ANW's Cymbeline

How wonderful it is to get the opportunity to compare and contrast two different productions of the same play. 

I feel that this is one of the great benefits of Shakespeare's legacy: every new production I see (the good ones, at least) tell me something new about the play - even when it's a play I've studied ad nauseum and know intimately (see my thoughts on Macbeth). 

We actually saw Theatrum Elysium's Cymbeline precisely because we knew that A Noise Within was putting it on a month later. We couldn't let this chance for comparative theatre to pass us by. In fact, we've already secured tickets for a third Cymbeline production this year, which will take place in December at The Broad Stage. 

Having said that, I'm going to try my best to focus on ANW's Cymbeline independently from Theatrum Elysium's, leaving some of my comparative observations for a subsequent post. 

I got excited when I realized that Adam Hunter was going to be playing the parts of Posthumous and Cloten. I knew that he'd make a killer Cloten, having just seen him in Boston Court's The Government Inspector, where he played Khlestakov - a self-entitled, arrogant, self-interested, good-for-nothing, vice addicted son of someone of moderate importance. I was really intrigued to see how Hunter would play Cloten's foil, Posthumous, and I must admit that I enjoyed his lethargic portrayal of this banished, conflicted, credulous man. 

I also enjoyed the two boys, Cymbeline's abducted sons who have grown up as mountaineers. I buy the sibling rivalry, and their immaturity helps solve two main problems:

1. They sell the idea that the boys would feel a kinship to Fidele upon first meeting him. The idea of kids making fast friends is readily acceptable.
2. It explains why Guiderius somewhat hastily kills Cloten and then proceeds to cut off his head.

A weak point in this production, however, was Imogen. Now, I understand that because Cymbeline is a Romance, it most closely resembles a comedy, but her character wasn't believable in any way. For instance, during the final court scene with the Disney ending where all loose ends and neatly tied into a big bow of love, Posthumous wouldn't keep his eye off of Imogen, regardless of where she moved or who she interacted with. She, however, seemed to forget she was supposed to be tragically, painfully in love sometimes. She's too quick to accept the different solutions that come before her: too quick to accept the plan of being a boy, too quick to be with the mountaineers, too quick to leave with Caius Lucius. Not only did I not believe that she was hurting for her husband when she believes him dead, but her performance was outright laughable (literally: people cracked up) when she asks the corpse where his head is.

Regardless, I enjoyed the accessibility of ANW's Cymbeline. The pacing and the direction made it easy to follow this Shakespearean play, which can be challenging at times.