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Queens Shakespeare
Reviews
ShowBusiness Weekly Review of TWELFTH NIGHT
Twelfth Night
Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Nanette Asher
The Flea Theater
41 White Street
Review by Nicholas Luckenbaugh
New York theater has made a particular show of Twelfth Night this season, including renditions by the Prospect Theater and the Pearl Theatre — not to mention the Public Theater’s star-studded version for its Shakespeare in the Park, which recently began performances. Now the boroughs attack the Bard’s comedy with Queens Shakespeare Inc’s downtown production at the Flea Theater. But despite the efforts of director Nanette Asher, this Twelfth Night squeaks by with a product that is bearable at best.
That is not to say that the production doesn’t have a few shining points. Brendan Hunt offers a humorous portrayal of the fool Feste, delivering just enough physical comedy without overzealous zaniness. Victoria Papayani, who possesses an uncanny resemblance to film actress Zooey Deschanel, also gives a respectable performance as Olivia. Both Hunt and Papayani capture the musicality of the Bard’s poetic verses without sacrificing either humor or drama. The rest of the ensemble tries desperately to equal these performances but never quite seems to make it. Overall, even Rachel Marcus’s Maria, who has quite a few solid moments, is lost in the Shakespearean tongue.
Most muddling, though, is the concept of using costumes from multiple eras. In her Director’s Notes, Asher discusses Twelfth Night’s timeless aspects, stressing its ability to reach any audience. As a testament to the play’s universality, she and costume designer Tara Schmidt employ an awkward jumble of clothing from the ancient Mediterranean, Medieval and Elizabethan England, and modern times. This presents a nice metaphor, but it proves more than distracting to see Orsino exit in a toga and reemerge in a suit. Twelfth Night is certainly timeless, but Asher’s time-jumping design exceeds the level of disbelief that we are willing to suspend.
Backtage Review of TWELFTH NIGHT
New Review: Twelfth Night at the Flea Theater
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Depending on taste, "original practices" Shakespeare, which aims to replicate the bare-bones, high-energy atmosphere under which the Bard’s plays were first presented, can be a dazzling experience. Similarly, the plays can entertain when offered with set elements and effects unthinkable in Shakespeare’s time. One of a slew of disappointments in Queens Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, then, is the apparent picking and choosing of styles. Positioning bushes on stage behind which characters can hide as needed is fun; using a birdbath to symbolize the shipwreck that brings Viola (Anne Roser) and Sebastian (Jonathan Emerson) to Illyria is enchanting. So why is the rest of the piece visually threadbare?
Indeed, the birdbath is a one-shot device for director Nanette Asher; like several of her directorial concepts—music to underscore parts of scenes, gender-bending that goes well beyond the script—it remains undeveloped. Plus, Tara Schmidt’s costumes make no sense: Why suit up Brendan Hunt’s smiling, beguiling Feste in a mountain of velvet while cladding other actors in unshaped sheaths like a Project Runway patch job?
Perhaps one can make allowances due to this company’s noble mission: assembling "professional actors in leading roles who will act as mentors for students and for community members." But it seems to me that the goal ought to be a single acting style, and here one’s frustration grows very keen. Take Roser—what a very fine sense of verse she shows. The same for Danny Makalii Mittermeyer’s fey, extra-whimsical Sir Toby Belch, even if he’s all gussied up like Wayland Flowers bereft of Madame, and Adam Gallinat’s congenially goofy Sir Andrew Aguecheek. Yet Greg Mocker as Orsino by the end of the play seemed unmoored from his lines (and at one point cued by Roser), and Nathanael Vaky played Malvolio boldly but too much for the humor, as if mistrusting Shakespeare’s pen.
Asher can’t seem to decide between a souped-up or scaled-down Twelfth Night or among a madcap, moody, or multigender take on the play. All are possible and plausible interpretations—just not all at once and not in half-hearted half measures.Presented by and at the Flea Theater, 41 White St., NYC. June 18–27. Wed.–Fri., 7 p.m.; Sat., 3 and 7 p.m. (212) 352-3101, (866) 811-4111, www.theatermania.com, or www.theflea.org.
BlogCritics.com Review of ARSENIC AND OLD LACE
Theater Review (Queens, NY): Arsenic and Old Lace
Written by Hannah Marie Ellison
Published March 01, 2009
Part of StageMage
After more than 60 years, Joseph Kesselring’s highly amusing masterpiece Arsenic and Old Lace is still an incredibly funny show. This past weekend, the current Queens Shakespeare, Inc. presentation of this brilliant black comedy did have a few bumps (specifically, some not-so-solid lead performances), but Lawrence Lesher's direction was crisp and there were a number of high-spirited performances from an impressive supporting cast.
Kesselring's wicked tale tells the story of two presumably sweet old ladies, both considered pillars of Brooklyn for their charitable works and generosity to their neighbors. But even they, as it is said in the show, have their peculiarities. The peculiarity here is that they turn out to be serial killers.
Deciding that it would be a pity to let vacant rooms remain empty in their old house, the Brewster sisters, Abby and Martha (Nanette Asher and Pauline Walsh), occasionally take in boarders. They cannot help but notice the loneliness of the older, unattached men whom fate or chance bring to their door. When these prospective tenants of modest means tell the sisters that they are alone in the world, without family, friends, or hope, the well-meaning sisters literally kill them with kindness by serving them a glass of their homespun elderberry wine, laced with arsenic, plus a dash of strychnine and just a pinch of cyanide.
When their innocent nephew Mortimer (Greg Mocker) accidentally finds out about his aunties’ unusual “hobby,” he plans to shift the blame for the killings onto his brother Teddy (Sean MacBride Murray), who thinks he is President Theodore Roosevelt and dresses and acts accordingly. Adding to the mix is Mortimer's insane brother Jonathan (Danny Mittermeyer), on the lam from the law, wearing a new face (vaguely reminiscent of horror film legend Boris Karloff) compliments of his whiskey-drinking plastic surgeon companion Dr. Einstein (Timothy J. Cox). The pair arrives in Brooklyn dragging along a corpse of their own.
What follows is a potent mixture of madcap comedy and smoldering menace, and director Lawrence Lesher deserves high praise for striking all the right notes, with most scenes popping with great energy and enthusiasm. His production, however, while good (even quite wonderful) in many spots, falls short of being an overall great one because of two lackluster lead performances, from Nanette Asher as Abby Brewster and Greg Mocker as Mortimer. Both actors throughout seemed terribly lost, never settling into their roles or finding a rhythm, especially Mocker, whose line readings were unusual in some spots and downright bizarre in others.
A big part of my criticism of their performances, mostly Asher's, has to do with the simple fact that I couldn't make out a large percentage of what they were saying. Admittedly, the acoustics at the Bowne Street Community Church auditorium, where the play was performed, was not an ideal space for this zany show, but that didn't deter the strong supporting cast, who managed to rise above the spatial limitations and deliver great performances. Pauline Walsh, who was drop-dead hysterical as Martha Brewster, injected much-needed life into all her scenes; roly-poly Sean MacBride Murray was a pistol from the opening curtain as a delightful Teddy. The lovely Meg Mark, who reminded me of a young Meg Ryan, was great as Mortimer’s not-so-dumb, undersexed girlfriend Elaine Harper, a minister’s daughter who throws herself at Mortimer and becomes more and more confounded by his strange unwillingness to respond to her romantic overtures.
Jonathan Emerson, Thom Brown III, Matthew Harris, and Brendon Hunt all contributed nice cameos (and ridiculous Irish accents) as a bunch of not very observant police officers. Hands down, though, the scene-stealers were Danny Mittermeyer, superb as the murderous and sadistic Jonathan Brewster, and the always top-notch Timothy J. Cox, magnificent as Dr. Einstein. Both actors exploded on to the stage at end of Act I and set the tone and pace for the remainder of the show, playing off each other like a seasoned acting duo.
Aside from his duties on stage, Jonathan Emerson also acted as scenic and lighting designer for the production, and given the space he had to work with, he managed to create a workable space for the actors and subtly light the proceedings.
With a little polishing of a few of its comic characterizations, the current production of Arsenic and Old Lace in Flushing could be a must-see comedy.
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Arsenic and Old Lace runs at the Bowne Street Community Church in Flushing until March 8th. For information on tickets, visit Smarttix.com.
YourNabe.com Review of TWELFTH NIGHT
Queens Shakespeare stages delightful ‘Twelfth Night’
By Arlene McKanic
Friday, November 14, 2008 1:36 PM EST
"Twelfth Night” is based on what may be the dumbest premise in all Shakespeare. We’re supposed to believe that male and female twins, who we must assume have achieved puberty, are indistinguishable from each other when the girl dresses up like a boy. Certainly, no one in this wacky play, delightfully put on by Queens Shakespeare Inc., can tell them apart. What, has Sebastian not experienced a growth spurt? Has his voice not changed? Does he not have to shave once in a while? Of course it’s all beside the point — this is Shakespeare and even his silliness is magnificent. And let’s not forget the poetry and sparkling, unmatchable wit: check out this exchange between Feste, Olivia’s clown, and Malvolio, her steward:
Clown: Alas, sir, how fell you besides your five wits?
Malvolio: Fool, there was never man so notoriously abused. I am as well in my wits, fool, as thou art.
Clown: But as well? Then you are mad indeed, if you be no better in your wits than a fool.
The improbable story is this: Duke Orsino of Illyria (i.e. Never-Never Land) thinks he’s pining for Olivia, an equally high-born lady, even though he’s more in love with the thought of love. At any rate, Olivia won’t take suitors — or at least not him — because of her perpetual mourning for her brother.
In the meantime, Viola and her evidently identical twin brother Sebastian are shipwrecked. Both think the other has drowned (there’s a lovely bit of action where Sebastian is shown running amongst rippling blue scarves clutching a piece of driftwood). Viola dresses up as the boy Cesario and goes into Orsino’s service — and one of Cesario’s tasks is to woo Olivia for Orsino. Olivia falls in love with Cesario, who’s really Viola, and much sport is had from Viola trying to deflect this young noblewoman’s advances.
Then there are the supporting players, led by Olivia’s endlessly drunken uncle Sir Toby Belch. His fellow miscreants include Olivia’s maid Maria, her manservant Fabian and Sir Andrew Aguecheek, who’s also in love with Olivia. There’s also the pompous Malvolio, who the rest prank unmercifully.
Meanwhile, Sebastian is washed up, much undamaged, and falls in with Antonio, who offers his adoring service — and his purse. Then Sebastian meets and falls in love with Olivia, who thinks he’s Cesario/Viola, who has finally given up and returned her passion. Since this is a comedy, all’s well that ends well, with at least three suitable weddings.
This romp was directed and edited by Nanette Asher and the cast goes about the nonsense joyously. Danny Mikalil Mittermeyer is over the top as Sir Toby, and he’s joined by Rachel Marcus’ wickedly funny Maria, played with a nice brogue; Adam Gallinant as a foppish Sir Andrew; and Miriam Mintz as a droll Fabian — she also plays Curio, one of Orsino’s men.
The beautiful Viktoriya Papayani is nicely haughty as Olivia, and it’s fun to watch her aristocratic composure slip when she falls in love with Cesario and tries to stop herself from giggling over Malvolio in his ghastly yellow stockings and cross garters. Anne Roser is warm and sweet as Viola — now and then she gets a look on her face that asks, ‘Are these people really this stupid?’ — and Jonathan Emerson makes an earnest Sebastian. Yes, he does look like Roser, but not that much. Thomas Cox is appropriately loopy as Orsino, and Rachel Wright is good as both a manservant and a no nonsense officer of the law (“Come sir, I pray you go!” she barks at Antonio, played with lovesick ardor by Brendan Hunt).
Nathanael Vaky is hilarious as Malvolio. His final line, “I’ll be revenged on the whole pack of you!” is sometimes played with bitterness, but Vaky bellows the line like a man who’s been had before and has simply never learned to see a trick coming. Zack Locuson, running around with popped eyes and bare feet, is a marvelous clown, and David Westcott is good as both the sea captain who helps Viola and the priest who marries Olivia and Sebastian.
The costumes are also lovely, all velvets and silks, with ruffles and bits of lace, and Olivia is draped in beautiful jewels. Near the end there’s some thrilling swordplay between Toby and Sebastian — it’s amazing that Toby, drunk as he always is, can stay on his feet. Kudos to stage combat coach and captain (and clown) Locuson. In all, there’s good work from the production team.
Twelfth Night is at the Bowne Street Community Church, 143-11 Roosevelt Ave. in Flushing, through Nov. 16. Call 718-357-3842 for tickets and information.
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