PERICLES AT CLASSIC STAGE:
A CLASSIC STAGING OF PERICLES
Pericles by William Shakespeare is not a drama. Or comedy. It’s a Romance. A lovely romance that touches upon incest, forced prostitution, abduction by pirates, a murderous foster mother, a widowed young king, a shipwreck, famine, mental illness (arguably), grief, separation and beheadings for not being able to solve a riddle. Probably not the best theme for a Valentine’s Day party but the Bard’s sprawling epic also includes a wedding, reconciliation, celebration, redemption, unimpeachable virtue and an abiding familial love that remains steadfast in the face of horrendous twists of fate. Oh, and there’s a Queen who dies at sea in childbirth so she’s put in a coffin and thrown overboard because it’s bad luck to have dead bodies on a ship only for her to wash ashore, coffin intact, and be discovered by a doctor who in turn discovers Her Majesty is actually still alive so he brings her back to health so she can go off and join a temple and spend her remaining years in service to the goddess Diana. Where’s Cupid when you need him?
Paco Tolson
While Shakespeare may take the long way around to ultimately demonstrate the power of the human spirit and the triumph of the higher qualities within human life – is it really worth wading through two hours of mud and muck to get there? If the creative talents at Fiasco Theater are presenting the play, in conjunction with Classic Stage Company, where Pericles opened last night, it’s definitely worth the wade. Guided by the genius that is director Ben Steinfeld (who also doubles as the show’s charming, guitar-strumming chorus Gower), Fiasco applies its unique brand of imaginative, theatrical minimalism and delivers a fast-moving yet epic in scope and feel, stage triumph.
Emily Young, Paul L. Coffey, Noah Brody and Tatiana Weschler
This streamlined version, with additional songs beautifully written by Mr. Steinfeld, embraces the Homeric qualities of the story as well as Shakespeare’s text. At the same time, it also leaves space for the intimate, the naturalistic, the quiet and the funny. And there’s lots of funny in this Fiasco adaptation, which alone is quite an accomplishment. Because the funny does not come from outside gimmicks laid onto this generally heavy scenario but from a deep understanding of human nature and the need to sometimes welcome humor into the most tragic of situations. The uber-talented acting company, all of whom play multiple roles, create very human characters every moment onstage. This engaging and sometimes unexpected specificity (the hilarious voices on those knights) only adds to the sense of the incredible journey that Pericles endures throughout the proceedings.
The Company of Fiasco Theater's PERICLES
Paul L. Coffey and Tatiana Weschler
Of course, that depends on which Pericles we’re talking about. Because the production has made the novel choice to have four actors play Pericles, representing various phases of his life’s journey. Noah Brody, Devin E. Haqq, Paco Tolson and Tatiana Wechsler expertly present a united version of the title character while maintaining their individuality in their respective scenes. Ultimately, this casting conceit provides an even deeper sense of how Pericle’s ongoing experience has shifted him over the years. And Steinfeld’s staging of the transition between the multiple Pericles (the Pericli?) is clear, seamless and easily accepted.
Jessie Austrian and Tatiana Weschler
As Pericles’s much put upon daughter Marina, Emily Young shines. We believe her struggle to hold onto her values, not just because they are morally right but as a practical means of survival. As Pericles eventual wife Thasia, Jessie Austrian is both hilarious and moving in her love for Pericles. In a scene that almost stops the show, Thasia’s father, King Simonedes (a crowd-pleasing Andy Grotelueschen) tries to bring young lovers Thasia and Pericles (an impressive Tatiana Wechsler) together by pretending he is against their desired marriage. The scene is so funny and touching and smartly done, one might wish all performances of Shakespeare would be embodied this way.
Andy Grotelueschen (center)
While no specific Set Designer is listed in the program, the talents of Lighting Designer Mextly Couzin, Costume Designer Ahsley Rose Horton and Properties Supervisor Sarah Pencheff-Martin combine on Classic Stage’s Wooden O (really a thrust) to imaginatively create any location the script demands. Aided by Fiasco’s trademark unadorned stage boxes and step units, Steinfeld’s clever use of these theatrical tools creates anything from the rarified royal stands overlooking a joust to the dank, foreboding hold below decks in a ship.
Noah Brody
Of immediate interest upon entering the theater is a life-sized wooden coffin that, at least initially, dominates the show from upstage. But since unbridled creativity is a constant collaborator with the Fiasco team, this commanding set piece soon morphs into any number of uses, including the aforementioned jousting stand. More importantly, its continued presence underscores a theme in the show that death and loss are always nearby. Yet those painful experiences can also be a means to transition, change, redemption and, eventually, joy. It’s an effective, if sobering, choice.
Ben Steinfeld
If you like Shakespeare or gripping adventure or young love or even Game of Thrones, head down to Classic Stage Company and see this very worthwhile presentation of Fiasco Theater’s PERICLES before it sails on. While it might not be streaming on The Romance Channel (if there is such a thing) it should be. No doubt Cupid himself would fly in for a look.
Devin E. Haqq and Emily Young
photos by Austin Ruffer
Pericles
Fiasco Theater
Classic Stage Company, 136 E 13th St
ends on March 24, 2024
for tickets (starting at $70), visit CSC
