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Regional Reviews: Phoenix The Two Gentlemen of Verona Also see Gil's reviews of The Importance of Being Earnest and Hairspray
The Two Gentlemen of Verona is the story of two friends who end up leaving their home town of Verona for the big city and both falling in love with the same woman. They start out as young men but learn about life and love via a little romantic competition that tests their relationship with each other. It is a simple yet somewhat complicated story with plenty of politics, betrayal and deception, including one of the main characters disguising herself as a boy, something Shakespeare would use again, and several plot twists that keep the story entertaining. Yes, even with his first play Shakespeare was adept at writing for multiple characters and having some interesting plot twists as well. Throw in gangsters and even a dog and you have a play with some odd moments that is both interesting and very unlike many of his more famous plays. The cast is up to the challenge that director David Vining has given them and are all adept at playing the comic and added musical moments as well as giving the play a more modern feeling with the updated time setting. Marshall Glass and Ian Christiansen are Valentine and Proteus, the two friends and title characters who fall in love with the same woman, Silvia. Both are solid in their roles, with Christiansen especially touching when he first meets Silvia and immediately forgets all about his girl back in Verona, Julia. Glass is quite dashing and has some lovely musical moments with Bre Jarvis who is playing Silvia. Both men easily make you believe that they are lifelong friends who share a unique bond. Jarvis contributed some original songs to this production, including a simply stated love song that is still playing in my head days after seeing the show. She is not only a fine songwriter and performer but easily finds her way around Shakespeare's language as well. Alyson Maloney is Julia, and she is earthy and sweet and, like the rest of our leads, doesn't get tripped up by the language. I also liked all three of the "servants" in the cast. Jason Steffen, Valentine's servant Speed, has a nice balance of the comical and musical with some skilled guitar playing thrown in as well. Jonathan Furedy, Proteus' servant Launce, reminded me a lot of Ray Bolger. He is tall and lean, gets a few moments to show off his tap skills, has a unique stage presence, and has no problem interacting with the audience, which he gets to do at the beginning of the second act. Furedy also has to share most of his stage time with Crab, played by a cute corgi mix named Nigel, and does a great job working with him, even when the dog gets a laugh by just sitting there. Danielle Stout has fun as both Julia's servant Lucetta, and brings gum chewing to new heights with her take on one of the gun-toting outlaws who apprehend Valentine and capture Silvia. Design elements, like the play, are simple yet effective with sets by Eric Beeck, costumes by Maci Hosler, and lighting by Jeff Davis. The use of music and dance, something common in many Shakespeare productions, even the dramas, adds plenty to the proceedings and the change in time to the Roaring '20s of Chicago actually works well with the themes of the play. Deep down, The Two Gentlemen of Verona is a coming of age story written when Shakespeare himself was coming of age. While it is simple in structure and nature it is an interesting piece as it depicts a young Shakespeare honing his craft. And, even though it is simple and less accomplished than his later works, we see the seeds of so many of the things he is known for. Southwest Shakespeare is presenting a well-honed production of the play with added music, dance and an updated setting that work extremely well. The Two Gentlemen of Verona runs through October 26th with performances at the Nesbitt-Elliott Playhouse at the Mesa Arts Center, 1 East Main Street, Mesa, Arizona. Tickets can be purchased at www.swshakespeare.org or by calling (602) 535-1202 Director: David Vining
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