VIRTUE IS BOLD. . . AND GOOD THEATRE IS NEVER BORING
BY RICHARD LIVSEY
delivers a solid production of William
Shakespeare’s Measure For Measure, but
with its unique set design, there is an
interactive feel to the play that pulls you into
the action.
For truth is truth to the end of reckoning . . .
And truth be told, it is much easier to sing
praises of this production than to find what
is wrong with it. From the set design to the
moody double bass music, the pieces of this
theatrical puzzle fit perfectly together.
Especially with the casting, the actors are
so well matched with their characters that
you would think Georgianne Walken or
Sheila Jaffe had there hand in picking out
the talent.
Director John Castro who is no stranger to
Shakespeare, having directed As You Like
It and Much Ado About Nothing has put
together a fresh and exciting play that
moves swiftly from moments of suspense to
scenes that will have you laughing out loud.
As for the players, Nick Brooks (Duke
Vincentio) had his work cut out for him with
over seven hundred lines of dialogue. And
again it’s all in the casting, with Brooks
extensive stage experience Love’s Labour’s
Lost, King Lear, All’s Well that Ends Well,
and not to forget roles in movies like Saving
Private Ryan. To put it simply: The Bard’s
words were in good hands.
But the play is the thing, and another
notable performance was by Erika Bailey
(Isabella). With a resume that ranges from
The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey to
her MFA in Acting from Brandeis University
to the Juilliard School of Drama Division,
the combined backgrounds of the two leads
of this play could open their own acting
school.
However my only criticism of this play was
that it got off to a slow start. It seemed that
the lines were a little forced in the first act.
But since it was opening night, that could
easily be dismissed as nothing more than
nervous energy.
William Shakespeare's Measure For Measure
arrival of the play’s comic relief. When Julian A.
Rozelle Jr. (Lucio) took the stage, his character
seemed to raise the bar in each scene by
igniting laugher throughout the audience, and in
a way challenging the other actors to bring out
their best work.
There are so many to name and so little space,
but David Look was wonderful as Angelo. As
was Francis Kelly perfect as Pompey, Elizabeth
Mirarchi as Francisca, Demetrios Bonaros as
Elbow, Kate Dulcich as Mistress Overdone,
Justin Steeve as Claudio, David Laufgraben as
Provost, Sarah Sokolovic as Marianna, Wyane
Alon Scott as Barnardine, Rachel Tiemann as
Froth, John Kevin Jones as Escalus, Abhorson,
Margot Newkirk as the Messenger and lastly
making a mere cameo, yet portraying her
character with heartfelt emotion, the lovely
Adelia Saunders as the very pregnant and
hopeless Julietta.
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