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"Twelfth Night" with the Queen's Company |
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by Sherri Rase | >> see bio |
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photo by John Santerre
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| Virginia Baeta & Carey Urban |
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Last night at Urban Stages, the Queen's Company mined the Shakespearean canon for a classic canard-"Twelfth Night"-giving it a Mobius-like half twist, and the result is magic.
The Queen's Company was founded in 2000 and has since produced ten stellar productions ranging from "The Taming of the Shrew" through "School for Scandal" to its present production. This theatre company prides itself on its all female cast of classic theatre performers, who work from a more innovative approach to the repertoire.
Rebecca Patterson is the founding artistic director, and she has adapted the script as well. Patterson directs this company of talented souls, who embrace the use of music and movement within the context of the adapted text to release the fullest meaning from both the classic interpretation and the nuanced performance they create as a whole.
"Twelfth Night" is a cross-dressing classic, in the shipwreck milieu that Shakespeare sometimes favors for his comic, star-crossed lovers. This outing, of course, has the interesting device of identical, fraternal twins. Illyria being a strange place, Viola must masquerade as a young man for the protection, ironically, of her virtue. Thus merriment ensues.
What makes the Queen's Company production different from the other "Twelfth Night" productions on stages around the city this fall? First, I'd say it's the adaptation of the script and how it couples lip-synching joie de vivre with some of the greatest hits of the last 40 plus years! Yup, from the very beginning, when you view the spare stage at the intimate Urban Stages venue, you know this will be different. And when the music comes up and Feste (the remarkable Natalie Lebert) starts broadly lip-synching Bob Dylan's "How Does It Feel" to narrate the pantomime of the Duke's rejection by Olivia, Sebastian and Viola's shipwreck and the aftermath of the storm, you begin to get an idea of how different it will be!
There are a myriad of pop culture references that would be called "quoting" if we were incorporating part of one melody in the playing of another. An example of this is when Sebastian and Viola (Amy Driesler and Virginia Baeta, respectively) are gamboling about the boat prior to the storm. At one point there is the iconic "I'm the King of the World" bit, from "Titanic," where Jack holds Rose's hands so she can feel like she's flying-and there are stifled giggles from those in the audience who recognize it.
The entire cast is so strong! One of the hallmarks of this company is the opportunity for women, in all our wond'rous forms, to enjoy sinking their collective teeth into some of the best roles ever written. And, as Patterson wants us to do, we are immersed in her vision made real-we forget the gender of the performers and even the characters. We become involved in what they are doing as people. Deconstruction? Reconstruction? Instruction!
Frances Uku plays Orsino, the Duke of Illyria, with languorous vigor. Orsino is a nobleman of his time, feeling that Olivia, his object of desire, is destined to be his. If he is sufficiently importunate, she must be saying "no," only to relent later on. Olivia, played with coquettish strength of will by Carey Urban, shows her iron will 'neath her comely exterior, only to have the iron melt like ice in the flame of her love for Cesario.
There are many interludes of music, primarily from 80s and 90s icons like Annie Lennox and Cher. Interspersed are also instrumental and vocal pieces contemporary to the creation of the play. How the grand design works, though, is something you really need to see!
Virginia Baeta as Viola/Cesario has artful "lapses" from her boy-self, as a masquerading maid may well. These lapses are played to comic effect, especially later when she's got the façade mastered. At one point, however, she realizes she cannot talk her way out of an altercation engineered by Sir Toby Belch (Gisele Richardson) with Sir Andrew Aguecheek (Karen Berthel). The two combatants are not experienced in battle, yet ironically are fighting for their social standing. Fortunately they achieve a comic draw with no bloodshed.
The main jewel in the diadem, however, must needs be the subplot involving the vanity of the servant Malvolio (Aysan Celik). This actor has literally a thousand faces and we get to see them all, at least twice. Malvolio is the popinjay who is the head of the servants in Olivia's household. He harbors a secret crush on his mistress. Maria (Kari Nicole Washington) has a trick or two up her sleeve and invites Sir Toby and Sir Andrew, with their friend Fabian (Indika Senanayake), to join the fun. Maria whips up a letter, playing to Malvolio's considerable vanity. Celik's face is as changeable as an October sky, ranging from a moue of delicate disgust to outrage and despair, when bound as a madman. There is a rapprochement bringing all of the spurned folk together at the end, and each of this amazing company, rounded out by Dionne Audain and Valerie Redd, displays great range.
There's a neat little wrinkle, added to the beginning of the first scene after the intermission, when Sebastian and Antonio wake up intertwined. These two characters we have come to know as men have apparently a greater affection than hitherto sensed. This adds piquancy to the denouement.
Two highlights really stand out from the rest of the show. First, Malvolio's virtuoso mentally onanistic reading of the letter that falls into his hands, ostensibly from his mistress. The second, coming seemingly from the ether, is the mini-whirlwind precipitated by the Priest, when asked to testify to the marriage he has just performed.
The technical team members are virtuosi as well. Lighting, set design and, especially, the music are artfully executed by Raquel Davis, Kip Marsh and Jane Shaw respectively. Who knows where Illyria is? I only know I was transported!
Jean Aultz Look's costumes establish the period and the characters very well, and don't limit the movements of this kinetic, shoe-free cast. Amanda McCroskery's fight direction is an admixture of stagecraft and choreography. Annalee Fannan, as able Stage Manager, holds it all together.
"Twelfth Night" is at Urban Stages at 259 W. 30th Street through November 23 at 7:30 p.m. for evening performances Tuesday through Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday November 15 and 22, and 3 p.m. for Sunday Matinees. There will be a post-show discussion after the November 15 2 p.m. show. Tickets are available at www.smarttix.com. Learn more about this dazzling company at www.queenscompany.org.
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