All's Well That Ends Well--False Advertising?
All's Well That Ends Well is one of the Shakespeare comedies where the laughter is almost therapeutic. As in the BBC comedy series The Office, the highly awkward moments call for laughter because, you know, the alternative would be to grow red in the face and punch someone. Or cry like a little girl. ("Gareth, sexist!")
Anyway, it could be like that. In Seattle Shakespeare Co.'s production (through June 29; tickets: $20-$34), director Stephanie Shine opts instead to play it mostly light, with dramatic moments clearly marked for a "tribute to feminine strength." The her-heart's-in-the-right-place result glosses over, rather than digs deep into, social embarrassment for its entertainment.
That's too bad, because the play cries out for real character conflict. It's fascinating how Shakespeare takes an ordinary comedy set-up--a peasant falls for a noble, and moves heaven and earth to convince their beloved of their worth--and exposes the influence of sex roles on that of class status.
Helena is sweet, bright, determined, and funny...and a commoner. But when she sets her obsessive hat for the noble Bertram, her initiative comes off less "Go, girl!" and more mantrappy. Meanwhile the bantam Bertram, who doesn't appreciate being served to Helena on a plate, can't avoid coming off as a petulant snob (think the Andrew McCarthy character in all '80s movies).
Still, All's Well That Ends Well is one of the less-performed, "problem" plays, so if you're a Shakespeare groupie, you can go for that aspect alone. Besides, what it lacks in comedy high-wire work this production makes up for with a strong cast, led by Sarah Harlett as Helena and Marianne Owens as the Countess. Just be warned that it starts off talky (though clearly enunciated), and runs about two and a half hours (with one intermission).
(That can't have been surprising in Shakespeare's time, but what is odd is how willing everyone else is to overlook Helena's status. Not a single person joins Bertram in his class consciousness. On the other hand, we do sympathize with his Brady Bunch-esque qualms.)
The King (a stately Michael Patten) pushes the marriage through, but Bertram--after prodding from the all-talk-no-action "war hero" Parolles (Paul Morgan Stetler)--hightails it off to war to try life as a soldier. From here on out, lessons will be learned.
Stetler, who's the clownish, hot-air complement to Bertram's noble proclamations, is great fun to watch and pulls off a memorable change-of-heart scene. Connor Toms' conversion is less believable, but it's arguable that it doesn't have to be. He's just been outplayed. He's been got.
Photos: (top) Connor Toms as Bertram and Sarah Harlett as Helena; (middle) Paul Morgan Stetler as Parolles and Connor Toms as Bertram. Photographer: Erik Stuhaug.
