“Antony and Cleopatra” is not Shakespeare’s most compelling drama. The Bard’s take on this epic tragedy-history grows long and windy trying to cover the endless complexities of this political, military and emotional tangle.
That having been said, the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s new production of the play at Sidney Harman Hall manages to uncover the dramatic heart of this problem play. With the help of a strong cast, this “Antony and Cleopatra,” under the knowing direction of Michael Kahn, brings form, function and genuine pathos into this play’s unwieldy structure.
One of the main problems with “Antony and Cleopatra” is its large number of short scenes, which are meant, almost like brief opera recitatives, to quickly advance the plot, allowing the bulk of the dramatic time to be spent on key emotional scenes.
Scene changes can take forever, but James Noone’s elegantly simple set allows lightning-quick entrances and exits of armies and supporting characters alike, almost like the quick cuts and fades that rapidly advance the action in TV dramas.
Jennifer Moeller’s nifty period costumes, ranging from togas to Roman battle armor, are a welcome break from the trend of outfitting historical stage characters in American business suits and street clothes. In our own times, where moral relativism is currently in fashion, the Roman concepts of heroism, strength and honor would seem utterly meaningless unless dressed in the uniforms that gave them meaning.
All this would be for naught, of course, if the company hadn’t also hired an expert cast able to breathe life into this play’s sometimes dusty lines.
As the play’s eponymous hero and heroine, Andrew Long (Antony) and Suzanne Bertish (Cleopatra) generate romantic chemistry leavened with the kind of ennui that can only develop from long-standing relationships that rely on tricks and games to keep those fires burning. The casting of somewhat older actors in these roles adds further poignancy to this odd relationship.
As Mr. Long’s Antony loses his military bearings and eventually his honor amid the lascivious pleasures of the Egyptian court, Miss Bertish’s Cleopatra, gradually losing her physical allure, is desperate to keep her lover interested.
Her successive attempts to lure the Roman general back to her bed become more reckless, leading to their final tragedy. As the hapless Antony dies in her arms — destroyed by yet another coquettish lie — Miss Bertish’s cries of anguish are heartrending as her character at last recognizes what her foolish vanity has accomplished.
Kudos to Aubrey K. Deeker, whose young Octavius convincingly evolves from a petulant adolescent to a coldly calculating soon-to-be-emperor. A hat tip as well to Ted van Griethuysen, whose doddering peacemaker, Lepidus, needlessly succumbs to his own indiscretions and Octavius’ ambitions.
In smaller yet important roles, Dan Kremer’s Enobarbus, Craig Wallace’s Pompey, Glen Pannell’s Maecenas, Tom Hammond’s Dolabella, and Jan Knightley’s Proculeius deftly portray those admirable aspects of Roman honor that Antony and our own era seem to have left behind.
It takes a great concept, great direction and a great cast to make “Antony and Cleopatra” worth the price of admission. This production is most fortunate in having attracted all three.
***
WHAT: “Antony and Cleopatra” by William Shakespeare
WHERE: Sidney Harman Hall, 610 F St. NW
WHEN: Running in repertory with “Julius Caesar” through July 6
TICKETS: $23.50 to $79.75
PHONE: 202/547-1122
WEB SITE: www.shakespearetheatre.org
MAXIMUM RATING: FOUR STARS
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