Shakespeare’s “Two Gentlemen of Verona” at the Guthrie

Prior to seeing the Guthrie’s current production of The Two Gentlemen of Verona, I read the text of the play. It’s easy to see it’s one of Shakespeare’s earliest. The prose and poetry aren’t as polished, and it prefigured many of his later, better plays in some of the phrasing, and the cross-dressing of a female character in love. Its ending is neatly tied up, though surprising in some of the particulars, like a threat of rape and an overquick, overgenerous forgiveness.

Joe Dowling’s Guthrie production did an engaging job of staging they play. It’s set in 1955, and the conceit is that the play is a live performance to be shown on television. Since the play is a comedy, and a light one, the liberty with setting did not trouble me. I found, though, that the young actors playing the lead parts of Valentine, Proteus, Silvia and Julia, were less strong than those actors in supporting parts, including Kris Nelson as the producer, a woefully underutilized Isabell Monk O’Connor, and Lee Mark Nelson as the Duke. It was Jim Lichtscheidl as Lance, though, who stole the show. His sometime stage companion didn’t always hit his mark, but Lance’s scenes were hilarious, and felt authentically true to the play as well as slightly improvised. This was a good example of why plays are meant to see performed, and not only read as text. When I read the play, I didn’t care for the scenes with Lance. Having seen the Guthrie production, I now have a much increased appreciation for them.

Overall entertaining, but not a must see. I much preferred Henry V.

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