20 Jul Telluride Theatre’s “Two Gents,” Delightful Dive into Sine Curve That is Young Love! GO!
Telluride Theatre (TT) presents Shakespeare in the Park,”The Two Gentlemen of Verona,” Sat, July 19 – Sun, July 27 at 8pm.
Light concessions and alcohol are available for purchase.
Three tiers of tickets: GA ($40); Youth ($20); and Pay-What-You-Can (4 available per performance). “Shakespeare in the Park” is known to sell out and ‘Two Gents” is a must-see so get your tickets NOW!
To learn more, go to https://telluridetheatre.thundertix.com/events/244372.
Go here for more about Telluride Theatre dating back to 2009.
Theatre, when it is very good, is life made urgent, which is undeniably the case in one of Shakespeare’s earliest rom-coms, “The Two Gentlemen of Verona.” And that urgency, spiced with passion, is especially true in the case of a young love, which favors all the ups and downs of the waves of a sine curve – or perhaps better – a wild and wooly rollercoaster ride.
Which explains why the Hollywood ending of the play actually makes sense, despite what many critics see as one of the production’s weakest (read implausible) moments. Here cynics are cautioned to remember we are talking Gen Z, whose pu pu platter of neurosis is almost always on display and for whom amour is often about easily being snowed. Please remember that is the time of life when Testosterone Rex led the parade. Cue Stephan Stills, ”Love the. One You’re With.” Got it?
So a pox on the house of those who damn The Bard’s apprentice phase, aka his early works, with faint praise – or no praise at all, dissing shows like “Two Gents” as doing little more than showing a promise that gradually develops into the masterpieces of his later periods. Although yes, a number of The Bard’s later triumphs are foreshadowed here:
• The balcony scene in “Romeo and Juliet” in the very funny moment when Valentine reveals his elopement plans to Silvia’s father with the rope ladder he’s vainly concealing.
• The contrast between the idealized world of Verona and the more turbulent Milan foreshadows similar settings in other plays, as do comedies in which two friends fall in love with the same woman, but one has already sworn his love to another woman, and the second is not considered good enough for her, etc.
• Two Gents” is also anticipates The Bard’s endless steam of cross-dressers.
Cutting to the chase: the audience on opening night took a break from dark headlines and allowed itself to revel in Jim Cairl’s midsummer’s night’s dream of a production, which was captivating, exhilarating, and good (mostly) clean fun
Cairl’s gift appears to be directing his abundantly talented cast of locals towards unbuttoned joy. So if your teen years died last week from unrealized expectations in the hamlet of Telluride (or elsewhere), give yourself over to the absolute pleasure of “Two Gents”and allow that persona to be reborn.
Clearly the show, aided and abetted by Cairl’s crew – Kelli Fox on lighting design; Elena Levin on costumes, sets and props; and Telluride Theatre’s Artistic Director, Sasha Cuciniello, who partnered with Elena to design the set and also produced the show – is more than a trial run for Shakespeare’s later comedies. “Two Gents” exists in its own right as a study of love, friendship, and betrayal, with lots of fun leavening those through lines.
In essence, Cairl’s “The Two Gentlemen of Verona” is a valuable piece of the Shakespearean puzzle, offering a glimpse into the playwright’s formative years and his never-ending exploration of universally human follies and foibles. The action hinges on the fact that Proteus, who follows his friend Valentine to Milan, falls for his chum’s girl, Silvia, betraying his recently adored Julia.
Must not have gotten the memo about mates before dates.
But, rather than playing Proteus as a total cur, Kevin Douglas – also Telluride Theatre’s newly appointed Operation Manager – embodied him as a tortured, complex charmer, his character therefore anticipating the self-exploration of later Shakespearean heroes, even tragic icons like Hamlet and MacBeth.
Played by the incandescent Telluride Theatre newbie Susa Smith, Julia dons boys’ clothes to become Sebastian and pursue Proteus, offering in those moments an immensely touching study of heartbroken devotion. But in either one of her two personas, she treats the audience to a master class in physical theatre. Time and again the lady steals the limelight – no small feat in the face of her gifted colleagues, right down to Zissou Lightning Flood as Crab, the Much-Bemused Dog.
Zissou Lightning Floof as Crab, also Sasha’s real-life pet.
What is that old trope about actors never wanting to follow kids and pets? In Julia/Susa’s case fagetaboutit.
As Guildenstern to Kevin’s Rosencrantz or Valentine to the latter’s Proteus, James Van Hooser comedic gifts are again on display as they have been in production after production, where his presence on stage tends to anchor the moment.
Taylor Fortenberry as Silvia excelled at embodying a beautiful woman, yes, but one with an immovable sense of self-respect, who refuses to be reduced to a mere object of desire. Taylor’s performance, her debut with Telluride Theatre, made her the moral compass of the play, the black-and-white of it all, in contrast to the 50 shades of gray of the male characters.
In truth, there were no weak actors in the cast. None at all. Niko Pantovich Gonzalez as Lance was Falstaffian in his wit. – especially when accessorized by Crab the Dog as handbag. Samuel Young, a Telluride Theatre regular, has never been better as the witty, energetic, exuberant Speed. It feels important to note that those two characters are the first of many in servant/clown roles.
Alissa Ahlberg as Lucetta, Julia’s maid, tongue firmly planted in cheek, shone with her all-knowing, somewhat arch attitude. More please.
Sue Knechtel as the Duke of Milan had the audiences in stitches throughout, a gift that has never failed her.
A love triangle, a forest, disguises, and a dog – “Two Gents” has it all. From beginning to end, the gloriously silly comedy we saw Saturday night was scintillating. For sure this is not Shakespeare’s finest work; its language not as good as his best plays, nonetheless it was a delightful night of theater performed by a cast clearly having a ball. The company, which includes seven newbies to Telluride Theatre’s stage, shone with a cohesion that was evident throughout.
Cairl’s “Two Gents” gave CPR to those elements of what’s human and magical that still live and shine brightly despite the darkness we are living in today.
Give yourself a break from the news and GO!
Valentine & Proteus, courtesy Ben Eng.
The cast as graduating class, a riff on the teen rom-com, “Can’t Hardly Wait.” Credit, Ben Eng.
Julia and her maid Lucette. Credit Ben Eng.
Cast:
James Van Hooser as VALENTINE
Kevin Douglas as PROTEUS
Susa Smith as JULIA
Taylor Fortenberry as SYLVIA
Niko Pantovich Gonzalez as LANCE
Sue Knechtel as THE DUKE
Samuel Young as SPEED/MUSICIAN
Alissa Ahlberg as LUCETTA/ENSEMBLE
Miguel Ambriz as OUTLAW/MUSICIAN/ENSEMBLE
Kassidy Atherton as HOST/ENSEMBLE
Aidan Choate as THURIO/ENSEMBLE
Bria Collins as PANTINO/ENSEMBLE
Evan MacMillan as ANTONIO/ENSEMBLE
Jacob Turnage as EGLAMOUR/ENSEMBLE
& introducing… Zissou Lightning Floof as CRAB (THE DOG)
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