Usher Nonsense #16 - The Beard of Avon
While you are reading this, pick up the phone and call New York Theatre
Works for your tickets to this show. 212-460-5475
THE BEARD OF AVON - New York Theatre Works, 79 East 4th Street
by Amy Freed, Directed by Doug Hughes
With Timothy Doyle, James Gale, Kate Jennings Grant, Mark Harelik, Tom
Lacy, Alan Mandell, Tim Blake Nelson, Davis Schramm, Justin Schultz,
Jeff Whitty (Avenue Q) and Mary Louise Wilson
Neil Patel - sets (Christmas Ride, Between Us, Dirty Tricks); Catherine
Zuber - Costumes; Lighting - Michael Chubowski (Lieutenant of Inishmore)
If you know Shakespeare, or have read Shakespeare, or seen a play by
Shakespeare or heard of him ever - you could very well like this show.
Written as a sort of Elizabethan satire-farce, this play indulges the premise
that Shakespeare did not write his own plays but was the beard (the cover)
for other writers who preferred anonymity. Like Edward de Vere, Lord
Oxford (Mark Harelik) who made me laugh so hard I barked. Or Queen
Elizabeth (and the funniest one I ever saw) - Mary Louise Wilson.
Will is bitten by the acting bug and goes off to London to pursue his dreams
in a world where young men play women and the main plot lines involve the
men playing men showing off their large sausages. Will is a dreadful actor.
Except when struck by poetic inspiration that makes everyone stop in their
tracks. These outbursts are extemporaneous as Will, at the beginning of the
play, is also illiterate. He is dreadful and eager enough to offer to be the
beard for Lord Oxford whose first work is Titus Andronicus, and whose
lover - the girlish Earl of Derby (Jeff Whitty - book Avenue Q ) - has
encouraged Oxford to go out on a limb and free himself of the incessant
boredom that comes from being rich, royal and reminiscent of his ruthless
youth. Oxford takes Will under his wing and teaches him to read, which
means Will starts to think and to write on his own - starting with the
Sonnets. He soon wants to be recognized for his talent - oops.
One thing leads to another as the play begins to resemble something that
might have been a collaboration between the Marx Brothers, Danny Kaye
and Basil Rathbone. There are puns, references to nearly all of
Shakespeare’s works and brilliant take offs on the present. The jokes are
FUNNY, but they are also very smart. This is what the authors of Wicked
tried to do with the back-story of Oz. The difference is that Amy Freed
succeeds.
The casting is weak in two places, one of which is Shakespeare himself (Tim
Blake Nelson) who occasionally play WS as a cross between Mighty Mouse
and Bert Lahr. Strange choice when so much else is dead on. And the poor
guy is saddled with the worst hair piece I have ever seen. This is odd
because there is a lot of wiggery in this show and it is all quite good. Maybe
this will be fixed soon. Nelson is not so bad all of the time and never gets in
the way of this show galloping along and taking us with it. The cast is aided
by the sets, lights and costumes which are practical and elegant.
Best line in the show (from Ann Hathaway - Shakespeare's wife) - "If I had
been born a man - I could have been an actress." Think about it.
Think about it while you are calling for reservations. It opens on
Wednesday and they need audience support while they wait for word to get
out. Be the first on your block to see a good writer blossoming.
©2003 Tulis McCall
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