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| Ian Kramer, Matt Lytle, Bentley Rhodes, John Wagner Givens and Peter Riopelle in Twelfth Night. Photo – Kentucky Shakespeare. |
Twelfth Night
By William Shakespeare
Presented by Kentucky Shakespeare
Directed by Brantley Dunaway
Reviewed by Keith Waits
Entire contents are copyright ©2013 Keith Waits. All rights reserved.
It begins with the set. Brilliantly conceived by
Jeffrey D. Kmiec, it is a splendid multi-level design that blends elements
representing the man-made and nature in harmonious balance and features a
waterfall center stage. It is a stage built for an expansive staging; and, for
the most part, that is exactly what is delivered in this Twelfth Night.
The story of Viola and Sebastian, separated after a
shipwreck in the country of Illyria, and Viola’s gender-crossing masquerade as
Cesario has long been a favorite among Shakespeare’s comedies. The situation
of a woman pretending to be a man and mistaken placement of romantic affections
are common enough in his plays, yet their positioning within this plot provides
an especially good opportunity to investigate the nature of attraction and how
it may subvert our planned desires for something altogether unexpected. As the
resolution plays out in the final scenes, true love may be present, but so is
the breakdown of vanity and proof that the heart can be fickle and easily
tricked in cruel fashion.
Brantley Dunaway’s production employs a Celtic
theme for its setting, which makes for handsome design (although Orsino’s
too-much-like-a-tunic costume was annoying and stood apart from the rest of
the, mostly, striking costumes) and invites a hodge-podge of accents. But the
playing was sound and sometimes more so. Madison Dunaway is a winsome and
intelligent Viola, and Rosie Ward as Olivia, John Pasha as Orsino and Kyle
Curry as Sebastian are all worthy and effective. Yet the lovers' stories never
seem quite as inspired as the work of the characters central to the comedy.
Brad Fraizer is a wonderful Sir Andrew Aguecheek – a
true clown in the richest sense, who can riddle each line with delicate comic
nuance and bring the slapstick in great measure. He is ably supported by Paul
Kiernan as Sir Toby Belch, whose work is very nearly the match of his partner
in crime. Matt Lytle’s Fabian and Amy Barrick’s Maria contribute meaningful
complement to two more showcased roles.
The character of Feste, the jester to Orsinos’s
court, sings in the story; and the songs are perhaps given a larger role than
in most productions, with five skilled musicians and a good vocalist to deliver
them in Peter Riopelle. Familiar to local audiences from productions of 1776 and Guys and Dolls at Music Theatre Louisville, the musical theatre
veteran is a wise choice not only for his singing abilities but because he is a
fine comic actor as well. The songs interject a wistful note into the farce, and
Mr. Riopelle’s delivery is plaintive yet memorable.
Twelfth Night also contains one of the most sought-after
roles in Shakespeare: Olivia’s servant, Malvolio. Jonathan Visser makes a vivid
impression, tall, lanky and topped with a shock of ginger hair. He underplays
at first, allowing his physical presence to fully register as he builds a
foundation for the character. As the plot thickens and he is greatly abused by
a scheme to embarrass him, Mr. Visser fleshes out Malvolio’s suffering as
certainly as he manages the most confident accent of the evening – a smart and
potent mixture of comedy and pathos.
Malvolio’s scene in which he reads the letter
wherein he comes to believe Olivia is professing love for him takes the fullest
advantage of Mr. Kmiec’s wonderful stage, as Aguecheek, Toby and Fabian
maneuver through every conceivable nook, cranny, platform, staircase and
balcony perch so that the hapless Malvolio seems to be unconsciously chasing
them up to the last refuge before exiting the stage.
The language is clear; the pace and tone give the
story room to breathe; and as the sun sets and the lighting brings the
production and the play into focus, this must be counted as a success for
Kentucky Shakespeare.
Twelfth Night
June 18-July 18 (except Mondays)
Pre-show 7 p.m., Curtain at 8:30 p.m.
Kentucky Shakespeare presents Shakespeare in The
Park
1340 South 4th Street
Louisville, KY 40208
Free to the public (donations encouraged) V.I.P
seating available
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