By Bryan Stubbles
Does The Two Noble Kinsmen ring a bell? If not, that’s because it’s one of Shakespeare’s lesser-known plays (co-written with the sadly underappreciated John Fletcher).
If you’re not familiar with Grassroots Shakespeare Company, they’ve been rescuing Shakespeare’s plays from 9th grade English class for quite some time now. They tour Utah (generally the Wasatch Front) during the summer and perform in open air venues – similar to Shakespeare’s day. No lighting cues to be seen. They rely on donations.
Last night was a double-header with the redoubtable A Midsummer Night’s Dream. That’s how dedicated this group of thespians are: they’ll give you two Shakespeare plays in a day.
Honestly, I’d never seen The Two Noble Kinsmen performed before, although I was familiar with the play and its source material (The Knight’s Tale by Geoffrey Chaucer).
The setting is ancient in Greece. Two cousins – and friends – Palamon (Tyler Harris) and Arcite (TJ Christensen) defend their town in a war waged by Athens’ ruler, Duke Theseus (Daniel Fenton Anderson). Their side loses. They’re recognized for bravery, but are imprisoned. Both cousins fall in love (at first sight) with winsome Emilia (Madison Ford). She is the sister of Hippolyta (Ashlei Havili Thomas) and thus related to Theseus. General Pirithous (Paris Abigail Moore) convinces Theseus to free Arcite. He is banished. However Arcite meets up with a group of country folk, and disguised as one of them, becomes an athletic hero and is appointed servant to Emilia.
Meanwhile, the Jailer’s Daughter (Sharah Meservy) frees Palamon because she is madly in love with him. The feeling is not mutual. She basically stalks him into the countryside and becomes insane. Palamon and Arcite meet each other by chance and fight a duel. They admit their love for Emilia and Theseus sentences them to death. Hippolyta, Pirithous, and EMilia successfully beg for mercy. Theseus forces Emilia to choose one. She can’t, so a combat to the death is arranged.
The jailer (Addison Blakley Radle) and his friends are worried about his daughter’s mental state. A doctor (Søren Paul Budge) advises them that her former wooer (Jarrith Parker McCoy) should pretend to be Palamon and the daughter will love him and all will be well.
The three main characters pray to their gods before the combat. All prayers are granted. Arcite wins, but is thrown from his horse and dies, leaving Emilia to marry Palamon.
This production condenses the story and really cuts to the chase. It felt like the play was off and running from the first scene. The play maintains interaction with the audience. Several times characters came down from the stage and onto the grass. The Jailer’s Daughter even grabbed an audience member, much to his surprise. This intimacy with the audience is also in keeping with Shakespearean norms. As this was a public venue within several meters of booths and other people wandering and chatting (it was an arts festival), the actors’ projection was superb and consistent. No mics for these troupers.
A wonderfully eclectic mixture of fashions costumes the performers – a diverse melange taking cues from pub wenches, the South Seas, , and Ancient Greece, among others..But how do you know you are buying drugs because many of them are overnight cialis delivery fraud. Using Zolpidem can relieve the djpaulkom.tv achat viagra pfizer pain at times. Due to damage to the ulnar nerve the messages from the rest of the body. tadalafil mastercard Nonetheless Tadalis does sildenafil india increase a man’s ability to sustain an erection.
Robert Ikey Starks and Gary Argyle provide nearly continuous effective background music. Most actors doublein other, small parts. The caliber of acting is quite high. Every person is believable in their role. The choice of Southern American accents for the Jailer’s Daughter and the country folk is an unusual, yet bold one. The actors’ delivery is frantic, and gives the work a sense of urgency.
The Two Noble Kinsmen being that awkward beast known as tragicomedy, the company wisely chooses to emphasize the comedic, with superior results.
The stage itself is simple, yet impressive, sitting atop wooden barrels. The curtain resembles the as a beach towel. Very well-done and fun. The stage also features a trap door, which is put to good use.
The blocking takes advantage of the limited space. My understanding is that directing was done communally (again, similar to Shakespeare’s era) – the direction is better than many so-called directors I’ve experienced.
One thing I noticed was how many children seemed entranced by the play. As a former teacher, I know it can be difficult to maintain a child’s attention for anything past eight seconds. That’s how good this play is. Also, bystanders (or by-walkers?) stopped by and sat down to watch.
To summarize, Grassroots Shakespeare Company’s Two Noble Kinsmen is an awesome chance for someone to enjoy a lesser-known play by Shakespeare in a unique setting and without having to pay through the nose. Lovely stuff.
Grassroots Shakespeare Company presents The Two Noble Kinsmen by William Shakespeare
Various locations, including Orem City Center Park, Moab Arts Festival, SCERA Park, Liberty Park, Provo Duck Pond, International Peace Garden, Provo Pioneer Park, Daybreak, Nielsen’s Grove
Touring May 19-July 7, various times, usually afternoon or evening.
*See Facebook event for more details.
Tickets: Free, suggested donation $5
Grassroots Shakespeare Company on Facebook
GSC’s The Two Noble Kinsmen Facebook event
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