Reviewed by James Karas
Crow’s Theatre has achieved what at first blush would appear as a quixotic and guaranteed to fail production. They have produced Shakespeare’ Measure for Measure in an adaptation by Christopher Manousos with five actors playing all parts. And they are supposed to be reading parts of the play for a radio audience. No costumes, no sets, just superb directing and acting. The result is outstanding theatre.
The
five actors are supposedly reading the play for a radio program and an announcer
provides some explanations about the plot including telling us which act and
scene number we are hearing. They are only “reading” parts of the play but we
get a very good summary of the plot and the drama and humour of Shakespeare’s
“problem play” feels as if we are watching a major production.
That
is the play, you will recall, where the city of Vienna has been plunged into
lawlessness and serious immorality. Its ruler Duke Vincentio cannot control the
situation and he has decided to appoint his puritanical and strict law-and
order deputy Angelo to crack the whip of morality and lawfulness. The Duke will
stay in the city incognito, disguised as a monk.
Angelo
decides to close all brothels including the one operated by Pompey and the
wonderfully named Mistress Overdone. In the meantime, a gentleman called Claudio
has been arrested for getting his fiancée Juliet pregnant and is condemned to
death. His sister, the lovely Isabella, a novice nun, begs Angelo to pardon her
brother. He stands his high moral ground until he notices how attractive Isabella is and his ethical severity
gives way to his sexual desires. He is willing to pardon Claudio if Isabella surrenders
her virginity to him.
I
have not named all the characters or incidents in the play but they add up to a
large handful. The five actors are in a radio station and are pretending to
read the play and act out some of the scenes. Despite the quick changes in characters,
the actors are effective and superb. They can step on a stage with costumes
with other actors, of course, and deliver an outstanding production of Measure
for Measure.
The
actors played many roles and I gave up trying to note or remember who played
what character. The program is no help except to indicate that Beck Lloyd
played Isabella. She played many other roles. Together with Katherine Gauthier,
they played all the women and even some men. How much trouble would it have
been to list the characters that each actor played? The program lists them as
follows. Jamie Cavanagh = The Best Friend. Gauthier = The Film Star. Sebastien
Heins = The Director. Dante Pince = The Sound Guy.
There
was some interaction among the actors in the radio studio including Lloyd and
Gauthier engaging in a passionate kiss after finishing their work as the cast
of Measure for Measure.
The
set consists of a couple of tables with microphone and cables. Riel Reddick-Stevens
is the Sound Designer and composer. Chris Malkowski is the Lighting Designer.
Andrew Broderick is the Costume Designer making them look as if the actors went
to the radio station to read a play.
Credit belongs to Manousos who does stupendous work in adapting Shakespeare’s play for a radio broadcast and then managing the five actors in presenting the play on the radio and of course doing it with all the complexities of having them play different roles sometimes in quick succession, a masterly job all around. A brilliant production on many levels.
________________
Measure for Measure by
William Shaekespeare adapted and directed by Christopher Manousos will run until October 11, 2026, at Crow’s
Theatre, 345 Carlaw Avenue, Toronto, Ontario.
http://crowstheatre.com/
James Karas is the Culture editor of The Greeek Press, Toronto
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