All’s Well That Ends Well

Reviewed by Reza Vojdani
Theatricum Botanicum
Through Sept. 28

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Photo by Miriam Geer

Though many consider it a “problem play,” due to its dark tone in tackling social issues such as gender roles and class hierarchy while also being a comedy, All’s Well That Ends Well, or in this case the production at Theatricum Botanicum directed by Ellen Geer and Christopher W. Jones, leans more towards the comedy – and that’s probably wise.

In the opening, we meet Helena (Willow Geer), a young woman who, after the death of her renowned doctor father, has come into the service and under the care of the Countess of Rousillion (Earnestine Phillips). Over the years, Helena has developed feelings for the Countess’ son, Bertram (Max Lawrence), but has resigned herself to never being able to express her love due to her lower-class standing.

With Bertram leaving for Paris, word that the King has fallen deathly ill and the possibility of finding a miracle cure from her father’s notes, Helena sets off for a quest of typically epic Shakespearian scale.

Co-directors Geer and Jones manage Theatricum Botanicum’s large and versatile playing space to great effect, combining interesting set dressings – (Ashton Williams designed the props that dressed the uncredited set) from ornate living room furniture to shoulder-carried thrones and fake pet parrots — with the actors’ vibrant physicality and movement around the space. This combination makes for a fun show particularly in the second half, during which actors literally trip each other up and relish in Shakespeare’s heady though crude puns.

More so than the comedy inherent in the script, what works so well is the cast’s ability to make the words their own and to keep the lines on a stylistically bridge between authentic Shakespearian delivery and more familiar contemporary diction. The cast’s comfort level outweighs esoteric bits of dialogues and a few misspoken lines.

The actors are obviously having a kind of fun that’s infectious while also sustaining an emotional authenticity. That love will overcome class differences becomes a foregone conclusion, and a kind of celebration of comedy over commentary.
 

It’s quick, slick, and provides a great opportunity to see one of Shakespeare’s lesser-known plays with a fine cast, a unique venue and to enjoy more than a few laughs along the way.

 Theatricum Botanicum, 1419, N. Topanga Canyon Blvd., Topanga; in rep, call for schedule; through Sept. 29. (310) 455-3723.  www.theatricum.com.