Let's Go to the Theater

Tempers flare between the members of the acting troupe. (left to right: Matthew Stucky, James Michael Reilly, Kevin Isola, Dominic Comperatore, and Rob Krakovski)
Photo © Jerry Dalia, The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, 2015.

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey is known for their renowned work with the classic works of William Shakespeare. They can take one of his time honored plays and present it in such a manner that it allows people to see a 400 year old play from an entirely new vantage point. When this happens, one cannot help but wonder what was the man behind these magnificent creations really like? Was he inventive, how did he grow during his writing career, and even what led to the eventual conclusion of the writing part of his life?

These questions are something to consider with the production currently running at the Shakespeare Theatre in Madison with the play “Equivocation.” It is a play that provides theater-goers with a unique take on Shakespeare as a writer. It offers a chance to speculate on what might have lead the Bard to write “Macbeth” which many regard as one of his darkest and yet most powerful works. It also provides a theory on why Shakespeare’s final plays were written as they were. “Equivocation” is a must see for fans of the Bard because not only does it speculate on a new theory, but it also provides one of the most human and humbling portrayals of him. There are only a few days left to see this show in Madison so make it a point to get there before it closes on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2015.

The plot centers around the time period right after the famous Gunpowder Plot (also known as the Treason Plot) in England in the year 1605. This involved a group of provincial English Catholics led by Robert Catesby who attempted to assassinate King James I of England and VI of Scotland. At the last minute, the plot failed when Gary Fawkes was caught as he was in the process of lighting the fuse to blow up barrels of gunpowder. He was sent to the Tower of London where he was tortured and gave up the names of the other conspirators.

In “Equivocation” we see the right hand man to King James I, Cecil, attempting to hire Shag (the nickname in this show given to the character who would be Shakespeare) to write an outstanding play about the event for the glory of the King and at the request of the King.  Although the money is good, Shag is very hesitant at first to take on this assignment. He discusses it with his co-company theater members and the money has them demanding he do it. Shag just doesn’t feel there is enough of a story there. But everyone around him tells him with his glorious writing talent, he can make one work.

Shag needs more than that so he decides to go to the Tower of London to interview one of the men named in the conspiracy. He enters to a dismal portrayal of the penal system workings of the time when the rack and all sorts of torture were used to handle prisoners and get information out of them. These scenes are a little gruesome to watch, however, the staging is well done especially the scene where the hanging and beheading take place. But be prepared for some startling moments just prior to the intermission.

As the plot continues, Shag is starting to realize he is in deeper than he cares to be but suddenly, he is forced by the King and Cecil to either write the play or suffer a similar fate as he witnessed with the poor soul he had interviewed. Shag takes pen in hand to create a work that will tell a story but maybe expand the truth so it is not too recognizable. Thus the connection to the name of the play, “Equivocation” because there is an ambiguous expression created. In a sense, it tells the story but it misleads or plays with the truth.

The actors in this show do a first rate job portraying a number of different roles. These include Dominic Comperatore, Matthew Stucky, Rob Krakovski, Kevin Isola, and Theresa Barbato who also serves in part as a narrator. One might classify this as an ensemble production and it is in great part. However, James Michael Reilly does have the central role as Shag. His portrayal of the potential Shakespeare is intense, well-developed, and a role that just sears into the horrors of that time period and all the suffering that it brought about.

The play runs for a total of 2 hours and 40 minutes with one 15-minutes intermission. It is a little long in the second act where some of the gruesomeness might have been eliminated. But the action moves to a rather stunning conclusion which will surprise you and cause you to think more about how the phenomenal play “Macbeth” was imagined and perhaps why it carries that reputation as the play which actors refer to as that which should not be named.

Tickets are available by calling the Box Office at 973-408-5600, visiting the theatre’s website at www.ShakespeareNJ.org or going directly to the Box Office at the F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre, 36 Madison Avenue (at Lancaster Road), Madison, NJ. Student Rush tickets are available a half-hour before curtain time for $15 with a valid Student ID.