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xiphiasLast season, there was a swath of productions of Titus Andronicus, as college troupes saw it, realized it was a fun play which didn't deserve its negative reputation, and decided to perform it themselves. I would be really happy if the same thing happened with King John this season, and the Actors' Shakespeare Project production, playing now until June 8th, demonstrates why.
See, Titus picked up a reputation as being too bloody and over-the-top to be performed, but a couple good productions, including ASP's, showed folks that "bloody and over-the-top" is not actually a BAD thing in a play. This play has a reputation as being so full of deception and plot twists that it can't be followed -- and it doesn't deserve that. Oh, it's chock-full of deception and twists, but that's a good thing. I suppose that, if one was reading the play, one would have trouble following who was backstabbing whom, but when it's performed on stage with a competent cast, the actors are able to take you through with no trouble whatsoever.
Yes, the plot twists and turns, and you never know what's going to happen in the next scene. But, no matter where you go, there you are. It's not hard to keep track of what's going on, even if you can't predict what will happen next.
It's sort of like one of those walking labyrinths, like the one that my parents built in their backyard, or the ones that a number of churches have painted on the floor. It consists of a single twisting path, looping back on itself, but with no deviations. You walk through the path, never knowing quite what the path will be, but nonetheless, never getting lost. There is only one path, and it takes you through it -- no matter how convoluted it looks from the outside.
Hold onto that image, by the way. We'll be coming back to it.
Shakespeare provides us with a guide through the treachery and deviousness of the court -- the two-fisted action Shakespearian pulp hero Philip Falconbridge, who has become one of my favorite Shakespearian characters. He's noble, brave, upright, and witty, with an action hero's penchant for snappy one-liners and clever observations. Stick with Philip the Bastard -- he'll take you through the play unscathed. Of the few characters who are more-or-less honest, he's the only one who isn't a victim.
So. This being the Actors' Shakespeare Project, let's start with talking about which odd corner of Boston they've found to fit with this play.
Next to the Common is an Episcopal cathedral, the Cathedral Church of St Paul. The Church has a basement. Deep in the bowels of the basement is a room which is used by a Chinese congregation, a homeless congregation, and a Muslim congregation, at different times. And, until June 8th, it's also used by a Shakespearian acting troupe.
I can only imagine what went through Ben Evett's mind when he looked at the space. (Well, that's not strictly true. I could, y'know, ASK him -- it's not like his email address is hard to find, and he's a generally approachable guy. But imagining is more fun.)
Evett would have walked into a room which feels like a high school gym cum-function hall. And he would have looked at the unfinished rough stone walls, and the beautiful faux-marbled pillars, and the beat-up-high-school-basketball-court floor. And the labyrinth painted on that floor in slightly-chipping but very tough paint. See? I told you to hold on to that image.
And he would have thought, "This space has character. What story does this place want to match up with? What play wants to be heard here?"
Like most of the places that ASP has found, this one is weird. And like most of the places, they use that weirdness to shape their performance.
There are a few things about the space that are genuine weaknesses. Those four beautiful faux-marble pillars obstruct views occasionally. The performance space is buried deep underground -- I felt that a miner's helmet might have been appropriate, and I'm not sure about how handicapped-accessible the space is. (The press materials state that the space is accessible, but I didn't see how that worked, so, if mobility is an issue for you, call them and ask what the situation is.)
But most of the things which seem like they WOULD be weaknesses ended up, bizarrely, as strengths. Somehow, the trains rumbling through Park Street Station diagonally above us added to the experience -- it's a play in which mysterious ominous rumblings are dramatically appropriate.
And the whole production design -- sound design, lighting design, everything -- works with the space to create an atmosphere for backstabbing, betrayal, and back-room dealing.
Now, let's talk about the actors, and how they portray the characters. And, since he IS my favorite character, and holds the play together, let's start with Bill Barklay's portrayal of Philip the Bastard.
See, there are two types of Shakespearian monologues. First, you've got the ones like Hamlet uses -- where he's talking to himself, or to God, or to something like that. They're introspective -- they're about the internal life of the character.
The other kind, though -- well, those are the ones where the character realizes that we're there, and decides to tell US what's going through his mind. And Philip is THAT kind of character. And so he needs to form a connection with the audience. The actor needs to have chemistry with the audience.
(As an aside -- this is among the reasons I think Shakespeare generally works better in smaller theaters, and in the round. A proscenium is a border between the audience and the actors -- and I think that a lot of Shakespeare needs to be more interactive. Maybe less so for his latest plays -- I think that The Tempest and Pericles, for instance, can work in proscenium-type settings.)
And Barklay does. He's our guide, our buddy, and we are willing to hang out with him as he attempts to find his way through the treacherous footing of the play. Barklay portrays a Philip who covers a spine of steel under a somewhat goofy exterior -- and it works.
Shakespeare wrote Hubert as King John's thuggish hatchetman, but, in this production, Sarah Newhouse plays a female Hubert, which changes all sorts of relationships. I don't want to say too much about it, because I don't want to give away plot points, but it's an interesting variation, with resonances throughout the play. Jennie Israel's Constance is emotionally powerful, and John Kuntz is deeply creepy as the manipulative Cardinal Pandulph.
As King John, Michael Forden Walker is the center of the play -- but he is shaped by circumstances as much as he shapes them -- he's as much a victim as he is an active player, and Walker's performance shows this dichotomy.
So -- to conclude: the Actors' Shakespeare Project shows us that a complex plot need not be a confusing plot. Their actors and production team lead us through the labyrinthine paths of King John's many betrayals and twists, letting us feel the emotional impact of each one, but never losing us or confusing us.
Tickets are forty bucks, plus or minus a couple bucks depending on which seat, for adults, thirty to thirty-five for students. But remember, guys: they also may have student rush tickets available just before the show, for just fifteen bucks. I encourage you to go and check it out -- I'd like to see if you in the college companies like the play as much as I do. If so, I'd love to see what you'd do with it if you put it on yourselves.
See, Titus picked up a reputation as being too bloody and over-the-top to be performed, but a couple good productions, including ASP's, showed folks that "bloody and over-the-top" is not actually a BAD thing in a play. This play has a reputation as being so full of deception and plot twists that it can't be followed -- and it doesn't deserve that. Oh, it's chock-full of deception and twists, but that's a good thing. I suppose that, if one was reading the play, one would have trouble following who was backstabbing whom, but when it's performed on stage with a competent cast, the actors are able to take you through with no trouble whatsoever.
Yes, the plot twists and turns, and you never know what's going to happen in the next scene. But, no matter where you go, there you are. It's not hard to keep track of what's going on, even if you can't predict what will happen next.
It's sort of like one of those walking labyrinths, like the one that my parents built in their backyard, or the ones that a number of churches have painted on the floor. It consists of a single twisting path, looping back on itself, but with no deviations. You walk through the path, never knowing quite what the path will be, but nonetheless, never getting lost. There is only one path, and it takes you through it -- no matter how convoluted it looks from the outside.
Hold onto that image, by the way. We'll be coming back to it.
Shakespeare provides us with a guide through the treachery and deviousness of the court -- the two-fisted action Shakespearian pulp hero Philip Falconbridge, who has become one of my favorite Shakespearian characters. He's noble, brave, upright, and witty, with an action hero's penchant for snappy one-liners and clever observations. Stick with Philip the Bastard -- he'll take you through the play unscathed. Of the few characters who are more-or-less honest, he's the only one who isn't a victim.
So. This being the Actors' Shakespeare Project, let's start with talking about which odd corner of Boston they've found to fit with this play.
Next to the Common is an Episcopal cathedral, the Cathedral Church of St Paul. The Church has a basement. Deep in the bowels of the basement is a room which is used by a Chinese congregation, a homeless congregation, and a Muslim congregation, at different times. And, until June 8th, it's also used by a Shakespearian acting troupe.
I can only imagine what went through Ben Evett's mind when he looked at the space. (Well, that's not strictly true. I could, y'know, ASK him -- it's not like his email address is hard to find, and he's a generally approachable guy. But imagining is more fun.)
Evett would have walked into a room which feels like a high school gym cum-function hall. And he would have looked at the unfinished rough stone walls, and the beautiful faux-marbled pillars, and the beat-up-high-school-basketball-court floor. And the labyrinth painted on that floor in slightly-chipping but very tough paint. See? I told you to hold on to that image.
And he would have thought, "This space has character. What story does this place want to match up with? What play wants to be heard here?"
Like most of the places that ASP has found, this one is weird. And like most of the places, they use that weirdness to shape their performance.
There are a few things about the space that are genuine weaknesses. Those four beautiful faux-marble pillars obstruct views occasionally. The performance space is buried deep underground -- I felt that a miner's helmet might have been appropriate, and I'm not sure about how handicapped-accessible the space is. (The press materials state that the space is accessible, but I didn't see how that worked, so, if mobility is an issue for you, call them and ask what the situation is.)
But most of the things which seem like they WOULD be weaknesses ended up, bizarrely, as strengths. Somehow, the trains rumbling through Park Street Station diagonally above us added to the experience -- it's a play in which mysterious ominous rumblings are dramatically appropriate.
And the whole production design -- sound design, lighting design, everything -- works with the space to create an atmosphere for backstabbing, betrayal, and back-room dealing.
Now, let's talk about the actors, and how they portray the characters. And, since he IS my favorite character, and holds the play together, let's start with Bill Barklay's portrayal of Philip the Bastard.
See, there are two types of Shakespearian monologues. First, you've got the ones like Hamlet uses -- where he's talking to himself, or to God, or to something like that. They're introspective -- they're about the internal life of the character.
The other kind, though -- well, those are the ones where the character realizes that we're there, and decides to tell US what's going through his mind. And Philip is THAT kind of character. And so he needs to form a connection with the audience. The actor needs to have chemistry with the audience.
(As an aside -- this is among the reasons I think Shakespeare generally works better in smaller theaters, and in the round. A proscenium is a border between the audience and the actors -- and I think that a lot of Shakespeare needs to be more interactive. Maybe less so for his latest plays -- I think that The Tempest and Pericles, for instance, can work in proscenium-type settings.)
And Barklay does. He's our guide, our buddy, and we are willing to hang out with him as he attempts to find his way through the treacherous footing of the play. Barklay portrays a Philip who covers a spine of steel under a somewhat goofy exterior -- and it works.
Shakespeare wrote Hubert as King John's thuggish hatchetman, but, in this production, Sarah Newhouse plays a female Hubert, which changes all sorts of relationships. I don't want to say too much about it, because I don't want to give away plot points, but it's an interesting variation, with resonances throughout the play. Jennie Israel's Constance is emotionally powerful, and John Kuntz is deeply creepy as the manipulative Cardinal Pandulph.
As King John, Michael Forden Walker is the center of the play -- but he is shaped by circumstances as much as he shapes them -- he's as much a victim as he is an active player, and Walker's performance shows this dichotomy.
So -- to conclude: the Actors' Shakespeare Project shows us that a complex plot need not be a confusing plot. Their actors and production team lead us through the labyrinthine paths of King John's many betrayals and twists, letting us feel the emotional impact of each one, but never losing us or confusing us.
Tickets are forty bucks, plus or minus a couple bucks depending on which seat, for adults, thirty to thirty-five for students. But remember, guys: they also may have student rush tickets available just before the show, for just fifteen bucks. I encourage you to go and check it out -- I'd like to see if you in the college companies like the play as much as I do. If so, I'd love to see what you'd do with it if you put it on yourselves.