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<p class=MsoNormal>This is the final weekend for <b><i><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>The Two Gentlemen of Verona</span></i></b>, performed by the <b><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>Ohio Shakespeare Festival</span></b> at <b>Stan Hywet
Hall and Gardens</b>, 714 N. Portage Path in Akron.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>Final performances are Thursday, Friday and Saturday, July
10,11 and 12, at 8pm. The beautiful grounds of the mansion open at 6pm
for picnicking, with snacks and beverages (including beer and wine) available
for purchase.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>Don’t let clouds deter you… Ohio weather changes
like quicksilver. We’ve only lost 3 shows to rain in 7 seasons, and
our good fortune continues!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>Visit ohioshakespeare.com for details.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:15.75pt'><i><span style='font-size:11.5pt;
font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>REVIEW <o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-line-height-alt:15.75pt'><span
class=story-title1><span style='font-size:18.0pt'>Shakespeare shines through at
Stan Hywet </span></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style='line-height:15.75pt'><span class=story-deck1><span style='font-size:
11.5pt'>Impressive troupe delivers 'Two Gentlemen of Verona' with delight at
outdoor show </span></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style='margin-top:0in;line-height:15.75pt'><span class=post-credit1><span
style='font-size:9.0pt'>By Elaine Guregian </span></span><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><br>
<span class=post-credit1>Beacon Journal arts and culture critic </span></span><span
style='font-size:10.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style='line-height:15.75pt'><span class=post-date1><span style='font-size:
9.0pt'>Published on Monday, Jun 30, 2008 </span></span><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style='line-height:11.25pt'><span style='font-size:9.0pt'>When you run a
theater company that performs outside, as the Ohio Shakespeare Festival does,
there's drama built into your shows. Namely, will the weather let them take
place? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style='line-height:11.25pt'><span style='font-size:9.0pt'>Luckily, Saturday
afternoon's rainstorm stopped, the skies cleared and Shakespeare's comedy <i>The
Two Gentlemen of Verona</i> was able to go on as planned, outside in the lagoon
area of Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens in Akron. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style='line-height:11.25pt'><span style='font-size:9.0pt'>The play is
thought to be Shakespeare's first stage work, and you feel the playwright's
exuberance in this production directed by Terry Burgler, co-artistic director
of the festival. The pre-performance greenshow set the pace with a rowdy live
trailer for <i>Hamlet</i>, coming July 17, setting out the story with today's
slang (dude!) instead of Shakespeare's. But no worries if that ad sounded
irreverent. As fresh and seductively audience-alert as <i>Verona</i> was, it
was still Shakespeare's show, delivered with evident delight. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style='line-height:11.25pt'><span style='font-size:9.0pt'>A simple set
tucked against a rocky cliff on Stan Hywet's grounds shows us the Italian
locales where the action takes place. From near the back of the audience, every
word was admirably clear on Saturday. Burgler's cast shaped the story with a
quicksilver energy, honoring Shakespeare with a vibrant, direct command of his
poetic language. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style='line-height:11.25pt'><span style='font-size:9.0pt'>Andrew Cruse was
Proteus, a young man bursting with love. At first, his affection is directed at
his girlfriend, Julia, at home in Verona. When Proteus follows his best friend,
Valentine, to Milan, he falls for Valentine's girlfriend, Silvia. Given Cruse's
charm, it was impossible to hate him despite his fickle ways. As Valentine,
Andy Nagraj had a solid, imperturbable presence, in comical contrast to his
stage-stealing servant, Speed (Ernie Gonzalez). <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style='line-height:11.25pt'><span style='font-size:9.0pt'>Richard Worswick
was wonderfully willing to set himself up as a ridiculous fop in yellow tights,
Thurio, who is destined to fail in his attempt at Silvia's hand. (Costume
designer Jonathan Fletcher, take a bow.) <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style='line-height:11.25pt'><span style='font-size:9.0pt'>As for Silvia,
Katherine DeBoer let this heroine shine. She's no fool; when Proteus tries to
charm her, she gives it back to him, laying him out as the cad he is. You can
see the beginnings of a friendship between Silvia and Julia when the latter,
disguised as a man to get a better look at the deteriorating situation, sees
that Silvia is actually an unwilling rival for Proteus. Lara Mielcarek, as
Julia, showed impressive range, moving from a depiction of a proper, even
prissy, young woman to a slightly desperate spy. Tess Burgler stepped a bit
outside the period, a little more casual than the rest, as Julia's servant, but
appealingly believable. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style='line-height:11.25pt'><span style='font-size:9.0pt'>Timothy Champion
was dryly in command as Proteus' servant, Launce, who finds fault with his dog
as if he were human. The play is stuffed with puns that are evident on the
written page but need some coaxing to bring them out onstage. Champion and the
rest of the actors helped the text along, letting us hear the difference, say,
between a tail (visible onstage with an extremely cooperative dog) and a tale. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style='line-height:11.25pt'><i><span style='font-size:9.0pt'>Verona</span></i><span
style='font-size:9.0pt'> starts the season on a high. It makes me look forward
to <i>Hamlet</i> (starting with a preview July 17) and <i>I Hate Hamlet</i>,
beginning with a preview Aug. 7. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style='line-height:11.25pt'><span style='font-size:9.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center;line-height:11.25pt'><span
class=storytext1><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>
<hr size=1 width="100%" noshade style='color:#CCCCCC' align=center>
</span></span></div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:11.25pt'><span class=storytext1><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>Elaine Guregian
can be reached at 330-996-3574 or <a
href="mailto:eguregian@thebeaconjournal.com">eguregian@thebeaconjournal.com</a>.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style='line-height:11.25pt'><span style='font-size:9.0pt'> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=storytext>When you run a theater company that performs outside, as the
Ohio Shakespeare Festival does, there's drama built into your shows. Namely,
will the weather let them take place?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=storytext>Luckily, Saturday afternoon's rainstorm stopped, the skies
cleared and Shakespeare's comedy <i>The Two Gentlemen of Verona</i> was able to
go on as planned, outside in the lagoon area of Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens
in Akron.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=storytext>The play is thought to be Shakespeare's first stage work,
and you feel the playwright's exuberance in this production directed by Terry
Burgler, co-artistic director of the festival. The pre-performance greenshow
set the pace with a rowdy live trailer for <i>Hamlet</i>, coming July 17,
setting out the story with today's slang (dude!) instead of Shakespeare's. But
no worries if that ad sounded irreverent. As fresh and seductively
audience-alert as <i>Verona</i> was, it was still Shakespeare's show, delivered
with evident delight.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=storytext>A simple set tucked against a rocky cliff on Stan Hywet's
grounds shows us the Italian locales where the action takes place. From near
the back of the audience, every word was admirably clear on Saturday. Burgler's
cast shaped the story with a quicksilver energy, honoring Shakespeare with a
vibrant, direct command of his poetic language.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=storytext>Andrew Cruse was Proteus, a young man bursting with love. At
first, his affection is directed at his girlfriend, Julia, at home in Verona.
When Proteus follows his best friend, Valentine, to Milan, he falls for
Valentine's girlfriend, Silvia. Given Cruse's charm, it was impossible to hate
him despite his fickle ways. As Valentine, Andy Nagraj had a solid,
imperturbable presence, in comical contrast to his stage-stealing servant,
Speed (Ernie Gonzalez).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=storytext>Richard Worswick was wonderfully willing to set himself up
as a ridiculous fop in yellow tights, Thurio, who is destined to fail in his
attempt at Silvia's hand. (Costume designer Jonathan Fletcher, take a bow.)<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=storytext>As for Silvia, Katherine DeBoer let this heroine shine.
She's no fool; when Proteus tries to charm her, she gives it back to him,
laying him out as the cad he is. You can see the beginnings of a friendship
between Silvia and Julia when the latter, disguised as a man to get a better
look at the deteriorating situation, sees that Silvia is actually an unwilling
rival for Proteus. Lara Mielcarek, as Julia, showed impressive range, moving
from a depiction of a proper, even prissy, young woman to a slightly desperate
spy. Tess Burgler stepped a bit outside the period, a little more casual than
the rest, as Julia's servant, but appealingly believable.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=storytext>Timothy Champion was dryly in command as Proteus' servant,
Launce, who finds fault with his dog as if he were human. The play is stuffed
with puns that are evident on the written page but need some coaxing to bring
them out onstage. Champion and the rest of the actors helped the text along,
letting us hear the difference, say, between a tail (visible onstage with an
extremely cooperative dog) and a tale.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=storytext>The brief interludes of live music on instruments such as
recorder are a commendable part of this company's performances, but the level
of playing isn't always as high as the excellent acting. Considering the wealth
of local talent, maybe it's possible for the company to boost its musical
level.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=storytext><i>Verona</i> starts the season on a high. It makes me look
forward to <i>Hamlet</i> (starting with a preview July 17) and <i>I Hate Hamlet</i>,
beginning with a preview Aug. 7.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
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