All's Well That Ends Well

So, gasp! Lydia and I split shows last night. She went to Grey Gardens, which she will talk about in another post and I am slated to see later this month, and I went to Billy Shakespeare's All's Well That Ends Well at the Duke on 42nd Street. I was definitely pleased.

So sometimes, I'll admit, even though I've taken Shakespeare classes and whatnot, Shakespeare is a little hard to follow, especially when the people who are delivering the lines suck. However, this performance is very clear and you really get a lot of Shakespeare's witticisms and sexual jokes. Oh that Shakespeare. Unfortunately, All's Well That Ends Well is not one of his stronger plays, in my opinion. It's just a little hard to believe and a bit frustrating. It's got the quintessential Shakespeare comedy elements: rings of proof, well-timed letters, and the old switcheroos, but its protagonist (the heroine Helena) just doesn't have any substance. I don't know if that's the right word, but it's like, there's no reason for her to be obsessed with Bertram, who's not a good person, and there's really no justification for her actions throughout the play.

Anyway, beyond the choice of play, I think it was a pretty durn worthy production. There was a large cast, all of whom were very solid. I especially enjoyed Adam Stein as Parolles, among others. I think the production did a good job of combining different elements without overdoing anything - a bit of singing, a bit of lightning, good use of space in the theater.

It was, however, a long show. The first act is slow as beans. Very exposition heavy and not particularly action-packed and intriguing. It really picks up in the second half, and there are some hilarious scenes, some good drama, and a nice ending. If you know the play, while it is a comedy, it's not a very satisfying one considering its end result. However, I really liked how the play closed, drawing the conclusion of the relatively weak play into a more believable ending that leaves you a bit more content and with less of a sour taste in your mouth.

I'd say this is one of the better shows I've seen recently. It's a good production of a Shakespearean (albeit a mediocre Shakespearean) play, which I think is relatively rare, so I'd say it's worth a go.