulness into a situation desperately in need of it.
ACT I is a community theater group. As such, it offers opportunities to actors and directors that might not otherwise come their way. This is a fine thing in and of itself. It doesn't, however, guarantee a scintillating night out on the town.
—Martin Brady
Well-spoken
I also caught a performance of Actors Bridge's production of The Vagina Monologues last weekend. The company sold out all three performances at Vanderbilt's Benton Chapel, proving that theater with a mission can strike a chord with the right audience. On balance, the cast of 13 came through with flying colors, but some actresses are more equal than others. Worthy of particular mention—in no particular order—are Arita Trahan, Evelyn Blythe, Tara Lacey, Rachel Agee, Jennifer Winter, and Glory Kissel. These women handled the more challenging monologues with poise and sophistication, and proved why Eve Ensler's performance piece has gained such universal acclaim.
For those who missed the Nashville productions, Tennessee Tech is mounting its own production of the show Feb. 14 and 15 in Cookeville, with proceeds also going toward programs against domestic violence.
—Martin Brady
Welcome return
Nashville audiences were privileged to see a spectacular revival of Showboat at TPAC Feb. 6-11. James Kronzer's set designs for this touring production were clever as well as opulent, and best of all, the musical was sensitively rendered by a talented cast. It is high praise to say that this revival fully lived up to expectations of the original, which premiered Dec. 27, 1927, at New York's Ziegfeld Theatre.
The actors in this new production had plenty to work with, and they made the most of it. Frances A. Jones played Queenie, which could have been something of a stereotyped "Mammy" role in less capable hands. She turned out to be a double threat, what with her opera-trained voice and her impeccable sense of comic timing. Rob Richardson, in the leading role of Gaylord Ravenal, managed to make a handsome ne'er-do-well into a likable character.
The original production of Showboat not only blended music with dramatic action in a way that was unusual for its time, it was also a racially integrated show. The plot itself revolves around black-white issues, and the greatest song in the whole musical, "Old Man River," belongs to a black man named Joe. At TPAC, Phillip Lama Boykin, with his big, beautifully trained voice, perfectly embodied the role of Joe. He palpably conveyed the simmering resentment of social injustice, but also portrayed a man totally at peace with himself. In his hands, Joe became the Greek chorus, the ageless commentator on humanity's comings and goings—the voice of Old Man River himself.
—Maureen Needham
