The Festival Theater is a lot like the Riverwalk Theater here in downtown Lansing. A large and somewhat square stage with audience seats on both sides and right in front, provides a unique audience experience from every angle. Like the Tom Patterson Theater, there is no bad seat in the Festival Theater as every angle is different and every actor can be heard even if their back is turned. Looking in the theater for the first time I was amazed at the beautiful set. Starting as a small house with fancy couches and chairs, moving to a train station and railway cars, to a hat shop in the middle of New York, to a fancy restaurant (that I personally would love to be taken to) and finally to an old house where the characters would meet and identify themselves again was truly amazing. I was excited to see the stage crew as an actual part of the show, moving pieces and creating a whole new scene at intermission. Like every Stratford production we've seen, the sets and stage were right up to par.
Being the first non-Shakespeare and comic play that we've seen at the festival, I was very interested in the casting. We go to the Festival so much every year now that I can hear an actors voice and recite a list of what else I've seen them in without looking at the program. Wilder's comedy was no different. Our main reason to see it was Seana McKenna, who portrayed one of Britain's most famous Kings and rulers, Richard III last season. Amazing in one of Shakespeare's least uplifting plays I was interested to see how she would handle a comedy and the role of Dolly Levi. McKenna brought great life to Dolly and made her a very funny, individual, strong, relatable and strategic character. McKenna continues to surprise and delight me with her acting ability and passion that she puts into every role. Along with McKenna I was ecstatic to see half the cast of Cymbeline up on the festival stage. Eleven of the seventeen main roles were played by Cymbeline characters and it was quite something to see them all laughing and having a good time in a comedy. Not one character was weak and got a laugh out of the audience some way or another. One of the best things about Stratford's casts is that they always look like they're enjoying what they do, both on and off the stage.
The first thing I said while leaving the theater is that my High School should see this play when taking their yearly Stratford trip. I was pleasantly intrigued and a bit stunned at the whole message of Wilder's play. Put many ways by each character, they all basically said the same thing: adventure is necessary in life but at some point everyone needs a break from adventure where they can sit at home and be peaceful. Being a recent High School graduate leaving for College in just a few short weeks, this message rang very true to me and felt like my own personal goodbye from Stratford as I leave home, leave my high school friends and head toward my future.
Like every trip to Stratford I am always leaving the theater wanting more and having great respect for the Festivals season and its actors. As we move on from The Matchmaker, I hope to still see Sophocles' Elektra and see more of Stratfords best.
CLIP ONE:
Malachi Stack (Geraint Wyn Davies) appeals to Horace Vandergelder (Tom
McCamus) to hire him as an apprentice in his hay, feed and provision
store.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7dfM8NTc9Q
CLIP TWO:
Dolly Levi (Seana McKenna) invents a description of a beautiful young
woman to entice Horace Vandergelder (Tom McCamus) to delay his
engagement to Irene Molloy (Laura Condlln).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnfoFearRiE
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