During the Puritan era, women were barred from appearing on the English stage, and a man named Edward Kynaston became the most popular of all actors playing female roles. He refused to play men because "there's no artistry in that." This play examines what happens when the monarchy is restored and King Charles II orders a reversal. Men are banned from playing Desdemona, Ophelia and Cleopatra, actresses now take over those roles - and we have one seriously unemployed guy. Kynaston faces an identity crisis, in his romantic as well as his stage life. In addition, actresses find that they have to bare their breasts to prove their gender. All women, be they seamstresses or strumpets, experience the first stirrings of equality. So this play touches on issues like women's rights, gay pride, politics and a change in theater from artificiality towards realism.
Meaty stuff; an engrossing evening in the theater. There are lots of ideas and a historical era to be understood. The first act seemed rushed on opening night, but I came back for a later performance and found a better pace where the period, politics and personalities unfolded more understandably. Act Two shows interesting development of characters and contains a couple of powerfully poignant scenes. Backstage comedy, history and an artist's search for identity are cleverly interwoven.
Jeffrey Hatcher's play debuted at the Louisville Festival and has been extensively rewritten for this production, directed by Walter Bobbie with an eye on Broadway possibilities. Brandon Demery, a recent graduate of Juilliard, plays Kynaston with much appeal. But his part is difficult. Kynaston insulted and alienated many people and, if you don't care for him, his misfortunes won't affect you. This play could succeed in New York if it starred a charismatic actor with some name recognition. Stephen DeRosa is excellent as Samuel Pepys, the writer whose diaries form the basis of the story. He's the narrator, and he doubles as the emcee in a lewd music hall scene, where Venus is rhymed with penis. Lauren Ward portrays a seamstress with ambitions to act and to marry Kynaston. The progression of her relationship with the actor is touching. Jenny Bacon, as the first actress of that era, reveals contrasting sides of her character, and Marcy Harriell is delightful as the king's mistress, Nell Gwynn. Robert Stanton presents a candid monarch who explains his edict thusly: "It was time for a change. Correct the wrong. Give the girls a chance."
The costumes and staging are unusually lavish for this small theater and Bobbie's direction is almost as fresh and sassy as his Chicago.
