signs of weakness?
With so many strengths going for it, the fate of Ott's Dream
was far from assured at intermission, with so much remaining to
be resolvedand a few cracks having already appeared in the
foundation.
The
doubling of the Theseus/Oberon and Hippolyta/Titania roles wasn't
one of themevery MSND should do the samebut Oberon's
costume was a little over the top: a Batman-style washboard chestplate
tapering to
well, a codpiece that left something to be desired.
And for some obscure reason costume designer Paul Tazewell
attired Oberon's henchmen like goblinsone provoked an unplanned
moment of laughter was he caught his horn in a trapdoor on the way
downand painted some fairies in makeup way too ghoulish. The
pointif there was onewas entirely lost on me. The live
bushes that stalked the benighted lovers with their troublesome
twigs, on the other hand, were an inspired piece of stagecraft that
complemented the set.
Suzanne Bouchard's double-take as Titania didn't impress much on
entrancewhich, admittedly, is always a hard piece of exposition
to pull off with conviction. By "the nine men's morris,"
my ears were filled with mud.
Demetrius was translated into Niles Crane in the wood, which took
all the edge off his (admittedly specious) threats to Helena's virginity
when we first encounter them there. Lysander for his part seemed
insensible to the implications of his "one troth" line,
further shrinking the sexual potential latent in the initial wood
scenes. ("And run through fire I will for thy sweet sake"
wilted a little too, alas.)
But in general the young couples kept things light and edgy throughout
the numerous reversals that consume the middle of the Dream,
overcoming any tendency for the action to lag. Hermia was consistently
spunky and cute, Helena feisty and droll, Lysander endearingly hunky
and Demetrius increasingly athletic as the games continued.
promises kept
Any
fears I entertained that the production might founder were well
on the wane by intermission, and faded completely in the second
half, which consistently built from strength to strength.
Titania redeemed herself after falling for Bottom with a delightfully
coquettish turn in diaphanous silk, stiletto heels, and a tail-like
train that had a mind of its own. Though she never actually pronounced
the syllables "coo coo ca choo," you heard them all over
her gait and mannerand fully envied Bottom his ascent to her
bed. It almost seemed like another actress had taken over the rolehats
off to Suzanne Bouchard for the versatility she displayed here.
Brent Harris likewise seemed another man playing Oberon, full of
sonorous confidence and bravado while charming the lovers, plotting
against Titania and jousting with Puck. With the latter in particular
he enjoyed an fine, mainly friendly repartee throughoutespecially
when rubbing Puck's nose in his own greater powers of perception
("That very time I sawbut thou couldst not") and
persistence ("I with the Morning's love have oft made sport")though
Puck gets the last laugh on him, of course.
Even the Chinese box of a set exceeded its early promise, with
half-silvered passageways turning the mazes in which the young lovers
are caught into, quite literally, infinite regresses. Puck's deft
hands wrung the final turns from this concept, leading the lovers
through revolving doors that opened and closed infinities around
them untiltheir amazement completePuck could avoid pursuit
like a master.
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