All’s Well That Ends Well (A Noise Within’s 2022 Production) Theatre Review

production photo by Craig Schwartz

 All’s Well That Ends Well is one of Shakespeare’s later comedies, and is not produced as often as the others. It is difficult to understand quite why that is so while watching the completely enjoyable new production of the play at A Noise Within in Pasadena. The success of this production is due in large part to its talented cast, led by Erika Soto as Helena (here named Helen, as in the Folger edition). Erika Soto is one of the best stage actors in Los Angeles. She gave what is probably the best performance of Juliet that I’ve ever seen, and was also excellent as Cordelia in King Lear and as Julia in The Two Gentlemen Of Verona. And here she gives an absolutely stellar performance as Helen. From the very first, she makes us feel for, and root for, her Helen, and her comic timing is impeccable. The entire cast, however, is quite strong. The set has a rather bright and pleasant vibe, with two sections of off-white walls, one up left and one up right, each with a single chair. Between those are tall doors, painted a beautiful deep blue. Stage right of the doors is a staircase, but as is often the case at this theatre, the actors also make use of the aisles in the audience for some of their entrances and exits.

During the first scene, the Countess (Deborah Strang) holds Helen with her right hand and Bertram (Mark Jude Sullivan) with her left hand, displaying a desire to connect them right from the start, which is wonderful, for of course her character plays a big part in uniting the two characters. On “trust a few,” the Countess places a ring on Bertram’s hand. Bertram is a tough role, because, even after he initially rejects Helen and tries to seduce another woman, we have to like him enough to want Helen to end up with him. Mark Jude Sullivan does an excellent job. In that first scene, he seems cordial and even kind to Helen, which is key. For not only do we have to want the two to be together, we also have to see why Helen adores him at the beginning. Once Helen is alone on stage, she goes to one of the windows to watch Bertram depart, showing us just how enamored she is of him.

The conversation regarding virginity between Helen and Parolles (Rafael Goldstein) is totally delightful, both actors turning in excellent performances. What I love about Rafael Goldstein’s Parolles is that, while he is a braggart and a liar, he comes across as so natural, particularly in this early scene. This helps us believe that Bertram might be unaware of the man’s true nature until later. And Helen is a match for him both in wit and playfulness, which is great. His naturalness and her playfulness keep him from stealing the scene. It is through the blue doors that the King of France (Bernard K. Allison) makes his entrance, aided by the use of a cane. He is cheered when noting the resemblance of Bertram to his late father, a really nice moment. When he is overcome with a coughing fit, one of the chairs is brought to him. And when the King exits, he leans on Bertram, which again shows Bertram in a good light, so important for a successful conclusion to the play. This production also does a great job of showing the King’s rapidly deteriorating health. For when we next see him, it is clear his condition has worsened, for now he enters on a wheel chair. And when next wheeled in, his strength is even less, as he is asleep and then seems to be in pain. There is the air of magic when Helen lays her hands on the King, which is interesting. She is fearless in that moment, and then confident when asking for her choice of husband. And on “an organ weak,” the King places her hand again over his heart, which is nice.

Jeremy Rabb (who was brilliant as Roderigo in Othello, and as Camillo in The Winter’s Tale) here gives us a wonderful Lafeu. The moments between him and Parolles are delicious, and I love the way he delivers the line “Pray you, sir, who’s his tailor?” It is shouted, almost in disbelief. In this production, both Rinaldo (here Rinalda) and Lavatch are female. The change of gender works remarkably well in both cases. Trisha Miller (who was fantastic as Goneril in the 2017 production of King Lear) is hilarious as Rinalda when telling the Countess what she heard Helen say. When recounting Helen’s words, she reads from notes she had taken down, a wonderful touch. And later in that scene, Helen’s reaction when the Countess says she is her mother is also hilarious. Her delivery of “The Count Rosillion cannot be my brother” is perfect, showing clearly just how infatuated she is with the Count. Lavatch (Kodi Jackman) and the Countess are both delightful in the “O Lord, sir” scene. Then Parolles in his hat with the green feathers elicits laughter with his very entrance. But perhaps the most striking entrance of the play is when the King comes running on, chased playfully by Helen, leaving no question whatsoever that her art worked in healing him. The change in his demeanor is tremendous, and the joy of the scene is powerful.

One of my favorite scenes in this production is the choosing of Helen’s husband. The noble bachelors enter at the sound of a solemn drum, which is funny, and form a semi-circle in front of her, while Bertram remains behind her. Helen, who of course has already made her choice, takes such joy in the process at first, taking her time. But she then hesitates before making her choice known, and the hesitancy in that moment, her nervousness and worry endear her to us all the more. What is also wonderful about the way this scene is staged is that the King takes both Helen and Bertram by the hand, much as the Countess did in the first scene. But this time their hands are drawn together. Another thing that makes this scene work, and the play as a whole, is that Bertram is not really cruel. It is more that he is taken by surprise at being told whom to marry. Soon after that when Bertram and Helen are together, Bertram keeps his distance. But when he does take a step toward her, perhaps without thinking, she too steps toward him, causing him to then step back. It is a sweet sort of dance, and within it we can see there is some attraction. That’s followed by a touching moment when he almost kisses her, but changes his mind.

All’s Well That Ends Well is one of two Shakespeare plays to employ the bed trick (the other being Measure For Measure), a strange plot device in which a man is tricked into sleeping with his betrothed. It is something that might be difficult to believe, that a man wouldn’t know to whom he was making love, but this production handles it quite well, part of the success due to not dwelling long on the actual moment of the switch, and part of it due to Helen and Diana (Nicole Javier) being of the same height. In the second half of the performance, the blue doorway and the section of wall stage left are removed, and in its place is a yellow curtain. The switch happens behind the curtain, a wonderful image of the two women exchanging places. There is a strong sense of solidarity between them, expressed especially in that moment, that moment having its own beauty as well. In this production, the play’s final lines are spoken by the entire cast, each of them taking a few words, a cheerful way of uniting all the characters.

This production of All’s Well That Ends Well is directed by Nike Doukas. It runs through March 6th. There is one fifteen-minute intermission, which comes at the end of Act III Scene iii. A Noise Within is located at 3352 E. Foothill Blvd. in Pasadena, California. Free parking is located at the Sierra Madre Villa Metro Parking Structure.