AISLE
SAY New York
CYMBELINE
by William Shakespeare
Directed by Mark Lamos
Starring John Cullum, Martha Plimpton,
Michael Cerveris, Phylicia Rashad, John Pankow
Vivian Beaumont Theatre at Lincoln Center
150 East 65th Street
www.lct.org
Given
that Cymbeline is one
of the BardÕs lesser-performed Òproblem playsÓ and that the director of its
latest area mounting is Mark Lamos,
a regional notable, whose NYC productions have been (in my experience) rarely
better than unremarkably efficient, the production currently playing at Lincoln
Center is far better than youÕd
expect it to be.
This
odd tale (named equally oddly for a secondary character) in which both royal
family and romantic loyalties are tested (at first with mercenarily falsified
results), seems to have been written a bit on automatic pilot, as if Shakespeare threw in as many familiar conventions as he could
in an effort to meet a deadline, or to ÒsolveÓ a structure that was plaguing
him by simply finishing the
damn thing one way or another—and Mr. Lamos seems to have that in the
back of his mind. In the tone of his production, he forthrightly confronts
narrative quirks and clumsy exposition so that, rather than roll our eyes in
impatience, we feel let in on the joke. Which is to say, no oneÕs trying to
sell us a bill of goods. This isnÕt great Shakespeare, but enough of it is fun
Shakespeare to give us a decent evening. Not that Mr. Lamos has it played for
laughs; he honors the real stakes of each situationÉbut he understands the
value of tongue-in-cheek that doesnÕt violate verisimilitude.
The
ensemble is a mixed bag that ranges from stalwartly reliable (the ubiquitous Herb
Foster the iconic representation
of that category) to juicily engaging, and under that heading, more than a few
of the leads can take their bow, among them Martha Plimpton, Phylicia Rashad, Michael Cerveris, John Pankow and John Cullum.
A
must see? Not so much. A you wonÕt be sorryÉ? Much more like, if you know going in that it is
what it is. Plus, itÕs opulently presented and pretty to look at. Which beats
being pursued by a bear. (Oh, wait, thatÕs The WinterÕs Tale. Oh wellÉ)