The Duke Ellington School of the Arts, The Studio Acting Conservatory and The National Conservatory of Dramatic Arts are among many notable theater training institutions in DC that mount productions that are open to the public. And all of them are worth checking out. The Shakespeare Theatre Company Academy prepares its students for the unique challenges of Shakespearean interpretation. Until July 25, catch this year’s MFA graduating class performing Twelfth Night and Macbeth in repertory.
Both productions were relatively conventional and straightforward in their interpretation of the texts. Both productions would, in the opinion of this writer, have benefited from a focus on racial and cultural elements that were central concerns of the recent Shakespeare Theater production of Othello and the Folger’s production of How Shakespeare Saved My Life. Still, this Twelfth Night provides some well-earned laughs.
Twelfth Night tells the story of Viola and Sebastian, twin brother and sister, separated during a shipwreck. Both survive, believing the other has died. In the process, Viola disguises herself as a man, renames herself “Caesario.” She then hires herself out to Duke Orsino, with whom she immediately falls in love.
Orsino, who is in love with the Countess Olivia, sends Caesario to plead his case with Olivia. Olivia falls in love with Caesario. Eventually, Sebastian shows up. Olivia, thinking Sebastian is Caesario, convinces Sebastian to marry her. When Viola reveals she is a woman, Orsino marries her. It’s that kind of party.
Until Anna Marzullo’s entrance as Malvolio, however, this production of Twelfth Night suffered from the difficulty of fitting verbal jokes forged in the 17th Century onto 21st Century ears. Marzullo’s performance married well-developed physical comedy to a meticulously explored inner life of the character.
The audience didn’t need a translation for Malvolio and they showed their appreciation by rewarding Marzullo with laughter on every entrance and exit. This Malvolio was someone whose pride in themselves and respect for their work were hard-earned and whose subsequent humiliation was palpable. Cindy Forkpah’s costumes were especially supportive of Marzullo’s efforts, with Malvolio’s yellow garters with understated cross-stitching being a case in point.
The Macbeth party is little different. A childless couple, urged on by occult prophesies, decides that killing a king in order to hasten the fulfillment of those prophesies is a good idea. It isn’t.
While the plot of Macbeth was clearly conveyed, this production’s performances lacked the spontaneity that the company achieved in Twelfth Night. Still, when Macbeth returns from his battles, the way that the sexual connection between him and Lady Macbeth generates the energy for committing murder together was beautifully staged.
Ksenya Litvak’s puppet designs for Macbeth were evocative and magical. Full-bodied puppets operated by several persons embodied the children of the other protagonists. This underscores the sterility of Macbeth’s relationship. Rod puppets gave ethereal ghostliness to the three weird sisters who prophesy Macbeth’s eventual coronation as king. One gigantic puppet was used to represent Hecate, the head of witch-like sisters. The arrival of Birnam Wood to Dunsinane that signaled Macbeth’s doom was a thrilling sequence.
This production is a fitting introduction to some of the new talent that will be populating local stages and beyond soon. Look for them.
Gregory Ford is the Anacostia Coordinating Council Arts & Culture Critic. He is also an actor and singer. He is a member of Verbal Gymnastics Playback Theater troupe. He has written for Capital Community News and continues to write for dctheaterarts.org, focusing on College and University Theater Productions. He is a clinical psychodrama practitioner and lives in Northeast Boundary in Ward 7.
