As You Like It, by William Shakespeare, Royal Shakespeare Company, directed by Gregory Thompson, Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater, Washington

This turns out to be a serviceable traveling version of a show designed in the round, as there are several entrances from the house, with little motivation other than variety. Technical aspects are minimalist, for instance, some irregular squarish columns hung at the legs positions to suggest the Forest of Arden. For the most part, the minimalism works, as when the entire cast become the trees from which Orlando hangs his verses, or when, on all fours, they embody a baaing flock of sheep.

Costumes set this production in the nineteenth century, although Touchstone's hose are a puzzling anachronism.

One of the strongest aspects of the production is the men's part-singing, all done unaccompanied. The musical strengths do not extend to Amy Finegan's Hymen, whose benediction is sung to a difficult tune, and not completely accurately.

Naomi Frederick stands out as Celia. Her voice has both a soft English rose register and a powerful belt. David Fielder as Jaques and John Killoran as Touchstone do well in the comic roles. Martin Hutson, as Orlando, needs to lighten up and find colors other than glum intensity to play. And the double casting of Michael Hadley as both Duke Senior and his enemy Duke Frederick is just plain confusing to viewers, like me, unfamiliar with the show.

posted: 11:46:31 PM  

Whale Rider is a rather straightforward girl's coming of age story dressed as a modern Maori folk tale. It features a brave performance from Keisha Castle-Hughes as the girl Pai.

posted: 10:56:00 PM