Interludes

VIEWPOINTS – Stratford Festival, Day 2: NATHAN THE WISE & THE FRONT PAGE

• By drediman
• August 17, 2019
• No Comments

Day Two of my Stratford Festival immersion started to more distinctly flesh out certain curated themes of this year’s offerings, notably the notions of the oppression of the “other” and redefining one’s identity. Here’s are my ongoing thoughts …

Thursday, 15 August 2019

Diane Flacks and Jakob Ehman in “Nathan the Wise” by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (adapted by Edward Kemp) at the Studio Theatre.

Of the trip, my sole visit to the intimate Studio Theater was to see Gotthold Ephraim Lessing’s sadly still-relevant 1779 play Nathan the Wise (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED). The production uses Edward Kemp’s English translation, which injects the play with ample humanity – even spirited comic levity – while firmly and persuasively making a serious case for religious tolerance. Set in Jerusalem about a millennia ago, the play tells the story of the Jewish merchant Nathan, whose personal mission is to establish mutual respect among the city’s Muslims, Jews, and Christians.  I had seen the play just once before when it was reverently staged Off-Broadway three years ago by Classic Stage Company starring Oscar-winner F. Murray Abraham as Nathan. Then, I remember respecting the production and its message, but not being particularly moved by it. Returning to the piece, I was deeply affected, largely thanks to director Birgit Schreyer Duarte’s sensitive production, which has been simply but elegantly designed to subtly portray time and place, yet sufficiently contemporary to suggest the play’s continued resonance. Exquisitely pulling it all together is Toronto-based comic actress Diane Flacks, who was altogether astonishing in the title role, genuinely feeling every single moment of the rich play and equally rich production. It was a risky decision to have a woman play a man (without re-assigning genders as you’ll see below), but it paid off handsomely, contributing to the festival’s larger aforementioned themes in a stimulating meta-fashion. The rest of the actors were superb and even more effective as an ensemble, mirroring the level-setting sentiments of Lessing’s play itself.

Ben Carlson and Maev Beaty in Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur’s “The Front Page” at the Festival Theatre.

After a sensational dining experience at Bijou (which now has a new executive chef, but is still under the same excellent management) – quite simply my favorite restaurant in Stratford – I attended the opening night performance of the revival of Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur’s 1928 farce The Front Page (RECOMMENDED) at the Festival Theatre. It’s another play that has received a relatively recent major New York revival, which featured quite the starry cast (e.g., Nathan Lane, John Goodman, John Slattery, Robert Morse, etc.). I’m happy to report that I had just as much fun at the Stratford edition. Set in seedy 1920s Chicago, the play tells the story of the madcap crusade of the Examiner (a Chicago rag), as manifested by its managing editor and star reporter, to expose the city’s corrupt politicians.  The main difference between the two productions was the decision to gender-bend the role of the Examiner’s managing editor – in the Stratford production, the role has been re-written to be a tough, ruthless broad (“Cookie”, played with no-holds-barred aplomb by Maev Beaty). Perhaps because of the clarity and power of Nathan the Wise just that afternoon, I was a little less receptive to The Front Page‘s contribution to the overall conversation. But as I mulled further, I found that underneath the farce, the play critiques not just political corruption, but also the double-edged potential for the media not only expose societal wrongs, but to also mask societal ills (and hence further the oppression of certain factions of the community). Then we have Cookie, who has redefined herself into a position of considerable power in an era which championed the brash, sexist (and racist) white man. The production’s creative team (the play has been smartly adapted by Michael Healey and sharply directed by Graham Abbey) and large cast (which also featured, in fine form, Stratford favorite Ben Carlson as Hildy, the star reporter) showed themselves to be adept at farce, delivering — first and foremost — an undeniably entertaining evening.

THE STRATFORD FESTIVAL
Regional, Plays/Musicals
Festival Theatre / Avon Theatre / Studio Theatre
Various productions in repertory through October