Man of La Mancha at Taproot Theatre
Cervantes, Man of La Mancha, poet, dreamer of impossible dreams, can do one thing when thrown in jail and faced with possible execution by the Spanish Inquisition - create a musical play. Fortunately, his cellmates turn from surly to willing and quickly play along, and they know all of the words. And fortunately for us, this entertaining play (within a play) is staged by a company that knows a thing or two about small stages and the role of audience imagination - Taproot Theatre.
We can’t think a show better suited for Greenwood’s Taproot Theatre. Though Man of La Mancha is probably best known for its large Broadway production, the musical is easily adapted for small stages. When a broom must be a horse and a person is a windmill, there’s little need for a 40-foot stage. For Taproot, a theatre that has used luggage for an elephant in Around the World in 80 Days and a pole as a bus in The Great Divorce, the charming Man of La Mancha is a perfect match.
“Let us rearrange the pieces,” says Miguel de Cervantes. Cervantes and his servant have been locked in a castle jail and wait for the Spanish Inquisition after they’ve posted a foreclosure notice on a monastery. Cervantes is put on mock trial by his fellow inmates, and if found guilty he must turn over the possessions he’s brought with him, play props and a manuscript. Cervantes makes his defense with an imaginative play, which he directs and acts as Don Quixote, his servant, Sancho Panza, and the others, a cast of compliant and enthusiastic roleplayers.
Actor Don Darryl Rivera completely owns his role as Sancho and all but claims the show as his own. It’s difficult to imagine this play being anywhere near as enjoyable without Rivera’s joyful energy and exceptional voice. The cost of admission is worth it just to see his performance. Jeff Berryman is wonderful as Cervantes and Don Quixote. Stable as an unstable man, touching in moments of seriousness and hilarious in comedic ones, Berryman is both a trusty foundation and entertaining lead. Stephen Grenley’s performance as the Governor and Innkeeper is also worth note, as is Mike Oliver’s as Pedro and the Padre.
This adaptation features three (off-stage) musicians instead of a full orchestra, which feels appropriate for the show and serves to create a more intimate experience for the audience. Though the production will be called “minimalist,” the small set is well designed and carefully created to provide more than enough atmosphere and visual amusements.
One thing this play is not, however obviously, is a large Broadway production filled with professional singers. More than one note fell flat on opening night, which could be a little distracting but never long lasting. Man of La Mancha is well-known for its musical numbers including, "The Impossible Dream," "Aldonza," and "Man of La Mancha," most of which the small band and cast pull off surprisingly well.
Though this production can be seen at Taproot until August 7th (click here for show times and ticket details) Taproot notes that Cervantes’ literature inspired Pablo Picasso, whose work is coming to Seattle Art Museum in October. There is no doubting that Cervantes and Don Quixote inspired some of Picasso’s work, but we think Man of La Mancha has more in tune with SAM’s current Kurt Cobain and Andy Warhol exhibits.
It is a story of alter ego, the creation of and maintenance of a more comfortable reality. How long can a man keep up a charade? For Cobain and Warhol, it was an issue of fame. For Quixote, a problem of dangerous and tragic reality. A play within a play or a life within a life, the point of Man of La Mancha, it seems, is that sometimes we need to create our own magic, as Taproot has here with this classic musical.
