‘The Two Gentlemen of Verona’
Young lovers, meddling parents, clever servants, the nature vs. court dichotomy, gender-bending outlaws and even an adorable dog figure in Shakespeare’s early comedy The Two Gentlemen of Verona, in a delightful production through Sunday on the Old Globe Arena Stage.
Richard Seer directs this co-production between the Old Globe Theatre and USD’s graduate theater program. James Winker adapted the play.
Catherine Gowl (Sylvia), Jordan McArthur (Valentine), Andrew Dahl (Proteus) and Aubrey Saverino (Julia) in The Old Globe/University of San Diego Graduate Theatre Program’s production of William Shakespeare’s ‘The Two Gentlemen of Verona.’
The titular gentlemen are two buddies debating whether travel is more important than love or the reverse. Valentine (Jordan McArthur) thinks the answer is travel, and leaves fair Verona to prove it. Proteus (Andrew Dahl), in a moon-June-groom frame of mind, stays home to woo girlfriend Julia (Aubrey Saverino).
Valentine doesn’t get far – Milan – when he sees Sylvia (Catherine Gowl) and changes his mind about the importance of travel. Unfortunately, her father the Duke (Steven Marzolf) has another suitor in mind – Thurio (Christian Durso), a social zero with a big bank account.
The trouble starts when Proteus’ father sends him off to Milan to reap the benefits of travel – and he gets a look at the lovely Sylvia. Suddenly Julia is forgotten, friendship is in jeopardy and all sorts of craziness (including perfidy, hilarity and forgiveness) is in store for viewers.
The four young lovers (Dahl, Saverino, McArthur and Gowl) are top-notch and great fun to watch. Kevin Hoffmann is a stitch as Speed, Valentine’s quick-witted page. Andrew Hutcheson’s Launce, keeper of the dog (a lovable ancient Lhasa poo) is supposed to be slower of wit, but proved quick on the draw with a great ad-lib when the dog barked.
Fraction as Crab and Drew Hutcheson as Launce in The Old Globe/University of San Diego Graduate Theatre Program’s production of William Shakespeare’s ‘The Two Gentlemen of Verona.’
This is the last time the in-the-round Arena Stage will be used by the Old Globe, and this cast does better than any I’ve seen at playing to all sides of the house.
It won’t pay to try to make sense of this plot. Presumably based on Jorge de Montemayor’s prose romance Diana, this play shows a young Shakespeare just learning his craft. But it’s a delightful production. So sit back, relax and put up with the puns, bad jokes and logical inconsistencies as you enjoy the 1910 setting, Scott Joplin tunes and truly lyrical moments.
The Old Globe/USD production of The Two Gentlemen of Verona plays through November 22, 2009 at the Old Globe Arena Stage. Shows Tuesday and Wednesday at 7 p.m.; Thursday and Friday at 8 p.m.; Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 and 7 p.m. For tickets call (619) 23-GLOBE or visit www.TheOldGlobe.org.
