Directed By Psalmayene 24 Folger Theatre’s Measure for Measure Proves Relevant in Today’s Political Climate
Measure for Measure is a rare commodity and not one of Shakespeare’s much-produced plays. It’s scandalous and politically charged, so it fits right in with our times. Director Psalmayene 24 sets the play in the American South in 1950’s a time not so socially different than the early 1600’s when an unwed pregnant woman was shunned. In the 1950’s she would be sent off to a home for ‘unwed mothers’, forced to wed before she ‘showed’ or, if the family had connections, sent to a convent to give birth in secrecy. In this story Claudio is sent to prison for “fornication” and sentenced to death – his lover Juliet shunned by society. It’s not difficult to find the hypocritical relevance to our current political state.
A comic drama, it tells the story in rhyme and dialogue of Isabella, a valiant novice who speaks truth to power, standing up to the elites who hide their own failings through their positions of power. One in particular is Angelo, whom Vincentio, the Duke of the province, has appointed to serve as his proxy while he travels. Angelo’s aide, Escalus, a prim and proper schoolmarm, place sentence on Claudio, the father-to-be, in a kangaroo court trial. Though Claudio and Juliet are deeply in love and had planned to be wed, Angelo’s brutish and lecherous nature refuses to take that into consideration and demands Claudio be beheaded. I should note that both Angelo and Escalus are cast as White while Isabella and Claudio, brother and sister, are Black – a most intriguing interpretation. Juliet is played by a White actor suggesting a crime of miscegenation. It may be difficult to comprehend how there could possibly be comic relief in this romantic tragedy, but the lesser characters are so broadly and humorously drawn that there is plenty of humor to lighten the serious nature of the plot. When Mistress Overdone, the flashy Black owner of a brothel, dresses down Elbow and Master Froth, two naughty White teens who make jokes about sex and disease in the bawdy houses, it is riotously funny.
With a purposely muted set, Psalmayene emphasizes the discrimination of the era with ‘Colored Only’ and ‘White Only’ drinking fountains. His not inconsiderable sway as a much celebrated director in the DMV gives him a huge talent pool in which to draw from for his casts and creatives. This production proves that to be true. The sheer glory of this production is the electrifying performance by Renea S. Brown as Isabella. Brown shows her talents as one of the fiercest, bravest and most confident actors I have seen on any stage, and it gobsmacked me to witness her powerhouse soliloquies. All in all, the casting is as superb as the direction, but Brown’s performance is award-winning and I am sticking my neck out here to predict it.
Highly recommended!!!
With Nathan Darrow as The Duke; Holly Twyford as Escalus; JaBen Early as Claudio; Jonathan Feuer as Lucio; Sean Fri as Provost; Maryanne Henderson as Juliet; Ahmad Kamal as Pompey; Lee Osorio as Angelo; Chinai Routté as Mistress Overdone and Francisca; Ryan Sellers as Elbow and others; John Sygar as Froth and others.
Choreographer, Tony Thomas; Composer, KOKAYI; Adaptor, Mekala Sridhar; Scenic Designer, Debra Booth; Costume Designer, Mika Eubanks; Lighting Designer, Jesse Belsky; Sound Designer, Matthew M. Nielson; Casting Director, Danica Rodriguez.
Through November 1st at the Folger Theatre, 201 East Capitol Street, SE, Washington, DC 20003. For tickets visit www.Events.Folger.edu
