Guest starring Neil David Seibel and Sarah Walker Thornton of the Actors’ Equity Association, Michael Winkelman’s production of Measure for Measure tells the story of Isabella, a chaste, young woman and devoted sister aspiring to become a nun, and Angelo, a hypocritical, unmerciful deputy of the law.
We are introduced to our characters and the town of Vienna—rife with debauchery—by Duke Vincentio (David Wilson), who has decided to pose as a friar to learn what the townsfolk really think of him. In his absence, he leaves Angelo (Neil David Seibel) to enforce the law, and Angelo’s first act is to arrest Claudio (Chris Mascia) for laying with a woman before she is his wife. Claudio desperately reaches out to his sister, Isabella (Sarah Walker Thornton, to plead for his life.
It is over the course of Isabella’s pleas with Angelo that the audience sees how deeply corrupt he actually is. While Angelo plans to murder Claudio for loving his fiancé, he tells Isabella the only way to save him is for her to give up her chastity. Isabella, planning to become a nun, is disgusted by this offer and threatens to tell everyone how sick Angelo really is.
The struggle of Angela and Isabella strikes deeply at the hearts of the audience. Convincingly performed by Seibel and Thornton, we feel sorry for Isabella, who is stuck in between watching her brother be killed or losing her most valued virtue. The scene is particularly emotional for anyone who has felt trapped in an unbearable situation such as this, and the audience feels as helpless as Isabella–wanting to reach out and help her but unable.
To alleviate the despair of Isabella’s situation, the show presents comedic relief with the Provost (Kiersten Mattox), Elbow (Kate Saylor), Mistress Overdone (Elizabeth Woodworth), and Pompey (Sam Wallace). The characters provide a side-plot about the town’s “houses of ill repute” being closed, and the actors do an outstanding job of relieving tension and getting a chuckle out of the audience.
In the finale, all is set right in Vienna… Well almost. Duke Vincentio reveals himself and all the knowledge that he has gained, Angelo is forced to marry his betrothed Mariana, Lucio is married to his former lover, and Claudio and Juliet are reunited. However, poor Isabella, who spent so much time trapped by Angelo, is unhappily wed to the duke in the end.
Overall, Winkelman’s Measure for Measure is an excellent show of Shakespeare’s genius. The set is beautifully designed and transports the audience into the mindset of the time period. The actors all stayed in character, even down to the tiniest details, and captured the hearts of the audience. From the struggle of power to the laughter of Mistress Overdone, the performance was a show of excellence.
To see a slideshow of the show, click here.
By Nicolette Parrish