Theatricum Botanicum in Topanga opened EQIUIVOCATION last night. It's an ambitious piece, imagining the difficulties Will Shagspeare faced when told by Sir Robert Cecil (who had just helped engineer James I to the throne) to write a play about the recent Gunpowder Plot. It would be a propaganda piece to both celebrate James' unraveling the diabolical Papist plot and unify the country and the Stuart succession.
But Shag balks. "We don't do current events," he complains. However, he takes the commission back to his troupe, where he and the players start wrangling over the subject matter. The lack of a dramatic conclusion to the event (Guy Fawkes and Company don't blow up anything--that's one boring ending!) leads Shag to investigate more of the conspiracy's background.
There's a lot to like in the play, especially for Bard buffs. It played well here at the Will Geer, and my daughter said the OSF premiere also picked up on every in-joke and quote. Not so the production at the Geffen, where many walked out; the ladies behind us plaintively asked "What's going on? We're so confused." This audience, fortunately, got it, and the actors thrived on their enthusiasm.
The heart of the story is the issue of interpretation of events. That's at the core of any storytelling
based on historical events. It's fascinating watching Shag puzzle out what happened and try to apply it dramatically, especially as the moral implications become more apparent the deeper he digs.
For me, that alone would have sufficed for an entertaining drama. But Cain has an overlay of political allegory here, with resounding echoes of the administration of George W. Bush, including parallels to Abu Ghraib, weapons of mass destruction, and spinning an enemy into a far greater menace than he was in reality. Most of all, Cain has Sir Robert Cecil (played by the talented Alan Blumenfeld) channeling not just his inner Dick Crouchback (he already had the limp), but his inner Dick Cheney, pulling strings for his less canny boss.
Instead of appreciating the allegory, I found it detracted from the central issues. I think it may hurt EQUIVOCATION's chances for revival in decades to come, when time has distanced audiences from the events of the early 21st century.
But wait! There's more! There's also the troubled relationship between Shag and his daughter, Judith, and the internal rivalries among the players, especially aging star Richard (the fine Franc Ross) and rising phenom Sharpe (the versatile Dane Oliver, who also plays James I--sometimes almost simultaneously--as well as the doomed conspirator Tom). It may be too much for one play, tthough the father-daughter issues helped sew up what might have been a mess of loose threads at the finale.
Complaints aside, it's thought-provoking and intelligent, with a smart cast and far better pacing than at the Geffen. Ted Barton as Shag started a little slowly, but built up steam and was most affecting in his scenes with Judith (Taylor Jackson Ross, delightfully sardonic). Paul Turbiak rounds out the ensemble, with a good turn as the snotty prosecutor and a cameo as the Porter from MACBETH.
There's a lot to chew on here. I'm happy Theatricum gave me a chance to see this play in a better setting.
EQUIVOCATION plays for the next four Friday nights and closes Oct. 4.
Laura
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