HOUSE + BODY, in affiliation with Crow’s Theatre/Measure For Measure, tailored and directed by Christopher Manousos after William Shakespeare, Studio Theatre, Streetcar Crowsnest, closes Mar. 16. Tickets right here.
This radical remedy of Shakespeare’s Measure For Measure is immensely entertaining. Sadly, the manufacturing is simply working for per week, so you’ve treasured little time to get your self over to Crow’s Theatre earlier than it closes on March 16.
Right here’s a teaser: the play is being carried out in a sound studio — podcast or radio? — and 5 actors tackle 20 roles. We see them each as characters within the play, and as actors performing within the play.
Actuality does meet make-believe, however extra about that later.
The Firm
HOUSE + BODY was based in 2016, and has constructed a stable popularity as a house for each experimentation with the classics and new play improvement. Christopher Manousos, present creative director of H+B, can also be an affiliate artist at Crow’s Theatre, which accounts for this manufacturing discovering a house. Congratulations are resulting from Crow’s for supporting small impartial theatre corporations comparable to H+B.
The Play
Measure For Measure, written round 1604, is considered one of Shakespeare’s downside performs, which means it has each comedian and tragic components, and subsequently, doesn’t sit squarely in both camp. H+B’s model of the play, tailored and directed by Manousos, definitely presents each features, and fortunately, finds a stability between the 2.
I’ve all the time thought that the plot of Measure For Measure was a bit unfair.
Vincentio, Duke of Vienna, has let regulation and order slide, so, on the guise of occurring a visit, he leaves his deputy Angelo in cost with the mandate of tightening up the legal guidelines. For his half, Angelo enacts draconian measures as a result of it’s his responsibility, but he turns into the villain of the play for doing his job. Admittedly, he does change into a liar and a lecher who embodies the worst of humanity, however he’s proof that energy corrupts completely.
On the tragic facet of issues is the regulation of fornication that sentences younger Claudio to loss of life for getting his love Juliet pregnant out of wedlock. Claudio’s loss of life is definite when his sister Isabella, a novice nun, refuses to surrender her virginity to Angelo as a way to keep her brother’s execution, thus believing she has saved each their souls — hers in life, and Claudio’s in loss of life. Many literary critics and informal playgoers alike have discovered Isabella infuriating.
The comedy in Measure For Measure revolves across the shenanigans that brothel keeper Mistress Overdone, the pimp Pompey Bum, and Lucio a “improbable” rise up to. And, in fact, now we have vibrant Shakespearean stereotypes like the easy misspeaking constable Elbow, and the larger-than-life executioner Abhorson.
Then there’s the deus ex machina impact when the duke seems to place issues to proper. He has been in disguise as a friar to look at what occurs when Angelo cracks down on easygoing Vienna.
The Actors
Simply how has H +B experimented with Shakespeare’s Measure For Measure?
Initially, the script has been superbly streamlined by Manousos by making one of many actors (Danté Prince) be the narrator who pronounces the acts and scenes and fills within the gaps of the story. He additionally does amusing “radio” issues like saying “Keep tuned!” or “Will Isabella give in to Angelo”?
This podcast/radio present is known as Soundwave and is seemingly the brainchild of a husband-and-wife performing staff (Sébastien Heins and Katherine Gauthier). Heins’ character is the director of the play who additionally performs Angelo. Gauthier is phenomenal in her gazillion roles, starting from a madam to an executioner. For his half, Heins as director can also be worrying about how the manufacturing is progressing.
Essentially the most cool, unflappable actor is Jamie Cavanagh, who’s enjoying the duke. He additionally sees issues he shouldn’t see as a result of Manousos has added in just a little subplot of his personal, which I decline to disclose.
There are some genuinely humorous moments.
For instance, Prince has to play two characters who’re speaking to one another, which he does in hilarious vogue. He additionally has to frantically advert lib when Beck Lloyd as Isabella misses her cue and panic ensues. Lloyd’s character is an actor who has joined the solid as a last-minute substitute. After which, in fact, there are some amusing de rigueur commercials.
The actual enjoyable, nonetheless, is how these 5 wonderful actors combine collectively the characters of the play with their actual selves. Some very severe performing does happen as scenes of stress happen, comparable to between Angelo and Isabella, and Claudio and Isabella, however all the time they and we’re conscious of the artifice.
I don’t assume it was my creativeness, however at instances an actor telegraphed what they have been feeling about their position which added on an entire new layer to the play.
Beck appeared to be disapproving of Isabella’s ethical certainty, whereas Heins was having fun with enjoying lecherous Angelo just a little an excessive amount of. At one level, he put his fingers on Beck’s waist to maneuver her into the correct place in entrance of the microphone. It was a really intimate second.
All of the actors have an excellent command of the Shakespearean language, they usually have been capable of breathe life into their many roles. In spite of everything, 5 have been enjoying 20. For instance, Beck was the rigid Isabella and the dimwitted constable Elbow — two very contrasting personas.
I used to be very taken by Prince, who’s a pure clown with an endearing persona, however he might additionally produce a reputable Claudio. The grasp of the voices, nonetheless, is Gauthier who took on the plethora of secondary characters and made all of them deliciously totally different.
The Manufacturing
This Measure For Measure is carried out within the spherical. The set is comprised of two tables crammed with microphones and sound tools. The motion nonetheless swirls throughout these tables, and when an actor shouldn’t be wanted, they sit in a chair reserved for them within the viewers. The commercials are all the time completed near the microphones.
Everyman Manousos additionally did the superb lighting, which moved between the brilliant glare of a sound studio to the extra muted atmospheric mild wanted for the scenes of Shakespeare. Riel Reddick-Stevens was accountable for what I think about was an intricate sound design.
Upon reflection, essentially the most spectacular side of this manufacturing is its complexities, and the way director Manousos and his proficient solid negotiate by means of the drama each on the stage and off.
There was by no means a uninteresting second on this Measure For Measure.
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Paula Citron is a Toronto-based freelance arts journalist and broadcaster who hosts her personal web site, paulacitron.ca. For over 25 years, she was senior dance author for The Globe and Mail, affiliate editor of Opera Canada journal, arts reviewer for Classical 96.3 FM, and dance previews contributor to Toronto Life journal. She has been a visitor lecturer for varied cultural teams and universities, notably on the position of the critic/reviewer, and has been a panellist on COC podcasts. Earlier than assuming a full-time journalism profession, Ms. Citron was a member of the drama division of the Claude Watson College for the Arts.
