Past Reviews

Regional Reviews: San Francisco

Shakespeare Reigns Supreme At The Oregon Shakespeare Festival

Also see Part Two and Part Three of Richard's OSF Reviews

Out of the nine productions we saw at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Oregon, four came from the pen of William Shakespeare. Once again, the OSF proves to be the best American theatrical company to present the works of The Bard. The four productions have the best trained Shakespearean actors in our country performing on three theater stages in this small college town. Each production is well directed as well as beautifully acted and staged. Richard II runs through October 10th while A Midsummer Night's Dreams concludes on October 12th on the big outdoor Elizabethan Tudor style stage. Romeo and Juliet will run through November 2nd at the Angus Bowmer and Antony and Cleopatra at the New concludes on November 2nd also. All are recommended for lovers of the master's works.

A Midsummer Night's Dream is a dream of a production. I can't remember how many times I have seen this fantasy comedy over the years. I have seen all sorts of productions here and in the U.K. (many wonderful and some not so wonderful). I even saw a production that took place in a southern mansion (like Tara out of Gone with the Wind) with wisteria trees for the forest at Strafford Upon Avon. The cast was doing the Charleston at the beginning of the production.

Kenneth Albers has directed a magical production on the OSF outside stage. This production is miraculous, mystical, visually dazzling and there is a little bit of an Alice In Wonderland look about it in some scenes. There are no fairies surrounding aging and world weary Puck (Sandy McCallum). They are called "Pucksters" or Pucks-in-training, working their way up to Puck's position. Sandy is the oldest Puck I have ever seen and he plays his part to the hilt. He shrugs his shoulders when asked to girdle the earth in 40 minutes looking for a special flower; he has done it before, so what?

William Langan is mesmerizing as Bottom. He is a naturalistic actor as he plays both a boastful male and an ass with wonderful braying. The two sets of lovers - Helena and Demetrius ( Kim Rhodes and Shad Willingham), both tall, and Hermia and Lysander (Julie Oda and Christopher DuVal), both short - are wondrous in their antics that involve a lot of slapstick. All four are splendid.

The "fairies" that surround Titania (Catherine Lynn Davis), looking like something out of the Mad Hatter party in day-glo outfits, are beautifully presented. Ms. Davis, who also plays Queen Hippolyta, is extraordinary in her roles. James Newcomb is excellent in both Duke Theseus and Oberon. The play within a play, "Pyramus and Thisbe," also steals the show. It is wild and funny.

The stage is spectacular with vivid small lights in green and yellows. Michael Ganio's overarching set is intertwined with vines and thousands of twinkling lights that convey moods and even characters.


Richard III

This historical play is rarely performed today, since it demands your constant attention as scenes flow rapidly, depicting the life of this tragic and vain king. It helps to know something of the life of this Plantagenet monarch of the 14th century. This is a classic rendition of the classic drama. There is a panoply of gorgeous costumes during the early part of the 2 hour 45 minute presentation. The robes and historical costumes are wonderful to see.

David Kelly as Richard II shows the king as a complex character of psychological depth. Even though he has wit and intelligence, he is less sympathetic in this production than in the prior productions I have seen. Kelly shows Richard's unconscionable vanities, idleness and unpleasant greed. You sometimes feel sorry for him, especially in the last scenes when the king has been deposed and is in the dungeon cell.

Barry Kraft as John of Gaunt puts a different spin on the famous "This Emerald Isle" speech. He does the dialogue sort of off the cuff and in a low monotone voice as a dying man. It is played naturally. Kenneth Albers plays the Duke of York as a confused character trying to determine what side he will be on during the conflict. James Newcomb plays Henry Bolingbroke (the future King Henry IV) as a feisty and ambitious person who takes the crown of England. He is somewhat a "bull dog" of a character.

Richard II probably has some of the Bard's best poetry, and this production directed by Libby Appel is seamlessly crafted with each scene moving smoothly into the next.


Romeo and Juliet

This Romeo and Juliet is a techno modern tragic love story. It is Baz Lurhmann vs. West Side Story. The story of the two lovers is rushed through at rapid pace on the almost bare stage with a huge white V-shaped wall with large black letters saying "In Fair" on one side and "Verona" on the other side.

Much of the dialogue has been either cut or streamlined. There are overlapping lines, especially for Mercutio. Duane Boutte plays the role like a neurotic loud mouth but with a certain amount of insecurity. Kevin Kenerly plays an engaging Romeo full of life and vigor. Nancy Rodriquez is sweet and vigorous as Juliet, although she is weak in several of the romantic scenes. Richard Howard as Friar Laurence is very understated while Andrea Frye has been given a larger part as the Nurse. Her long speech about raising the young Juliet is more rap than blank verse.

The ballroom scene is a riot of color and jazz. Black leather trench coats and orange wool suits abound. There is the techno beat of the music with colored lights flashing as if you are at an Ecstasy party. Romeo packs a gun, Romeo's friends use switchblades instead of swords and Mercutio shakes his booty around the set when he can. All in all, it is a very interesting production running, about two hours and 35 minutes with one intermission.


Antony and Cleopatra

This play cries for a production on the big Elizabethan stage rather than the small three sided New Theatre. The play takes place over a ten year period and goes from Rome to Egypt in seconds. Sometimes it is confusing as to where the action is taking place. The cast has been cut down to 12 actors playing 15 characters. The history of Mark Antony, Marcus Lepidus and Octavius Caesar whizzes by in rapid order. It helps if you know the Roman history of the period, since there are a lot of political discussions among the male actors.

However, dramaturge Douglas Langworthy and the head of voice and text, Scott Kaiser, bring a sharp focal point to the "romance" of Mark Antony and Cleopatra. The text has been pared down to better focus on the two protagonists. Much of the cadence is contemporary. There is little scenery with exception of some large pillows used instead of chairs on the floor. Entrances and exits are done in hurried fashion and the whole production lasts just under 2 hours with intermission.

Judith Marie Bergan is an older Cleopatra than you might expect. She is slender and sinuous, and she is sexually irresistible. However, Bergan plays the role as a petulant, manipulative and wildly jealous woman. Sometimes she reminds me of Eartha Kitt. Armando Duran is less heroic in this production. He does a lot of posturing and has a bombastic delivery of lines. There are few sparks between the two, and he makes a better soldier than lover. Kevin Kenerly plays Octavius Caesar larger than life and John Pribyl is very good as Enobarbus.

This production has no set pieces and scenes dissolve rapidly into each other; there are 20 minutes of scenes after Antony dies.

All in all, the Bard has been presented well this season at the OSF. Additional reviews of Hedda Gabler, The Piano Lesson, Present Laughter, Wild Oats and Lorca in a Green Dress will be coming up. For tickets call 541-482-4331 or visit www.osfashland.org.


Cheers - and be sure to Check the lineup of great shows this season in the San Francisco area


- Richard Connema