Act I
Orlando (Jack Laskey) delivers the opening speech partly
to Adam (Trevor Martin), but also to the audience and at moments directly into
one of the cameras. After Orlando’s “I
have as much of my father in me as you,” Oliver (Jamie Parker) rushes him
and the two wrestle. The two continue to wrestle through the next several lines
until Adam breaks it up with his line.
After Orlando, then Oliver and Adam exit, this production
goes right to the second scene with the entrances of Rosalind (Naomi Frederick)
and Celia, skipping (for the moment) everything with Dennis and Charles.
Touchstone (Dominic Rowan) enters and believes he’s not seen by Celia or
Rosalind, but when Celia (Laura Rogers) says “this fool,” she motions behind her where Touchstone stands, a
wonderful little moment. When Celia, Rosalind, Touchstone and Le Beau exit, we
then go back to the first scene for the dialogue between Charlies and Oliver,
an interesting choice, for now when Charles speaks of Celia’s love for
Rosalind, we’ve already met both of them. Then when Oliver gives his last
speech about hating Orlando, Orlando has entered stage left, getting ready to
wrestle, so Oliver can indicate him during his speech. However, they both then
exit, which makes Orlando’s entrance there seem contrived and pointless. After
all, we know to whom Oliver is referring without Orlando having to be present.
Then we return to the second scene with Duke Frederick, Rosalind, Celia and Le
Beau entering, and Orlando entering separately upstage left. The wrestling
match begins on the stage, but part of it occurs among the groundlings. Le Beau
says, “indeed the shorter is his daughter,”
cutely rhyming “shorter” and “daughter.” Rosalind and Celia appear to be close
to the same height in this production, with Celia maybe an inch or two shorter.
Celia’s line about her father having “eyes full of anger” is cut.
Act II
As Duke Senior (Philip Bird) delivers his first speech,
one of the lords softly plays an acoustic guitar. Amiens also speaks the First
Lord’s lines, as well as those of the Second Lord. So “We did, my lord” becomes “I
did, my lord.” He also says “I’ll
lead you to him straight” rather than “I’ll
bring you to him straight.”
In the second scene, Le Beau takes the place of the two
lords.
Just before the third scene begins, Oliver appears above
on the balcony, in order to place the scene at his home. Orlando is about to go
in, but Adam’s “But do not so” stops
him. And that leads to a tender moment between Adam and Orlando. Adam is
particularly good here.
Touchstone, like Rosalind and Celia, has changed his
clothes. After his “Ay, now am I in Arden,”
he pretends to be excited, running around, admiring a tree and so on, until he
steps in something less admirable. Then he finishes the line, “the more fool I.” And then, funnily, he
pulls out his fool’s head staff, and it too has changed clothes to match
Touchstone, a nice touch. Rosalind is really well cast, and is believable while
dressed in male attire.
Amiens is accompanied by guitar on his song. Jaques (Tim
McMullan) delivers his “More, more”
in a sweetly sarcastic tone and from a seat by the audience. He then reaches
the stage by “Well then, if ever I thank
any man, I’ll thank you.” When Amiens asks him about “ducdame,” Jacques adds “It’s
Greek” before delivering the line as written. And on “fools into a circle,” he indicates the audience at the Globe.
Orlando and Adam enter from the audience.
Jaques plays on the sexual joke of the “thereby hangs a tale” speech. Orlando
enters above, then climbs down to demand food. Jaques sticks a piece of fruit
at the end of Orlando’s drawn dagger, a funny touch. On “whining schoolboy,” Jaques indicates a boy in the audience. After “sans everything,” Jaques exits into the
audience.
Act III
Duke Frederick pushes Oliver in. Oliver is in a torn and
bloodied shirt, barefoot and weak, an extreme change in fortunes. This is
great, for it helps to make more believable his later change of heart.
Orlando tosses some of his pages into the audience. The
dialogue between Touchstone and Corin is wonderful. And when Touchstone adds
his own poetry, he playfully dances across the stage. The poem that Celia reads
is cut in half, ending with “Heaven would
in little show.” In this production, it seems that Rosalind at first really
has no idea who wrote the poems. Celia is great in this scene, as is Rosalind,
particularly when she quickly asks her series of questions. Rosalind takes a
moment after Orlando’s “Neither rhyme nor
reason can express how much” before delivering her line about love being
madness – and in that moment we can see that she now believes in Orlando’s
love, and we can see her happiness. It’s such a great moment, and she is so
good. After Rosalind and Celia exit, Orlando remains behind briefly and says, “Rosalind,” which is not in the play.
The intermission comes at the end of this scene.
Touchstone enters through the stage’s trap door and
dances to the musicians who entertain during the intermission, and that leads
to his lines in the third scene. Jaques is among the audience. Touchstone asks
the audience, “Is the single man
therefore blessed,” waits for a response, then contradicts the crowd, “No!” Sir Oliver speaks with a stutter.
Silvius (Michael Benz) reads from a piece of paper, “The common executioner…” On Rosalind’s “Down on your knees,” Phebe (Jade
Williams) quickly, eagerly gets on her knees. Both Phebe and Silvius are really
good.
Act IV
Rosalind, in the heat of the moment, says “And I am your Rosalind” in all honesty,
nearly giving up the game, but that Celia quickly mends the situation with her
next line. A wonderful moment. After Rosalind’s “I do take thee, Orlando, for my husband,” they kiss. It’s clear
that she knows they are in fact married at this point. And it seems that
Orlando realizes she is really Rosalind.
Scene 2 is cut, so that as Rosalind and Celia are
exiting, Silvius rushes in and catches them before they go. Silvius grabs the
letter and reads aloud the last portion, rather than Rosalind reading it all,
as he realizes what it means. It makes us feel more strongly for Silvius. When
Oliver tells the story of Orlando’s deeds, Celia and Rosalind’s lines are cut,
a cut which then renders his “Twice did
he turn his back and purpos’d so” nonsensical, as it is in response to
Rosalind’s question. But I do love Oliver’s delivery of “And found it was his brother, his elder brother,” with a quiet
shame entering his voice. After Rosalind faints, as Oliver helps her up, he in
doing so inadvertently touches her chest, and quickly removes his hands.
Clearly, he knows something is up.
Act V
Touchstone and Audrey’s first lines from Scene 3 are
delivered at the end of Scene 1.
Because Oliver has felt Rosalind’s chest, his “And you, fair sister” has a stronger
meaning. And the line causes Rosalind to pause briefly. Also, it gives clear
meaning to Orlando’s “Ay, and greater
wonders than that.” Rosalind’s line about the magician is cut. She goes
from “strange things” to “If you do love Rosalind.” The second
line about the magician is likewise cut.
The lines about the bargain from Scene 4 are added to
Scene 2. So from Scene 2 we go to partway into Scene 4, beginning with Duke
Senior’s “I do remember in this shepherd
boy/Some lively touches of my daughter’s favor.” Hymen speaks his first
lines from within the audience. It is Le Beau who delivers the lines about Duke
Frederick’s sudden conversation. And so Duke Senior says “Welcome, Le Beau” instead of “Welcome,
young man.” Music starts, and Jaques’ “by
your patience” stops it. Jaques says “What
you would crave” rather than “What
you would have,” presumably to keep the rhyme intact with current
pronunciation. After “delights,”
there is a dance. After the dance the cast remains on stage, and Rosalind
delivers the epilogue. On “If I were a
woman,” she lifts her dress to reveal the trouser she wore when disguised
as Ganymede. And the entire cast bows with her.
Time: approximately 147 minutes
The DVD includes a photo gallery of the cast members.
No comments:
Post a Comment