A Bare But Worthy Cymbline

What makes a theatre? For that matter, what makes a play? A character? These questions are at the heart of Bare Theatre's production of Cymbline, an overlooked Shakespearan play that like this production defies definition. Scholars can't decide if this later work about a mythical Briton king rebelling against Roman authority is a tragedy or a comedy. Likewise, Bare's staging attempts to straddle the line between the traditional proscenium and the burgeoning new immersive theatre movement with mixed, intriguing results.

The trailer for this show gives a wordless summary of not only the story but the style, with the nine actors playing multiple roles, minimalist costuming, color fights, and a surprising sensitivity and vulnerability.

In case the trailer was a bit too subtle, I'll summarize the plot: the King Cymbeline's daughter Imogene marries against her father's will to a poorer man, Posthumus, who's summarily banished and heads to Rome. Meanwhile Imogene's stepmother the queen plots to have her son Cloten take the missing husband's place. Posthumus makes a foolish bet with some of his new friends over drinks that his wife will never be unfaithful to him, leading to a botched seduction, illicit lies, and a web of mixed identities and switching loyalties, all against the backdrop of Cymbelines stand against the Romans.

This play has been a favorite of mine since I discovered it in college, and I've been excited ever since Bare announced it was mounting the show. My anticipation only increased when it was described as an immersive experience. Just this past year I attended a production of Hamlet with a similar concept by Theatre Bedlam, which attempted to produce the seminal work using only a few chairs, hats, flashlights, tape recorder, and four actors. I found it too ambitious: while the actors did their absolute best, the doubling became so convoluted that even someone as familiar with the text as myself became lost in the schizophrenia. It's a bad sign when a show's program includes the equivalence of a completed dance card to explain itself.

Thankfully Bare made the right decision in its casting: nine proved just the right number for the amount of doubling required. I recall only one moment that possibly might render confusion, and even then it would not interfere with an audience member's understanding of the story. This lack of constant changing freed the cast from assuming complex mannerisms or accents to separate characters. This decision, coupled with obvious vocal and textual preparation, allowed the language to flow clearly and effortlessly.

The show is staged in a Durham warehouse, with audience members entering to be greeted by actors in character. One of the show's much publicized color fights came shortly thereafter as the bride and groom entered, causing a celebratory frenzy that ushered the actors and audience to the playing space proper, underscored by Brit rock. There was one further moment of an actor engaging with the audience later in the show, but otherwise the rest of the production was staged in a traditional proscenium style. Considering how much time and energy was spent on the "immersive" element, I was surprised that so little of the show actually utilized it. The intro was a lot of fun, but felt more like an opening act before the main band arrives than an actual component of the show.

There were a few minor flaws in the performance I witnessed on opening night. While I enjoyed the music tracks selected for scene changes, they were not smoothly integrated into the work (except for the wonderful original percussive section by Todd Buker). Sometimes the track stopped mid syllable, sometimes it sounded too loud (I was on the side of the audience closest to the speakers). Second, the location itself made an interesting backdrop for the show but did not feel essential to the piece. Aside from the opening, there was nothing about the production that would not have been just as at home in an actual theatre. Choosing to use the warehouse meant that sound, lights, and seating were limited, and temperature control nonexistent. It was a cool choice (literally, as the provided blankets warned), but not altogether effective.

The performance itself, though, was very enjoyable experience. The actors poured real emotion and tenderness into their scenes, breathing life into characters unfamiliar to most audiences. Director Laura Bess Jernigan should be credited with how well all the pieces of this show fit together, even amidst the many subplots and shifting locations. I was personally disappointed by the exclusion of one specific monologue, but appreciated the care taken to trim a very big show to a manageable length that focused attention on the essentials of the story. The stylized fight choreography for the large battle scene was very well staged, with the right mix of energy and pathos.

This show should also be credited for its decision to allow actors to double across male/female lines without changing the actual character. I once witnessed a production that changed Don John of Much Ado About Nothing to "Dunna Joan," and found the choice limiting to the character. In Bare's Cymbeline, Actress Rebecca Blum capably tackled the part of the seductive male Iachimo without losing sight of his masculine authority and drive, playing him completely "straight" and therefore more powerfully than if changes had been made to "feminize" him. I quickly accepted the convention and saw a man rather than a woman attempting to be male. It was the first truly "gender blind" casting I've ever witnessed that I thought actually preserved the integrity of the story.

Bare Theatre is known for taking risks, and Cymbeline is that on many levels. While I don't think the gamble on the space paid all the dividends that might be hoped for, I give the company full credit for being willing to roll the dice and try it. This show worked because regardless of the space or technical elements, the cold or the color, the heart of the production rested in the language of the text and the emotional lives of the characters. I would encourage anyone wanting to enjoy an evening of exciting, heartfelt theatre to brave the elements and join the revolution that's not so much destructive as imaginative.

Ticket information can be found at the Bare Theatre website.

Full Disclosure: I have worked for Bare Theatre in the past. I did not receive a ticket to see this performance.