It is no easy feat to find the funny in 18^th century Bedlam while exploring the sticky issues of sex and death.  Nouveau 47 Theatre discovers its dark and bawdy stroke in its boldly imagined production of Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure. This most problematic of all the Bard’s three “problem plays” tackles many other weighty themes including morality, the nature of good and evil, social justice, theological doctrine, the relationship between rulers and the ruled, and the naturalness of marriage to name a few. 

The centuries have often neglected it as a bizarre and dated play, considering it an idea driven exercise fit more for academic study than for entertainment.  It is a thoroughly bitter piece of work, and at the same time unbelievable, yet convincing in its dyspeptic worldview.

Director Tom Parr IV has a singular vision for it, and fashions a complete range of characters, as strange as they may be, and imparts a depth of understanding and ravishment of the language that allows the supposed moribund material to come alive on stage in Nouveau 47’s inaugural production.

Parr has purposefully set the action in Bedlam to play up the insanity he sees in Shakespeare’s world of hypocritical leaders, prostitutes, pimps, and bastards.  If we are all lunatics anyway, why not live in an asylum?  The opening scene presents a veritable loony bin of moaning, giggling, gesticulating citizens/ patients literally enclosed in a cage-like structure of wire with dingy gray wall hangings and crude wooden furniture.  Powdered wigs, stockings, puffy shirts, corsets and the like make up the able costume design by Samantha Rodriguez.

As the three-day arc of Measure for Measure begins, Vincentio the Duke of Vienna (Jonathan Taylor) has decided to hand over power to Angelo (Justin Locklear) to institute a strong hand to counteract the moral corruption of his lax rule over the last 14 years.  Vincentio then disguises himself as a friar to observe, minister, and intervene in the wayward lives of his subjects.

Taylor as the “duke of dark corners” is up against one of the largest and most ambiguous parts in Shakespeare’s entire repertoire.   He is a liar and deceiver to nearly everyone in the play.  Seemingly filled with good intentions, he comes off just as diabolical as any villain in the end.  Taylor’s performance is a bit mechanical and hollow as the Duke; however, he fares much better as the undercover friar.

Locklears’ Angelo suffers a bit from that same stiffness, but he does suppressed passion for the forbidden quite well when he is tempted by the religious sister Isabella (Danielle Pickard).  Austin Tindle plays her condemned brother Claudio with understated verve and passion.  His “To lie in cold obstruction” speech is a subtle thing of beauty.

Lucio (Ryan Martin) is Claudio’s “fantastic” and outlandish friend who has much truth to impart.   Mr. Martin’s coy, mincing, and posturing performance is fully realized and mesmerizing.    Clay Wheeler’s pimping Pompey is a scene-stealer, and a clown par excellence.

Pickard as Isabella is a pale fire that coolly burns.  Her interpretation of the duke’s unasked for marriage proposal at the end is riveting.

Parr and company’s show plays up the lunacy of the material, fleshing out the absurd while retaining its deep philosophical conundrums. It’s a play that requires significant work from the director and cast to be effective in performance, and happily they have done so.  There are certainly some rough edges, and an outlandish scope not for all tastes, yet it is an encouraging measure of things to come.

Photo: Danielle Pickard (Credit: Jim Kuenzer)