Embracing the Problem Play: MEASURE FOR MEASURE

Cameron Clarke as Angelo and Sania Hyatt as Isabella in Measure for Measure. 
Photo courtesy of Allison Stock Photography.

Measure for Measure is considered one of Shakespeare's "problem plays," along with Merchant of Venice, All's Well That Ends Well, and The Taming of the Shrew among others.

Billed as a comedy (which is to say, no one dies and most character end up married), these problem plays nevertheless take a bleak view of society: asking the audience to revel with sexual aggression and coersion, racism, sexism, and any number of other uncomfortable topics.

In Measure for Measure, the seemingly virtuous Angelo, recently made the de facto ruler of corrupt Vienna in the wandering Duke's stead, threatens the novice Isabella's brother's life, unless the aspiring nun agrees to sleep with him.

To confuse matters, the play is haphazardly written, with any number of convoluted subplots, some of Shakespeare's densest verse, and an ending that uses marriage as punishment rather than celebration.

Barefoot Shakespeare and Company of Fools went into production of Measure for Measure embracing the mess.  With a script smartly cut by CoF Artistic Director, Cameron Clarke, who plays Angelo, and directed by Jenny Grober (last seen as Charles the Wrestler in Hamlet Isn't Dead's As You Like It), this production announces that: "This play is and should feel as uncomfortable as real life too often does.  Therefore allow it not to be a 'problem' to be fixed but rather a guide to lead us deeper into the mire."

The play, staged in a deep square (although word to the wise: seating on the sides provides the best view), begins with improvisation, as actors invite us into their particular dilemmas.  The Courtesan kisses your program as you enter, while Claudio and his love Julietta invite audience members to join a resistance against the Duke, and Mozart's classical anthems blare like heavy metal bacchanals.  It all promises an exciting and thought-provoking evening: which the company largely manages to accomplish.

Although, dramaturgically, the play belongs to the Duke of Vienna - here played with stateliness by Matt Biagini - the company manages to make this truly an ensemble show, aided by some stand-out performances.

Top marks go to Kelly Blaze as Lucio (last seen as Jacques in HID'S As You Like It), the louche clown with a heart of off-brand gold.  Physically fearless and verbally dexterous, Blaze owns every moment she's on the stage, imbuing the difficult text with hilarity and purpose, all while pulling off bedazzled cheekbones and striped hotpants.  Clinton Powell, a mainstay for NYC Classical Theatre, continues to show his dexterity as he takes on several roles, each precisely different from the last in posture, vocal tone, and purpose, so that it's a treat to see him exit as Friar Peter and then reenter a moment later as a periwigged fop.

In a similar vein, several typically small roles are inhabited in unforgettable ways by Emily Gallagher as the overly-conscientious Provost and Lily Waldron as the crazy ex-girlfriend, Mariana.  Gallagher, the Artistic Director of Barefoot, returns to the stage with an absolutely delightful Provost, a disingenuous beacon of goodness in the corrupt streams of Vienna, channeling a Minnie Mouse ensemble and can-do spirit...even in the literal execution of her jailer duties.  While Waldron makes the absolute most of her few scenes, convincing the audience that this may be the only woman in the world to truly believe in the future goodness of the monstrous Angelo.  Watching her attack a bunch of roses with a pair of scissors is worth admission enough.

Latonia Phipps shines as Escalus, right hand to the Duke and therefore unhappy right hand to Angelo during his brief rule.  Her text work is clear, and her humor grounded and precise.  My only sorrow was that she was not given even more to do.  But here's to hoping we see a lot more of her on the classical circuit.  Daniel Cabrera takes the thankless role of Claudio, Isabella's brother condemned to die, and wrings the role for every moment of pathos.  As written, Claudio has one good speech but is largely an unsympathetic character.  However, Cabrera - working with the director to make Claudio more a political dissident than just another city letch - imbued his Claudio with a measure of intelligence and passion for goodness that illuminated the text in new and exciting ways.

Unfortunately, and inexplicably, Claudio's fiancee, Julietta - here played by Nazlah Black - had her one scene cut from the play, and nearly all (if not all?) of her lines.  She was given a few ritualistic pass-throughs between scenes, where she was holding her hand over her mouth presumably to signify women's muteness in the society, but with a female Escalus and female-presenting Lucio, as well as Isabella all speaking freely, cutting Black's lines merely robbed the audience of a good actor's verbal work.

Similarly, there were a few unsolved motions in the direction of the play that hinted to where the production wanted to go, but felt constrained to keep to Shakespeare's words.  Most noticeably, Claudio and Julietta were passing out "resist" leaflets in the pre-show, and posted them on the wall at the top of the scene - but the sense of rebellion against the Duke is neither textual nor added to the text by the company.  A shame, since an active resistance absolutely fits into a play about power and corruption.

At the heart of the show, of course, is the coersion of Isabella by Angelo, here played by Sania Hyatt and Cameron Clarke.  Clarke, last seen giving an absolutely heartbreaking performance of Danny in Danny and the Deep Blue Sea, does some really lovely work finding Angelo's male privilege, enjoyment of power, and dismissal of those he deems below him - all while keeping much of the comedy of a middle manager with delusions of holiness suddenly thrust into ruling while positively galloping into temptation.  Hyatt attacks her Isabella, imbuing the novice with unremitting confidence and righteous fury, mixed with genuine affection for her brother, Claudio, and a few lovely moments of pathos (particularly on "Brother, die" in her big soliloquy).

The early scenes between Angelo and Isabella were played swiftly - as the entire cast was clearly coached for speed.  This is generally a good thing in Shakespeare, as his verse can suffer when drawn out too long.  (A certain five hour Hamlet this reviewer once endured lumbers into mind.)  However, that speed must be matched with minute, hair-pin character arcs and realizations, with changes in tactics - both verbal and emotional - as well as with a lot of text work from the actor, so that every line and nuance is understood and conveyed by the actor to the audience.

Measure for Measure boasts some of Shakespeare's best verbal tennis matches between Isabella and Angelo.  However, unlike the riotous wooing scenes of The Taming of the Shrew or Romeo and Juliet, these characters speak around their points, wielding words like deflector shields, speaking on a multitude of levels - each of which must be clear to the audience for the comedy and the menace of the scene to work.

Here, I found that the cast tended to push their way through the sense of the scene, hitting the major points, without necessarily pausing for any of the nuance.  Gone was the moment of Angelo's realization that this woman was sexually arousing him.  Gone was his moment of decision in scene to pursue her against his conscience.  Gone was Isabella's moment of realization that she no longer had the power.  And because neither ever wavered in each other's company - only in soliloquy - gone was the audience's concern that Isabella might truly fall to Angelo's machinations.

If this is a criticism, let it not be too large a one - if anything a compliment to my wish that this company had one more week to sort out every small detail of this incredibly complex play.  (And a detail that may settle within the show's two week run.)

Praise must be given to the show's director, Jenny Grober, who found a brilliant solution to the final moment of the play - so often the problem of the show, and too good to spoil here.  By and large, she managed to find the humor and the horror of the piece, and allow us to laugh at the putting of a nametag on the friar, while we cringe at abused women begging to spare their abuser's life.  Both things are all too true in reality, and Grober let us live there.

This is a Measure for Measure that's truly worth seeing.  The embracing of the play's and thereby humanity's mess, the overall excellence of the cast and crew - huge shout out to Melissa Farinelli for Sound and Light Design, and Composer Nancy Chamberlain, whose aural landscape was another character altogether in the play - and the thoughtfulness of the production make this a problem play that's well worth the solving.  Highly Recommended.

Measure for Measure runs at the Alchemical Theatre through June 30th.