Review Preview: Measure for Measure

Here's my draft of the review for "Measure for Measure" at the Shakespeare Theatre of new Jersey. One discussion point may be added, but I'm waiting on some information. But the "judgment" aspect of the review will not change.

Abstract: Pretty good production of a play that is not without problems, but is a good example of Shakespeare's uncanny timeliness, even after 400 years.


Note to regular readers: As the "Midsummer" lull beckons, I don't see a show to review on my schedule until "The Bald Soprano" at the Shakespeare Theatre on August 11. But posts will continue. Theater directors, get your audition notices to me and I'll get them up as soon as they arrive. The Fall season will be on you before you know it..

PS: I hear Bonnie Monte and I are sharing a similar problem: a bad back. Get well soon, Bonnie-it's always a tragedy to be betrayed by your vertabrae.

Theater review
If you want to go:
What: “Measure for Measure”
When: through July 29
Where: F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre, 36 Madison Ave. (Route 124), Madison
How much: $28 to $52
Info: (973) 408-5600; www.shkespearenj.org

By WILLIAM WESTHOVEN
Staff Writer
The actor Jack Wetherall made a strong first impression earlier this year at the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, playing the Chorus and Montjoy, the French envoy, in “Henry V”
Last week, the director Jack Wetherall made a promising company debut with his novel adaptation of “Measure for Measure,” solving some, if not all, of the challenges presented by one of Shakespeare’s notorious “problem plays.”
Essentially a drama about morality, politics and abuse of power, “Measure for Measure” finds modern relevance in the myriad scandals of our elected officials and power brokers. There’s no shortage of romance and comic relief, either, making for a rich and briskly paced (just short of three hours with the intermission) night of theater.
So, what’s the problem? While “Measure for Measure” is easy enough to follow, it is difficult to swallow. Shakespeare is no stranger to preposterous plot, and they are frequently part of the fun in his better comedies. But in a darkly dramatic setting, they simply can’t be taken seriously.
Duke Vincentio (David Manis) gets things rolling by leaving Verona, leaving hard-liner Angelo (Michael Milligan) in charge of a city in moral decay. Angelo immediately revives an old law that condemns fornicators to death.
He makes an example of young Claudio (Stephen Tyrone Williams), who has put his beloved Juliet (Jo Williamson) in the family way. His sister, Isabella (January LaVoy), a novice nun, pleads with Angelo for mercy, but balks when Angelo offers to spare Claudio if she sleeps with him.
Meanwhile, the Duke has gone under cover (specifically, under hood) as a friar to spy on everyone. When he learns of Angelo’s scandalous hypocrisy, he cooks up a complex plot to right several wrongs in one fell swoop.
The happy ending and an endless supply of mercy (a Shakespeare staple) have never sat well with scholars or audiences, and it doesn’t help that the Duke hits on Isabella before it’s all over.
Wetherall wisely makes light of the problem points—some key lines are delivered with dry humor that say to the audience, “yeah, we know,” with a metaphorical wink. Manis gets the best of it. When the Duke must inexplicably exit a key scene to resume his friar disguise, he declares, “I, for a while, will leave you,” as Ed McMahon would deliver a straight line to Carson. The audience howled. Problem solved.
Wetherall also shows a nice touch with his actors, particularly the supporting players. Kristie Dale Sanders, as Mariana, gets laughs and tears in less than 10 minutes of stage time. Elizabeth Sheperd, who usually plays stuffy Victorians, is a bawdy and buxom Mistress Overdone. Non-Equity company members Roderick Lapid and Christopher McFarland also shine, respectively, as a charming rogue and a dazed executioner.
None of the leads really stands out, although all get the job done. Manis looks more like an accountant than a king, but grows in the role, seemingly feeding off the cumulative silliness of the story. Milligan seethes as Angelo, but can’t quite convince us of his character’s motivation, which is partly the fault of the author.
Wetherall also chose to reset the play in America’s post Civil War Southwest, where Union soldiers, Confederates, free former slaves and assorted reprobates populated a dangerous, untamed territory. His director notes logically link these seemingly conflicting places, but in execution, the switch is more curious than crucial.
A stage of unpainted hardwood, with two walls of similar construction in back, provide a simple, unvarnished platform for a play that is anything but simple.
In short, and by any measure, Wetherall has given us a credible production of a play that struggles for credibility, but is ultimately worth the effort.