Double Falsehood
The on-going debate between the Statfordians (who believe Shakespeare wrote the works of Shakespeare) and those who cannot believe that Shaks-pere wrote the 37 plays, 130-odd sonnets, and the two long love poems that we attribute to him today. (The current film, ANONYMOUS, deals with the followers of Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford, known collectively as Oxfordians. The film might very well be hokum, but it’s entertaining nonetheless.)
Then there are those fake Shakespeare’s that supplied S’s name in order to be thought financially or literarily worth-while. “The Tragedy of Arthur,” “The London Prodigal,” and now “Double Falshood; or The Distrest Lovers” (But it seems that the Arden Shakespeare editors have now settled on it being a genuine Shakespeare; I guess you could add “Two Noble Kinsman” or “King John” as possible fakes, too, considering how equally not up to snuff they are).
So, the checkered history of “Double Falsehood” is scholastically identified, first performed in 1727 in Covet Garden, London, by adaptor, Lewis Theobald, possibly based on a lost play purportedly by Shakespeare and his sometime collaborator, John Fletcher, which in turn was taken from a section of Cervantes’ “Don Quixote,” called “Cardenio.” Go figure.
It certainly doesn’t feel like our Shakespeare (or whoever wrote his better works) in that it lacks poetry and genuine characterizations. This plot is pure Elizabethan theatre, a damsel (Vialante, played by Valorie Curry) dressing as male shepherd in order to protect what’s left of her virginity, taken cruelly by a thoughtless young man (Henriquez, played by producer Jeremy Lelliott), son of a ruling Duke (Alexander Wells), and brother to a noble character, Roderick (Michael Yurchak). Henriquez also manages to screw-over his best friend, Julio (Peter Weidman), by getting him out of the way so he may woo and marry Julio’s intended, Leonora (Sammi Smith), thereby infuriating her father (Dennis Gersten) as well as his own family (not to mention Julio’s mother, Camilla (Nicole Farmer)).
A convoluted plot and not terribly interesting as these things go. But what a surprise to find a relatively new theatre company that not only is willing to take a chance on an unknown historical play, but to cast it impeccably with actors who are trained in the classics and willing to work for virtually nothing in modern dress.
Director Kristin Kuiken has a firm hand on the proceedings, staging it in a small space on a unit set that isn’t a set, with minimal lighting and a fully involved cast, although the need to place it in the 1950s doesn’t really have any kind of payoff. The show, however, moves quickly (well under two hours in length) and is highly entertaining. What makes it even better from a feminist perspective is that in the original, Julio’s father is the neighbor of the Duke, but by changing him to “Camilla,” we add a fine actress to balance out the super-charged testosterone of the men-folk. The acting is of the highest order, with elders Wells, Farmer and Gersten leading the way for their younger co-actors.
This is a classy piece and one wants to come back for more from this adventurous company, provided they continue taking risks with their work. Bravo!
Through November 6th, 2011, at the Actors circle Theatre, 7313 Santa Monica Blvd, (@ Greenacre), West Hollywood. Tickets are Pay-What-You-Want (!) at the door, or at www.coeurage.org.