THE SHOW MUST GO ON
THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA
Directed by Davis Robinson; written by William Shakespeare
With: Kerry Watterson, David Anthony Lewis, Joshua Scharback, Dustin Tucker,
Jonathan Miller, Scott Daigle, Meg DiSciorio, Amy Kiser, Adele Bruni, Mark
S. Cartier, James Noel Hoban, Liz Helitzer, Saskia de Vries, Erin Roberts,
Janis Stevens, Contessa, the pug
At The Theater at Monmouth in Monmouth, Maine
In repertory from July 5 to August 23, 2003
Reviewed by Laurie Meunier Graves
If you love her you cannot see her…because love is blind.
Speed, from The Two Gentlemen of Verona
It seems to me that to be an actor requires exceptional bravery. Actors must
go on stage before hundreds of people, remember a multitude of lines,
project their voices without seeming to shout, and somehow become the people
they are portraying. And this is true whether the performance is good or
bad.
However, last night at The Theater at Monmouth, I saw a performance by an
actor—Dustin Tucker—that went beyond the usual bravery required of actors.
In fact, this performance was nothing short of heroic, and indeed Mr. Dustin
got a much-deserved standing ovation for his zesty seat-of-the-pants
portrayal of Valentine, one of the foolish lovers in The Two Gentlemen of
Verona.
Dennis A. Price, the actor who originally played Valentine, was called away
because of a family emergency. This, of course, left a major hole in the
play. Valentine is one of the main characters in The Two Gentlemen,
and he has many lines. At this point, The Theater had two choices: they
could cancel the performance or they could go on with the show. On they
went, and kudos to them for having the pluck to do so!
With book in hand to help him with his lines, Mr. Tucker played Valentine
with remarkable deftness and spirit. From his expressions to his movements
to his reactions to the other actors, Mr. Tucker gave a terrific
performance, and I’m sure it’s one he will remember all of his life. I know
I certainly will.
Compliments must also be given to Joshua Scharback, who took over the role
of the pompous Thurio (formerly played by Dustin Tucker). Thurio has fewer
lines than Valentine, and as result, Mr. Scharback did not need a book to
help him through the play. Nevertheless, he did a wonderful job, and I’m
sure that there must have been plenty of last-minute scrambling.
Now, on to the plot. In The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Valentine’s
servant Speed (Mark S. Cartier) points out that “love is blind,” and
fortunately for the two main characters, Proteus (David Anthony Lewis) and
Valentine, this indeed proves to be the case. Proteus is as changeable as
his name suggests; one moment he is in love with Julia and the next he is in
love with Silvia, with whom Valentine is smitten. Worst yet, Proteus is
perfectly willing to plot against Valentine, his lifelong friend, and to
have him banished just to get him away from Silvia. Valentine, in turn, is
perfectly willing to cede the lovely Silvia to Proteus. Foolish Proteus! All
he had to do was ask. The conniving was completely unnecessary.
The play starts out in Verona, moves to Milan (where supposedly Proteus and
Valentine will broaden their horizons and become mature men), and then ends
on the “frontiers of Mantua.” Along the way there is all manner of
tomfoolery—the aforementioned banishment, a thwarted elopement, puns from
wise servants, a woman disguised as a man, love lost and love found, a band
of robbers and, best of all, Crabbe the dog.
Julia (Saskia de Vries) and Silvia (Erin Roberts) prove to be the much- needed
ballast for the flighty, inconstant “gentlemen.” Initially, these women seem
to be as foolish as Proteus and Valentine, but it soon becomes obvious that
they have all the qualities the two men lack. Julia and Silvia are
loyal, generous, big-hearted and forgiving. When Julia, in disguise, meets
her rival Silvia for the first time, Julia readily acknowledges Silvia’s
virtues. And Silvia remains true to Valentine, despite pressure from her
father, Thurio (the pompous suitor), and Proteus, who pursues her doggedly.
As the play progresses, it is clear that Proteus and Valentine do not
deserve these fine women.
If it were not for the intrepid Dustin Tucker, Crabbe the dog, played by
Contessa (a small black pug) would have stolen the show. Wearing an
Elizabethan ruff, Crabbe trots obediently across the stage. She is lead by
Launce (James Noel Hoban), who is Proteus’s servant. When Launce and Crabbe
come to a rest, Crabbe stares out into the audience; her little black eyes
glitter and her face is sober. If we could only read her mind! However,
Contessa is as much of a trooper as Dustin Tucker, and she plays her part
with style.
The same could also be said about the rest of cast, who handled a difficult
situation with grace and humor. The Theater At Monmouth is generously
offering half-price tickets to last night’s theatergoers for one of the two
remaining performances of The Two Gentlemen. I don’t know how the
rest of the audience feels, but I wouldn’t have missed last night’s
performance for anything. Let others see what will no doubt be two fine
productions. I prefer to remember The Two Gentlemen the way I saw it
last night with order teetering on the edge of chaos but in the end
prevailing.
