A Tale of Two Cities

Reviewed by Vanessa Cate
A Noise Within
Through November 19

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” Although the opening line from Charles Dickens’s A Tale of Two Cities may be impossible to separate from its context, to be the best and worst of something at once could imply a brilliant dichotomy. However, if you take the two as averages instead, what you get is mediocrity.

Not to say that A Noise Within’s production of Mike Poulton’s adaptation (which premiered in Northhampton England’s Royal & Derngate Theatre in 2014, and is now receiving its US premiere at ANW) is mediocre, per say. The source material is a brilliant if sluggish read, a historical fiction that takes place in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. But the epic scope of its setting, themes and characters makes it difficult to pare down and present in a two-and-a-half-hour stage play to any great affect. In fact, the liberal cuts leave the piece neutered.

Co-directors Julia Rodriguez-Elliott and Geoff Elliott have a distinguishable voice – when you see their work, it’s easy to recognize as theirs. As Producing Artistic Directors of A Noise Within, and having personally directed over 50 plays there, it is clear that they know the space well and how to use it creatively. The transitions particularly impressed, wrapping up each scene and moving into the next effortlessly and with texture (the troubled murmuring of a crowd, the traveling of lantern light) to help an audience through in less than twenty seconds.

All design aspects of the production are a delight to see and hear, from Jenny Foldenauer’s sharp costumes to Robert Oriol’s evocative music. However, the star of the show is Fred Kinney’s set design and its centerpiece, a sturdy yet adjustable wooden apparatus which frames each locale and provides various degrees of elegant utility.

Visually, the play is outstanding.

But we’re not watching it on a muted television set.

The abridged characters are largely unmemorable, even interchangeable (further confused by some actors playing multiple roles). Frederick Stuart, one of A Noise Within’s favorite leading actors, is the best I’ve seen him as the existentially and love-stricken Sidney Carton. But all character renderings, Sidney Carton included, give a general wash rather than going into any great depth.

Is it unfair to demand dynamic characters, clear themes, or emotional tension from such a challenging undertaking as A Tale of Two Cities? I think that to choose to produce such a feat is to accept the inherent obstacles that go along with it. Largely, this production receives only a passing grade. 

So many theater companies are choosing to produce seasons or pieces that are in some way reflective of the current political landscape. The word “timely” may be the new most popular word of director’s notes and press releases. But it’s easy to attribute the word without earning it. A Tale of Two Cities does take place during a time of political upheaval and anger at the 1% (as we’ll call them) – the rich who live off the backs of the struggling poor, so that’s an easy sell. But the parallels get murky when we get into the la Terreur (Reign of Terror) territory. Still, the play may whet the palette and inspire further reading into source material and history, which is a noble aim of art in of itself.

A Noise Within, 3352 E Foothill Blvd. Pasadena 91107; Performs in repertory through November 19; Schedule and tickets at www.anoisewithin.org, or call (626) 356-3100; Running time: Two and a half hours with one 20-minute intermission.