|
November 17, 2004 Players get creative
|
|
|
Invasion! A faceless mass methodically moves closer
to the audience. Approaching a collection of oddly shaped, individually
unique masks, the players gladly take up theirs in a premeditated
fashion.
Perhaps “The King Stag” performers are the ugliest lot
of players assembled in recent memory (not the case), but that would
only be a horrible coincidence, and hardly the point of the elaborate
costume design.
We all wear masks, you see, and this show is no different.
Yet, somewhere inside this frame of theatrical existentialism, lies
a whimsical tale where bears dance and spin, people turn into animals
and damsels fall for kings.
You wouldn’t guess it from the first 10 minutes of the production,
but “The King Stag” is quite the fairy tale, a modern
adaptation in fact, which appeals mostly to kids, sparingly to adults,
and generally to everyone.
Eastern European Playwright Carlo Gozzi had a fantastic —
and pretty ridiculous — idea of Asia when he wrote this play
which takes place in Serendippo, an Asian kingdom whose inhabitants
don hair sticks, oriental fans, Mortal Kombat-esque guard suits,
and color robes.
Here, we find our fairy tale and it’s not an uncommon one.
King Deramo (Freshman Michael Roberts) is in search of a wife.
Using a magical statue which can reveal the lies of women, Deramo
exhaustively – and comically – searches for the proper
suitor.
In many ways, it plays like an episode of reality television, with
the hidden cameras and confessionals being replaced by magic statues
and monologues — and this is somewhat the purpose.
The women Deramo interrogates are victims unknowingly tested and
scrutinized by a more informed audience.
Then we meet Angela (Monica Bartz-Gallagher), Deramo’s true
love, whom the statue reveals as pure in her intentions.
He takes her as his wife, inciting jealousy from his prime minister
Tartaglia (William Gall) who not only learns that his daughter was
rejected for Angela but also in love with the King’s marital
choice.
Tartaglia plots to kill the King during a hunting trip, but quickly
decides against it for another plan once he learns the statue is
not the only magical aspect of the King.
The King’s second power is the ability to body swap with the
carcass of any man or beast.
Tartaglia plots to entrap the King in the body of a stag in order
to take the King’s body, the throne and queen.
It’s important to understand this is all put into a low burlesque
format, with most of the play’s effort going towards maintaining
its comic level.
This becomes the production’s downfall relying too heavily
on physical humor and vague pop culture references.
This is not to say there are not scenes that are quite funny. Many
of the characters serve the primary purpose of comic relief.
In particular, the roles of bird catcher Trufaldino (Philip Nigohosian),
his vivacious love interest Smeraldina (Mary Letizia), her brother
Brighella (Ray O’Brien) and Leandro (David Sandman) are generally
geared to humoring the audience. However, the actors seem handicapped
by the childishness of their characters, never embracive of it.
The extremely young cast of “The King Stag” shows its
age from time to time, failing to fully capitalize on the play’s
strengths, and it’s the older company members who anchor the
show. Gall and Alex August, as Tartaglia’s homely daughter
Clarice, are energetic supporting characters.
And while Roberts as Deramo is also good, it’s Bartz-Gallagher,
as Angela, who steals the show.
On stage, she’s the most forceful, commanding more attention
than the rest.
“The Music Man,” the Xavier Players’ previous
production, was the company’s best in recent memory, and “The
King Stag” has trouble living up to it.
There are signs of inexperience and typical college theater flaws
that “The Music Man” just didn’t have.
Nevertheless, there are some elements of “The King Stag”
which are quite professional. The limited props, including the elaborate
masks, are brilliantly constructed, and the play itself is well-directed
and the plot is tight.
This is for good reason since Mask Designer Sarah Havens is a full-time
artisan at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park and Director Cerasela
Stan has extensive experience in plays and film.
“The King Stag” is an adventurous endeavor for this
young ensemble of Xavier Players, but they hold their own for the
most part.
The fairy tale itself is moderately enchanting and the production
hits its zenith during the man-to-animal transformations that take
place several times during the play and reaches its low points with
audience-targeted wisecracks about fake boobs and homosexuality.
Nevertheless, it’s worth a visit, at the least to see some
of the young actors who will be playing bigger and better roles
in Xavier Theater for years to come.
Editor’s Note: The review was conducted at Monday night’s full dress rehearsal.
