The University's Drama Department will kick off its second semester with a production of "Measure for Measure." The play, by William Shakespeare, is the third in a quartet of plays to take place at the Culbreth Theater this year. Riddled with sexual tension, intrigue, hidden identity, slapstick humor and heady moral debate, "Measure for Measure," arguably Shakespeare's darkest comedy, offers a balance of the comedic and the tragic.
The plot pivots around the destiny of Claudio, a man arrested for impregnating his lover, Juliet, out of wedlock. Soon his sister Isabella pleads for his life before Lord Angelo, a ruler, who, during the absence of Duke Vincentio, rules Vienna with an iron fist. Smitten with the chaste and pious Isabella, Angelo presently makes her a very indecent proposal.
"Measure for Measure" has long been considered one of Shakespeare's controversial plays. While it portrays real characters in a real setting, the happily-ever-after conclusion rings false to a modern audience. "Our production leaves many of the puzzles unsolved," Director Betsy Tucker said. "In fact, we sometimes stress not only the uneasy balance of tones and issues in the play but also the artificiality of the plot."
Fourth-year College student Ben Schenkkan, in the role of the Duke, explained that "in the recent past the play has been treated one way or another, pulled in some way either by the director or with editing. I think we've stayed away from that."
"The play is about the balance of justice and mercy, and about the limits of the law," Tucker said, "but it is also, like all of Shakespeare, about theater, about roles and pretending, and having fun and disguise, and about the invigorating language." The production, made up mostly of an undergraduate cast has paid strong attention to the language of the play, keeping almost all of Shakespeare's dialogue.
|
"We've had a couple special sessions with Kate Burke, a voice coach for the Drama Department, focusing specifically on the language since Shakespeare is hard for both the actors and the audience," fourth-year College student Whitney Duff, a messenger servant in the play, commented. Tucker says, "We have worked hard and with great energy and joy on the language."
Culbreth's production of "Measure for Measure" takes an interesting twist when it casts two actors, one a man and one a woman, to play the part of Angelo. The two actors, graduate student Chris Harcum and fourth-year College student Emily Swallow, will play the role on alternating nights, giving the audience a somewhat different presentation.
"This casting choice demands an attentiveness and playfulness from the actors on stage; what the character is doing changes some with the different actors in the role," Tucker said. "It also, of course, creates some interesting resonance particularly with the female Angelo," she added.
"It is a challenge to make sure that you're making different decisions with each person. It is a good test of acting; it forces you to be specific and rethink vague reactions," Schenkkan remarked.
Complimenting the production's post-modern casting style is a modernized set. "It's a very modern stage, it's in no way period, but the costumes are reflective of the period," Schenkkan said.
Asked why the audience should appreciate this production, Schenkkan explained, "First, it's very funny. It's a comedy on a certain level; Shakespeare is entertainment. Second, it discusses questions with moral issues in a very modern way. It touches upon both the benefits and costs of moral absolutism."
"Measure for Measure" opens at 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 22-24. The play resumes from Feb. 28 - March 3. Tickets are on sale for $10 at the Drama Department box office and may be charged by full-time students to their Arts Dollars account for $6.
Read More
The best albums of 2014
By Noah Zeidman | December 4, 2014Across genres, it has been a pretty great year in music.
Top 10 movies of 2014
December 4, 2014This has been an excellent year for film, offering everything from gripping blockbusters to innovative personal films.
Iggy Azalea is “Reclassified”
December 4, 2014It has become common practice among music artists to repackage their albums in an effort to simultaneously boost single sales and dish out new content by slightly renaming the album or slapping “Deluxe” onto the title.
