The name "James Boswell" doesn't tend to ring a bell other than for historians, who may recall him as Samuel Johnson's biographer. Johnson wrote the first English dictionary and was considered a monumental figure of his time. Boswell, however, was an embarrassment to his family for generations after his death. Both men come vividly to life in this stellar production by local playwright Marie Kohler.
Like James Boswell, Kohler comes from a family of wealth and privilege. She understands the pressures that come to bear on one so "fortunate." In Boswell's case, he escapes from his law studies in Scotland to pursue the big-city pleasures of London. Not only does he dabble freely in the squalid nightlife of 1700s London, he also seeks to strike up an acquaintance with the best-known man of his time, the great Samuel Johnson. Although 30 years separate Boswell and Johnson, the two become fast friends. Boswell hopes some of Johnson's industriousness rubs off on him; Johnson is amused by his friend's cavalier attitude toward life. The first act brings to life such other notable figures as famed actor David Garrick, playwright Oliver Goldsmith and Joshua Reynolds. They are instrumental in bringing Boswell and Johnson together.
Another character, Boswell's stern father, is often heard lecturing his son on how to live a responsible life. It's clear Boswell has no interest in settling down, preferring to spend his time at the theater, at the bar or in back alleys. Kohler's dialogue is briskly written, which speeds things along at an appropriate pace. She displays a natural feel for dialogue. She also has a sense of humor, which is particularly evoked by the clever Johnson.
Act II transports audiences to modern-day Scotland. Two university researchers (played by Colleen Madden and Christopher Tarjan as her professor) have traveled from the United States to examine Boswell's letters and diaries. Although the professor doesn't think the work has merit, his graduate student (Madden) isn't so sure. Several peripheral characters pique her interest in the material. One of them is a bookseller named Hamisch. It's easy to see a potential love match between the two.
The events loosely parallel the true story of how Yale University professors unearthed Boswell's writings, which eventually were published. Boswell's earthy descriptions of the times (including graphic passages about his sexual appetites) strike Madden's character as contemporary and very human.
Brian Gill is likeable and perceptive as the undisciplined Boswell. Brian Robert Mani, as Samuel Johnson, is every inch an intellectual in his prime. Christopher Tarjan, as Oliver Goldsmith, has transformed himself into an authentic man of the period. Even those familiar with this actor may not recognize him at first, he is so faithful in recreating the curmudgeonly playwright. James Ridge is a source of humorous delight as the famed actor, David Garrick. He is temperamental and dramatic in the extreme.
Michael Duncan is solid in several supporting roles, including that of Boswell's stern father. Colleen Madden is a steely, tightly wound graduate student. She is stunned by her professor's betrayal, but resilient enough to pick up the pieces.
The play unfolds on a simple set, consisting mainly of multi-layered platforms and set pieces such as trunks and crates. This draws one's attention to the spectacular period costumes. The large cast of experienced actors and the elaborate costumes are a step beyond what one typically expects from Renaissance Theaterworks. The result is an exciting bit of historical drama.
