Style Weekly: "As You Like It" is "charming, funny, unique, and unexpected"

From Style Weekly online:

The Dance Number Big Willie Didn’t See Coming

Even after a quarter century, Richmond Shakespeare keeps us guessing. Even if we already know who’s really a lady and who’s not.
by Katy Johnstone

“As You Like It,” Richmond Shakespeare’s most recent undertaking, is also its oldest.

Eleven years ago, the fledgling company cut into this play, already 400 years old, and have been fine-tuning it ever since. The play, one of Shakespeare’s most frequently performed comedies, has all of the ingredients of a great production: girls masquerading as boys, love triangles (and pentagons, quadrangles and other assorted geometric shapes), an abundance of physical comedy and witty dialogue.

And typical of Richmond Shakespeare’s unwillingness to present the conventional play, directors Andrew Hamm and Julie Phillips (who refer to themselves as the Masters of Play and of Verse, respectively) incorporate thoroughly modern bits into the works, anachronisms dating back as far back as May 2007. Here the cross-dressing comedy includes a large song-and-dance number near the end in which the cast bursts into an impromptu rendition of the “Soulja Boy” dance.

The actors, for the most part, handle their characters beautifully. Sunny LaRose’s Rosalind is strong and endearing, and works well with the love-struck fervor of Orlando (Patrick Bromley). She also has great chemistry with Julia Rigby, who plays her cousin Celia; their scenes are filled with girlish glee and are enjoyable to watch. And as in most of Shakespeare’s plays, the court clown delivers many of the best lines; Adam Mincks’ brilliantly funny Touchstone is definitely up to the job.

But it’s Liz Blake who steals the show. Her role as Amiens in the play’s first half allows her to show off her lovely, lilting singing voice -- this is only topped by her portrayal of the crass shepherdess Phebe, who falls madly in love with the cross-dressing Rosalind, in the second half.

The production is not flawless, though. With the exception of the wrestling scene near the opening, the first half becomes dry whenever Rosalind or Touchstone is not onstage. And while the production’s several musical numbers work well for Blake, LaRose and Bromley each struggle during their few sung lines.

But “As You Like It” is a charming, funny production that bears the unique, often unexpected flavor that Richmond Shakespeare has spent 23 years stewing.

Times-Dispatch: "You'll Like It"

From the Richmond Times-Dispatch:

The Shakespeare play at Agecroft--you'll like it

BY SUSAN HAUBENSTOCK
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

Midsummer may be nearing, but the peak of the summer theater season at Agecroft Hall has just arrived.

In the lovely Tudor courtyard, Richmond Shakespeare Festival's reprise of "As You Like It" is a laugh-filled, updated take on the Bard's comedy.

It's a reprise in two ways: The company opened with this play 11 years ago, and it did a rollicking five-actor version this past spring. Those five actors have returned in this production, along with director Andrew Hamm. Nine additional merrymakers join them to create a show that is full of contemporary style and plays hard for every laugh.

Yet with all the liberties taken, Master of Verse Julie Phillips keeps a steady hand on the language, which she tunes to a lovely, understandable vernacular that loses none of its poetry.

Hamm, for his part, contributes pleasant musical accompaniment, plays the two-line role of Hymen, and infuses the proceedings with all the subtlety of a Judd Apatow film. There's a strong physical component, whether comedy or combat (or spitting), and an especially clever use of upstage plays-within-the-play that enact some of the major speeches while they are delivered.

The story has two pairs of embittered brothers, one pair of faithful cousins, a clown, a melancholy thinker, a wrestler, servants and shepherds, and a trip through the Forest of Arden, where lovers find each other and things come to a happy end.

In lovely Rebecca Cairns costumes, and with well-designed lighting by James David White (who illuminates the outdoor space with seeming effortlessness), the simple set is enriched by humans playing trees, and the cast is augmented by stuffed animals. (It was hard to ignore the lively chipmunk in one of the trees.)

All the performances are delightful, although Adam Minks' Le Beau could have been reined in a tad -- but his Touchstone is hilarious and just this side of outrageous.

Sunny LaRose is the gender-switching Rosalind and Patrick Bromley her adoring Orlando; they are both a treat to watch, as is Julia Rigby as Rosalind's loyal cousin Celia.

Danny Devlin is an engaging Oliver, Orlando's cruel older brother, and Jeffry Clevenger is endearing as the old servant Adam and amusing as the shepherd Corin. Michael Dunn and Dan Summey make regal dukes, and Liz Blake is riotous as the adoring shepherdess Phebe. In smaller roles, Jay Banks and Jennifer Vick make pleasing debuts, and Jake Allard steals focus and hearts as the lovesick shepherd Silvius.

Frank Creasy gives the most impressive performance in two roles. As Charles the wrestler, he goes all-out physically, with pro-wrestling costume and attitude; and as Jacques, the melancholy courtier, he goes all-out emotionally, describing the seven phases of life and musing that "all the world's a stage." If the world were indeed a stage, I would be pleased to see Creasy on it.

Now Playing: "As You Like It"

Last night saw the first preview performance of the Richmond Shakespeare Festival's As You Like It. The show previews again tonight (Thursday) at 8:00, then opens officially on Saturday. It's an abbreviated run; just two previews and six performances, closing July 13, so don't miss it.

It's been a unique challenge and opportunity for Master of Verse Julie Phillips and I to restage a very successful production. Questions abounded: How many moments from the spring production do we duplicate? Do we change things just for the sake of changing them? What different perspective would Julie bring to a show that I had already seen through a complete production process and run? And how would the addition of nine new actors change what the play looks like and what it's about?

Well, Julie and I working together is never a problem. We co-directed Doctor Faustus in winter 2007, and had a long-standing mutual admiration society established before then. Julie has great ideas that I would never have thought of; she is the perfect example of how the two-headed directing process can work. Where I see physical choices, she sees verbal, and where I think something is funny that no one else ever possibly could, she reins me in. It's a great partnership; I never have more fun on the directing side of the table as when I'm working with Julie. And the new actors are a special bunch, five seasoned veterans and four apprentices to create the unforgettable characters which give As You Like It its texture and charm.

All five original actors have returned: Sunny LaRose's Rosalind, Patrick Bromley's Orlando, Julia Rigby's Celia, Frank Creasy's Jaques and Charles, and Adam Mincks's Touchstone and LeBeau all have a chance to live again, and to breathe a little more deeply now that the actors don't have to play all the other characters as well. The new actors have freely reinterpreted their roles: Dan Summey and Michael Dunn as the good and evil dukes, Liz Blake and Jake Allard as Phebe and Silvius, Jay Banks and Jennifer Vick as William and Audrey, Danny Devlin as Oliver and Sir Oliver Mar-Text, Cabell Neterer as Dennis, and Jeffry Clevenger as Adam and Corin all bring very different stuff to the table.

We've also added to the music. Jake Allard on drums and Todd Borden on bass round out the new Festival trio: Liz Blake and the Caliband. The play begins at 8:00, but the show starts at 7:30 with a preshow mini-concert and impromptu love poetry by Pat, Danny, and Adam.

Lighting designer J. David White has done a wonderful job establishing the beautiful dappled light of the forest of Arden, and Becky Cairns' and Annie Hoskins' costumes are a wonderful expansion of the already-gorgeous palate from spring. The trees are a personal favorite. Will Hankins and Agecroft's Richard Moxley have built some wonderful two-sided benches to delineate city from country. There are even a couple treats for Star Trek fans in there, as well.

What could be more charming than Shakespeare's most romantic play after a picnic on the grounds of Agecroft Hall? If you saw the show in April, you owe it to yourself to come out to the Richmond Shakespeare Festival for what we've been calling As You Like It 2: Like Harder!

"Unprecedented Feet"

It's been six (6) years since last we produced The Compleat Wrks of Wllm Shakspr (Abridged), and lately I've been asking myself why we waited so long. True, those six years have been blindingly fast, but this is a show that our audiences and artists alike just both seem to love.

So I hope you're ready to laugh. Because the new production is just as funny as anything we've ever done. We've assembled a terrific team under the expert guidance of Matthew Ellis (Visiting us from the University of Oklahoma where he specializes in movement and clown work: if you missed his weeklong Clown intensive last week, you missed a tremendous exercise for actors and a hilarious final performance), but after two weeks of "Compleat Wrks," I wanted to share with the Blog readers how much fun the audiences at Agecroft Hall are having. ---Heck, so am I. Even during their rehearsals, one night I laughed so hard I could no longer see straight; the tears were rolling down my face.

You know the feeling---when your eyelids close so tightly they bend backward on themselves?

What an absolute delight.

Jeff Clevenger is an actor I've long wanted to bring to the Richmond Shakespeare stage and here he leads a cast of three in the astounding feat of this show: Perform the entirety of Shakespeare's plays in a single evening. David Janosik and LeSean Green bring a terrific comedic camaraderie to the group; thus far they seem to me to be having more fun than human beings should be allowed to have.

Of course, it's also very physical---that's hard work, nailing all these laughs. But they've really hit their stride: the last two nights have been large, near-capacity crowds and both have graced the trio with standing ovations. Bring a picnic, bring your stadium cushion, bring your kleenex, bring your friends, your co-workers, your kids.

The show runs tonight and for just four more performances: Thursday through Sunday next week. It must close June 29.

Next up: Andrew Hamm's expanded cast production of As You Like It takes the stage; you don't want to miss either one.

For longtime fans, here's a quick shot of our original production in 2002; the show performed both at Agecroft Hall and on a floating stage down on the Canal Walk.

The 2008 company has earned two great reviews for their delightful production. Scroll on down to read the perspectives of Ms. Haubenstock and Mr. Timberline.

See you all out at Agecroft Hall.

-Grant Mudge

Times-Dispatch: Andrew Hamm is "Cultivating Richmond Theater"

From the Richmond Times-Dispatch:

Cultivating Richmond theater
An insider is devoted to fostering a vibrant local art scene

Sunday, Apr 13, 2008 - 12:03 AM

By CELIA WREN
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

"There's no shame in wanting to be a big fish in a small pond," observes Richmond Shakespeare's new associate artistic director, Andrew Hamm, "if you recognize that a big fish in a small pond has big responsibilities to care for the pond."

An intense 35-year-old with a shaved head, glasses and an earring, Hamm is sitting in the theater company's quiet office in the Fan, drinking coffee and discussing, among other matters, the importance of nurturing a vibrant local theater scene. It is a subject he feels strongly about: His voice is emotional, almost tremulous, as he deplores the inclination of certain big fish (talented Richmond thespians) to relocate to a larger pond (New York City).

"Smaller-city and small-town art scenes need great artists to stay there: That is what makes art healthy," the Virginia native stresses.

Since he began working with Richmond Shakespeare in 2004 -- his first freelance assignment was to supervise music for a production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" -- Hamm has done his part to cultivate the pond that is Richmond theater.

For 18 months, until his promotion in March to associate artistic director, he served as Richmond Shakespeare's director of training, coordinating career-enrichment classes (such as the upcoming clowning intensive) aimed at local actors. "I felt a responsibility to do what little I can, not only to put on a good show, but to help the other artists in town to put on good shows," he says, explaining his perspective on the job.

He has also directed for the company, most recently mounting "As You Like It," running at the Second Presbyterian Church through April 20. Hamm has followed the five-actor template that's a Richmond Shakespeare hallmark: Between a clothes rack and a flower-draped piano, the performers ricochet from character to character, frantically donning hats, aprons and the like to signal their identity.

"I've been calling it a love letter to the five-actor format," says Hamm. "We're not trying to hide the costume changes or the character changes -- we're absolutely glorifying in them!"

All the same, he'll be expanding the cast, to a dozen or so, for the comedy's run at Agecroft Hall July 3 through July 13.

In addition to directing "As You Like It," Hamm has written the production's incidental music, and he serves as pianist for the montage of 1980s pop songs (Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time," etc.) that introduces Act I. "Once alternative and grunge became mainstream, you couldn't have love songs without irony," Hamm said, of the choice of tunes.

"The '80s were really the last time in history where you could have love songs that were really just kooky love songs." (His Virginia Commonwealth University graduate thesis was a theater piece built from Joe Jackson albums.)

As if he didn't have enough to do, Hamm also depicts Hymen in the production, adding that tiny role to a list of previous Richmond Shakespeare acting credits.

"He has a great energy," said James Alexander Bond, the New York-based artist who directed Hamm in "Measure for Measure" and in "Julius Caesar."

"He does his work fast and well, and if something's not going in a direction that feels right, he has no problem letting go and trying new things. He's very specific -- and the more specific a character is, the better it is."

Grant Mudge, the company's artistic director, is equally enthusiastic. "He can work as a teaching artist, he can work as an actor -- his versatility is incredibly valuable to me, " he said. "At any small not-for-profit theater company, if you've got someone who can handle more than one area of emphasis, that's incredibly valuable."

If Mudge sounds a note of pragmatism, Hamm takes an idealistic view of his work. "I view this thing of art-making as mission and vocation," he said.

And for that mission, he thinks, Richmond is an ideal location. "You can perform in front of bigger houses if you wish, in bigger towns," said Hamm. "But I guarantee: You're going to touch people so much more deeply here."

Style Weekly: "As You Like It" is "vibrant, witty"

From Style Weekly:

Contract of Breeches

The Richmond Shakespeareans sign up for a lot of costume changes in a play already full of mistaken identities.

by Mary Burruss

I confess: Richmond Shakespeare’s concept of five people playing all the parts in a Shakespeare play is often distracting, and at times I find the prop/costume changes awkward. But the five-actor version of “As You Like It,” playing at Second Presbyterian Church, has made me a convert to this type of production.

Director Andrew Hamm has done a masterful job of choreographing a vibrant, witty homage to this prototype of romantic comedy. The transitions were seamless, and the onstage costume changes mostly worked well.

The many characters who romped through the forest of Arden, celebrating the rites of spring with music and dance, could threaten to get mixed up — especially considering the multiple identities already at work within the story — but there was an ease and confidence to the production that precluded any disorientation.

Hamm warmed up the audience with a piano-accompanied set of contemporary love songs. It set the tone for a breezy show, delivering a cast of characters that exuded playfulness. Frank Creasy (as Charles, the Duke’s wrestler) pushed the limits of kayfabe during the better-than-WWE wrestling scene with Patrick Bromley’s Orlando.

Sunny LaRose was adorable as the love-struck Rosalind (disguised as the youth Ganymede in the forest). LaRose’s onstage relationship with Julia Rigby’s Celia portrayed a connection whose bond was “stronger than that of sisters.” And despite the wonderful silliness of Creasy’s dancing and Bromley and Adam Minks in women’s roles, the gender-bending performances of the two natural girls were the strongest overall.

The beautiful costumes designed by Rebecca Cairns blended soft, earthy tones of creams, gold and floral prints that intertwined through all the costumes like ivy on a tree trunk. The effect was a cohesive, well-tailored look that added a dash of sophistication and sumptuousness to the show. Cairns not only designed a whimsical collection of costumes, but also managed to define characters with minimal pieces that functioned well for those quick transformations.

Picture of the Week

Patrick Bromley as Audrey in As You Like It. Photo by Eric Dobbs.

"I do not know what poetical means!"

Trust me, you don't want to miss this performance. I smell a Tony!

Times-Dispatch: "This is as I like it."

From the Richmond Times-Dispatch:

A rollicking version of 'As You Like It'
Saturday, Mar 29, 2008 - 12:08 AM
By SUSAN HAUBENSTOCK
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

It was when Adam Mincks went to put on the tulle skirt that things went over the top.

Shakespeare's "As You Like It" depends on gender switching (the heroine, Rosalind, disguises herself as a man), and Richmond Shakespeare often depends on a tiny cast to portray multiple characters without regard to their sex.

But this five-actor "As You Like It" includes enough gender-bending to spin your head around.

It's the tale of Orlando, who falls in love with Rosalind just before she's banished from her uncle's court. She and her cousin Celia flee in disguise to the forest of Arden, where Rosalind's father is in exile.

There they meet various rustics, the clown Touchstone and the sentimental Jacques, as well as Orlando, who escapes to the forest when he learns that his brother is planning to kill him.

Everyone falls in love in the forest, and all ends well (but that's another play).

In this version, the comedy is amplified by quick changes of role that result in, for instance, bearded Patrick Bromley playing a country maiden and Julia Rigby as a lovelorn shepherd.

In Rebecca Cairns' endlessly versatile and lovely costumes, they add a cap here and a wreath there to mark the characters, with the actors' skills making the transformations magical.

As is the company's frequent practice -- at least for its indoor season -- costume pieces are hung in plain sight, so that when Mincks, hilarious here in numerous roles, goes for that skirt, we know that something even more delicious is coming.

Director Andrew Hamm (who is onstage as accompanist) has infused the production with physicality and music, his trademarks.

There's so much roughhousing that a fight choreographer (actor Frank Creasy) and a fight choreography consultant (David White) were needed to plan the action.

And Hamm has provided pleasant melodies so his cast can sing as appropriate. With nonstop energy and an approach to language that is colloquial and deceptively relaxed, Hamm has created a rollicking version of this classic.

Every actor is superb, especially considering the demands of their many roles. Rigby has less flashy parts such as Celia and Silvius, but she is charming. Bromley is romantic as the lovelorn Orlando and ridiculous as the silly goatherd Audrey.

Sunny LaRose is a marvelous Rosalind, brave and emotional and admirable, even when disguised as Ganymede. Creasy is a marvel as he morphs from aged servant Adam to wrestler Charles to emotional Jacques. Creasy is an actor who is always fully committed.

Mincks has a breakthrough performance here as he achieves perfection in a fistful of roles -- Oliver, the cruel brother who has a change of heart; the foppish courtier LeBeau; the dignified Duke Senior; the clown Touchstone; and the tulle-skirted Phoebe.

Mincks changes accents and attitudes with seeming ease; he even appears to change height. This is as I like it.

New York Auditions This Week

Richmond Shakespeare Auditions in New York

March 27, 2008

By appointment, Ripley-Grier Studios, 520 Eighth Avenue, 10am-1pm

RS will hold auditions for 2008 outdoor summer festival and 2008-2009 indoor season. Minorities encouraged to apply. Seeking 15 men, aged 30-70, and 10 women, aged 25-70. Prefer actors with Richmond (Va.) connection who can provide their own housing. Other needs: theatrical clown skills, experience with Shakespeare. Limited number of Equity Special Appearance contracts are available. One classical monologue of not more than 2 minutes, some cold readings. Summer festival titles: The Compleat Wrks of Wllm Shakspr (Abridged), As You Like It, and Henry IV, Part Two. (Some roles already cast), and from the indoor season, Hamlet (Oct '08, no roles yet cast). Those auditioning may be considered for three additional productions on the indoor season not yet announced. To schedule an appointment, send an e-mail to auditions@richmondshakespeare.com. (Phone, emergencies only, 804-232-4000.) Auditioners: Grant Mudge, Artistic Director, James Bond "Henry" director and Kathleen Powers, "Hamlet" director.

Images from "As You Like It"

Here are a few of Eric Dobbs' beautiful promotional images for As You Like It, opening Friday, March 28th. As usual, the costumes by Rebecca Cairns and Annie Hoskins are just gorgeous! The cast isn't bad-looking either.

Celia (Julia Rigby) coaxes a smile out of Rosalind (Sunny LaRose).

Jaques (Frank Creasy) muses that "All the world's a stage" with the help of Amiens.

Orlando (Patrick Bromley) listens as "Ganymede" slanders the name of Rosalind.

Touchstone (Adam Mincks) freaks out Daffy Duck-style. The lovely Audrey and the simple William look on, fairly oblivious.

"It is not the fashion to see the lady the epilogue..."

Coming Attractions: "As You Like It"

Overlapping with performances of Measure for Measure, we're now in full-time rehearsal mode for the beloved comedy As You Like It, opening March 28.

Directed by Andrew Hamm, with costumes designed by Rebecca Cairns, the show stars Patrick Bromley, Frank Creasy, Sunny LaRose, Adam Mincks, and Julia Rigby. Frank is a mainstay of our stage, having appeared in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Twelfth Night, and The Tempest, the latter which also showcased Patrick's comedic skills. It's been a decade since Sunny has played with Richmond Shakespeare, and Julia and Adam are both making their debuts with us.

This production celebrates Richmond Shakespeare's (then the Encore Theatre Company's) first-ever Shakespearean production over a decade ago, and is being presented in our trademark five-actor format, complete with cross-dressing and chaos. I've been describing it as "a love letter to the five-actor format." Patrick plays both the romantic Orlando and the love-struck Audrey. Frank begins as the usurping Duke Frederick and finishes the play as the melancholy Jaques, who muses, "All the world's a stage..." Sunny is our story's hero, the brilliant Rosalind, who disguises herself as a boy; she also gives a hilarious turn as the bumpkin William. Adam is our big character actor, playing the flamboyant LeBeau, the wicked older brother Oliver, the clown Touchstone, and the, ahem, "irresistible" Phebe. Julia brings spunk and smarts to Celia and unrequited devotion to poor spurned Silvius.

Somehow, four couples must be married by the end of this show. How that's going to work with only five actors? You'll have to come out and see.

It's a play about love and hate, devotion and despair, brothers and cousins, fathers and daughters, country life versus city life. Mostly, though, it's about a girl dressed as a boy pretending to be a girl. Comedy!

We began the rehearsal process by working with ComedySportz's Christine Walters on improv, then Jill Bari Steinberg on multiple-character skills, and these two ladies have really made their mark on this show. I'm now in the process of composing the music for the show, and I'm pretty excited about finally taking advantage of the fact that our theatre has a Bosendorfer baby grand piano in it...

The show previews on March 27th and opens on the 28th. Don't miss it!

Richmond Shakespeare Auditions March 16

Auditions for the 2008 Richmond Shakespeare Festival and the 2008-2009 Richmond Shakespeare Theatre will be held on Sunday, March 16 beginning at 2:00 PM at Second Presbyterian Church (5 N. 5th Street). Callbacks will be held later that evening.

Shows include:

The Compleat Works of Wllm Shkspr (Abridged) – June 12-29
As You Like It – July 3-13
Henry IV, Part 2 – July 17-August 3
Hamlet – October 2008
Other shows in 2009 TBA

Actors should prepare a one-minute classical monologue, bring a resume and headshot (if available), and be prepared for movement and cold reading. Some roles have already been cast. Most roles are non-union, but a limited number of Equity contracts are available.

To make a reservation or ask questions, contact Andrew Hamm at 232-4000 or Andrew@richmondshakespeare.com.

Thoughts on Henley's Production: "The Spanish Tragedy

Length advisory: I'm vying for Bruce Miller for the title of 'longest blog' post by an Artistic Director.

Let me start by saying there's plenty of room for another company doing classical theatre in Richmond, especially if they're as nice as these guys. Last night proves it. Henley's work provides another avenue for Richmond actors to keep classical 'muscles' in shape, and helps increase the overall size of the theatre-going audience. It's been great to see the theatre community support their work and I was delighted to count myself part of that response. Henley won't pull audience away from Barksdale or Firehouse or even Richmond Shakespeare. I'm convinced that die-hard theatre fans will see our productions and try the new company in town, not forgo one for the other.

After seeing Henley's second production, (also caught Thoreau last fall) I'm pleased to report that Henley does a credible job with a tough play. Here's a company reaching very far, giving actors a chance at really chanllenging roles. In this outing, I feel that a few early production choices hampered their efforts---the set is serviceable apart from what the audience must observe as actors squat to pass under the arches; as our RS fans know, I'm a proponent of less scenery rather than more. More importantly, I really hope that Henley expands how they think about that Pine Camp performance space. It could be used in vastly different ways; here, the company feels squashed into one corner while the audience occupies 3/4 of the available space in the room.

What there isn't room for (or time, even in a looong post) is to comment on all the peformances, so with apologies to those whom I'm needing to omit: it's especially fun to see actors who've worked with RS doing great elsewhere, like Stephen Ryan, Patrick Bromley and Frank Creasy (at left as Gonzalo in the RSF07 Tempest) and new faces coming on with great promise--folks like Dean Knight, Kerry McGee Alison Haracznak and in particular Leslie Cline, as the Viceroy, a new arrival to Richmond who uses an excellent voice with dexterity. Cline has a terrific, clear resonance that fills the room and forces everyone around to come up to her level. She's a great balance for Bromley and Frank Creasy, and I'm looking forward to seeing more of her.

Frank's Hieronimo is fantastic, blending madness with self---he was especially wonderful in a couple of understated scenes; I was thrilled by his work. See below for a connection to Hamlet there.

For another, it was also fun to connect with Stephen Ryan's character of the Ghost of Andrea. Having just played the Ghost in Hamlet with my students I found myself thinking "Hey, an epilogue speech for the ghost....I like it!" Stephen masters a sense of otherness and yet nicely humanizes Andrea, even in the afterlife.

The character of Revenge personified is brought to life by Michael Sater, one of those actors from whom you just can't move your eyes. His face seems to evoke the kind French theatrical ancestry that has informed Cirque du Soleil's bouffant clowns for decades; here, despite the gore, the overall effect from Revenge isn't so much grand guignol as the emcee from Cabaret--but in his off hours. I felt he could have gone much farther but the choice for an understated performance was a logical one and interesting to watch. Sater is a remarkable talent and though Thoreau and Revenge were a great start, I'm looking forward to seeing him really tested.


Lastly, Patrick Bromley as the devious Lorenzo is TONS of fun (easily the strongest voice in the company, here he is looking a little less devious as Trinculo in the 2007 RSF production of The Tempest, directed by Anthony Luciano); he's another actor with only more terrific roles ahead. His ringing bass adds an air of complete authority to Lorenzo. It's one of the characters I feel Kyd creates and then doesn't quite know what to do with once he's created him. In comparison, only Hieronimo gets an actual arc through to any kind of resolution.

As such, I'm thrilled that Bromley, Creasy and the lovely Julia Rigby (great in a couple small roles in Tragedy) will all be in Richmond Shakespeare's season finale, As You Like It, where audiences will have a chance to see them again!

Cheers to Henley for really chewing into tough material (if Frank Creasy will forgive the pun) and hanging on.

* * *

THE PLAY ITSELF

Watching Henley's production of The Spanish Tragedy Saturday night, I was struck by the repetition not only of plot devices clearly echoing through to Shakespeare's Hamlet, but little word choices that kept ringing in my ears:

guerdon - This is an ancient word, which feels more French than Spanish, and in fact part of its roots come from Old French, as well as Medieval Latin, but the further roots, meaning essentially "gift" or "reward" are in the furthest recesses of Indo-European language families.


Kyd uses it a whole lot in Tragedy. What's interesting is that Shakespeare also loved the word. Costard, in Love's Labor's Lost makes nearly a whole scene out of guerdon. And here's the fun part: the peak of Kyd's use of it in Tragedy included these lines:

My presents are not of sufficient cost
And being worthless, all my labor's lost.
Yet might she love me for my valiancy... II.1 (17-19)

Now, clearly it's a convention not limited to Elizabethan dramatists to ponder over the efforts expended in the pursuit of love, but the repeated use of guerdon really highlighted that moment for me, especially because Costard gives the word a spanish flair in translation. Add a mocking Spanish accent to the word when it appears, Costard has just been give a little money by---you guessed it---an outrageous Spaniard, "Don Adriano de Armado:"

"Now will I look to his remuneration. Remuneration!
O, that's the Latin word for three farthings: three
farthings--remuneration.--'What's the price of this
inkle?'--'One penny.'--'No, I'll give you a
remuneration:' why, it carries it. Remuneration!
why, it is a fairer name than French crown. I will
never buy and sell out of this word." --Love's Labor's Lost, (III.i.)

I may roast proverbially for it, but in our 2002 RSF production we changed "three farthings" to "ten bucks," and ended the speech there. Walking off, Costard repeated "Ree-myoo-ner-ah-thee-ohn" and "gerrr-dohn" a few times before an entering character interrupted him. I think it was successful in that production.

Of course, one neededn't know that three farthings wasn't a large sum to see how much fun Costard has with the new name for a unit of currency. The point here, of course, is that there's plenty to be plumbed in comparisons between "Spanish Tragedy" and Shakespeare's own work.

We know that by 1592 The Spanish Tragedy was a huge hit; Ned Alleyn probably played the Hieronomo role with Lord Strange's Men and a few players of the Admiral's Men, (prominent troupes of the day) working at the Rose Theatre with Geoffrey Rush. (er, Philip Henslowe)

The real question for me is: was The Spanish Tragedy part of the repertoire when Lord Strange's Men, touring through the English countryside, stopped in a sleepy little town on the Avon River, short a man (if memory serves, one of their own had just been killed in a bar brawl), and many argue that so began the theatrical career of a young Will Shakespeare.

For a really interesting local blog on Elizabeth, Strange, Kyd, Marlowe and Shakespeare (and some comments on Robert Southwell from yours truly), check out this posting by Bruce Miller.

Just a couple further connections to wrap up, of the many echoes of Hamlet in ST: Like Hieronimo's madness, the Dane of course puts on an 'antic disposition.' In English, a "Hamlet" may be a small village or may invoke WS's son Hamnet, but the ancient Norse word "Amleth" means essentially, "madness." Also fascinatingly similar to Shakespeare were names like Isabella (in RS's upcoming Measure for Measure) and Balthasar, as well as the death of a regal woman offstage--echoing in Macbeth. So too, were all the other pre-Hamlet echoes: the Hero (Hieronimo) staging a play-within-the-play-to-catch-a-murderer, and the Ghost demanding revenge for the loss of a father. The connections were many and really enjoyable.

Thanks to all involved.


Up next, Measure for Measure, in the RST, A Midsummer Night's Dream with the Ballet at the Landmark, and a few Acts of Faith.


--Grant Mudge

Merry Christmas, Ebenezer!

We closed A Christmas Carol for Two Actors yesterday afternoon, with a delightful audience; Julie Phillip's parents made it, and Dad was tapped to be Martha Cratchit. Delightful. Also seen were several longtime Hoodwinker fans (the official fanclub of alumni"Carol" actor Molly Hood, and first year "Mudgekins," a phrase I'm not sure they even yet knew.

I'd like to take a moment to thank our wonderful audiences for attending; it's for you that we work all year to create our art. Thank you, too, to all of Richmond Shakespeare's artists, staff and trustees for a year of tremendously hard work. From Doctor Faustus to a great summer festival and from Will Power to Youth Richmond to welcoming fantastic new additions like Kerry Hugins, (our new Bookkeeper, whom everyone absolutely loves) it's been a very busy year, indeed. In fact, even though the offices are closed this week, we're looking at posting a bit more of a roundup here as we close out 2007, so check back toward New Year's.

Until then, here are two shots from the closing weekend of "Carol," the first from Andrew and Karen Hamm's Christmas party: that's Julia Rigby, Patrick Bromley (The Temepst) and Frank Creasy (The Tempest, A Midsummer Night's Dream and Twelfth Night), who will all be performing for RS this coming March in As You Like It, with Andrew directing. I'm absolutely thrilled, and very much looking forward to that show--many of you know it's very dear to me, and I can't imagine a more wonderful cast and director to take us into the forest of Arden.

First up, though, is Measure for Measure, part of the Acts of Faith series of professional theatre all across Richmond, and I'm quite pleased to announce here that Julie Phillips will also be performing in Measure, making three in a row for this tremendous actor. That's Julie, below, with yours truly, enjoying a little well-earned holiday cheer at Penny Lane Pub, across 5th street from our Chapel theatre at 2nd Presbyterian. Julie is simply amazing. It's been my absolute joy to work with her, and I'm very grateful for the chance. She's smart, incredibly organized, and one of the warmest people I've ever met. Do come see her in Measure, (It opens Feb 7), after which I promise, she can have a little more than one week's downtime between projects.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and God bless us, every one.

-Grant

Picture of the Week: December 11, 2007

Maybe "Picture of the Week" is a better idea than "of the Day." Don't be surprised if it's more or less frequent; I'm pretty much just going to slap up one of my favorite pictures from the Richmond Shakespeare vault whenever it occurs to me. If it's been a while, and you haven't seen one, let me know. Or if you have requests, like "How about one of those great pictures of Foster Solomon and Susan Sanford in The Taming of the Shrew?"

Today's pic comes from the famous "Girls Gonne Wilde" action of Twelfth Night, and features Frank Creasy (left) as Sir Toby Belch, and Dave White (right) as Sir Andrew Ague-Cheek. Photo by Eric Dobbs.

Fans of Dave and Frank, two of my favorite actors, will be glad to hear that they will both be gracing our stage in the coming months; Dave as the Duke in Measure for Measure opening February 7, and Frank as Jacques in As You Like It opening March 27.