Theater: Hot New Ticket - The Elizebethan National Debate, December 15, 2015

By Theater Critic C.G. Spaniels

What a smash hit!  

 

Bard

I’ve never seen a Shakespearean mashup production so true to The Bard’s characters, plots, and astounding dialogue.  This play mingles several of Shakespeare’s pivotal works and Shakespeare’s most defining characters from his Comedies, Histories, and Tragedies. 

And in doing so, this production nails the archetypal Comic, the Conniver, the Murderer, the Schemer, the Accessory, and the Incidental.  As an extra treat, the playwright added two lovable characters from the early days of television!  And it’s all in one package! 

The play is set in Las Vegas.  The characters are gathered for the purpose of overthrowing the King, but they quickly turn to the upcoming war with Euthanasia.  They abandon any discussion about dethroning the King and squabble about how to proceed with the war.  The chaos and confusion that results is side-splitting!

The casting was outstanding, the sets beautiful, lighting perfect, make-up superb!   Congratulations to Ray Harryhausen for special effects. 

 
That’s an Oscar right there!

I must first of all praise Carly Fiorina for her portrayal of Lady Macbeth.

“I fought my way to the top of corporate America while being called every B word in the book.”

Lady Macbeth

Chris Christie performed brilliantly as Bottom.  The padding in his costume was fantastic.  Talk about a bottom!  His character is from New Jersey.   

“See, maybe -- maybe because I'm from New Jersey, I just have this kind of plain language hangup.”

Christie

Bottom

Special mention to John Kasich for his portrayal of Polonius, the slightly senile, advice-proffering old man. 

"A leader has a sound program, has a good policy, and then brings people together to solve problems.”

Polonius

Kasich

Carson

Othello

Ben Carson delivered a fascinating twist to the character of Othello; portraying him as a soft-spoken doctor/warrior who is thoroughly bellicose beneath his bedside manner.  

“. . . I asked congress, go ahead and declare the war.” 


Tough talk!  A perfect patsy for Iago!

Ovations for Ted Cruz's portrayal of Grandpa Munster

Munster

Cruz

Rubio

And for Marco Rubio as Eddie Munster.

Munster

Jeb Bush delivered an outstanding performance as The Fool. 

“First of all, I know what I don't know. I know what I don't know.” 

Fool

Bush

But Donald Trump stole the show with his portrayal of Sir John Falstaff, the comedic knight given to posturing and confusing dialogue.  Trump's mugging, eyeball rolling, one-liners, grimacing, and bombastic theatrics dominated the show.   Trump is a natural actor; fearless, commanding, and deft at upstaging the troupe at every turn.

Falstaff

Trump

Shakespeare wrote about Falstaff:

"He was full of jests, and gipes, and knaveries, and mocks; I have forgot his name."

The three Witches were played by Barry Goldwater, Curtis Lemay, and Ronald Reagan. Nice job stirring up the witches brew!  “Double, Double, Toil and Trouble!" indeed! 


And lastly, Wolf Blitzer gets my two thumbs up for his portrayal of Gower, a captain in Henry V's army.  Before the commercial break, Blitzer serves up Gower's monologue and wins a "huzza" from me!

"Why,'tis a gull, a fool, a rogue, that now and then goes to the wars, to grace himself at his return into Washington under the form of a soldier. And such fellows are perfect in the great commanders' names: and they will learn you by rote where services were done; at such and such a sconce, at such a breach, at such a convoy; who came off bravely, who was shot, who disgraced, what terms the enemy stood on; and this they con perfectly in the phrase of war, which they trick up with new-tuned oaths: and what a beard of the general's cut and a horrid suit of the camp will do among foaming bottles and ale-washed wits, is wonderful to be thought on. But you must learn to know such slanders of the age, or else you may be marvelously mistook."

I was thoroughly entertained by this production, which is now going on the road at least until the Tony awards.   If you can catch it in New Hampshire or Iowa, don't miss this one! 

It's a bomb! 

Credits:

Director                  Stanley Kubrick
Producer                 Max Bialystock
Playwright              C.G. Spaniels
Set Designer           PeeWee Herman
Choreography         Isadora Duncan
Music                      Edgard Varese
Costumes                Mr. Moto of Bayonne
Stage Manager        Fritz the Cat
Effects                     Ray Harryhausen
Lighting                  Marie Curie
Props                       Abdul Hamman Aboukamakazi
Sound                      John Cage
Makeup                   Tammy Faye
Beaver Coordinator      Jerry Mathers
Large Animal Wrangler     B. Moose
Voice Coach            Froggy
Air Travel                Rocket J. Squirrel
Catering                   B. King
Sword fights            Capt. Blood 
Stunts                       Capt. Beefheart
Foreign Affairs Adviser    George III
Nuclear Bombs       George Foreman EZ Atom Bombs
B-52s                       Slim Pickens
Social Media           Anonymous
Best Boy                  Dick Cheney

Pickens