Photo by Ivy Augustus
Doctor Faustus
Gallery Theater
Barndall Art Park
(4800 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood 90028)
By Christopher Marlowe
A production of the Independent Shakespeare Co.
Date of reviewed performance: August 24, 2008
Cast
Doctor Faustus - J. Paul Boehmer
Ensemble - Danny Campbell
Ensemble - Jinsoo Choi
Ensemble - Darrel Guilbeau
Ensemble - Mary Guilliams
Ensemble - Matt Hurley
Ensemble - Erik Mathew
Ensemble - Angel Parker
Ensemble - Sean Pritchett
Ensemble - Mikaela Richmond
Mephistopheles - Bernadette Sullivan
In this, the closing night of the summer season of free Shakespeare in the Park, the Independent Shakespeare Co. said their adieu not with Shakespeare, but his contemporary Christopher Marlowe. Through some inspired costuming and larger-than-life puppetry, the ensemble make entrances and exits via a dizzying number of characters, all of whom want something from the tragical Doctor Faustus. The only actors safe from the frantic pace of costume changes and back to back cues are J. Paul Boehmer and Bernadette Sullivan, who portray Faustus and Mephistopheles, respectively.
Mr. Boehmer, sweating heavily from early in the show, plays a Faustus seemingly driven by an irreconcilable combination of passion and confusion. An athiest who feels it safe to make a deal with the devil as long as one's disbelief in Hell is enough to keep the place from extistence. As a character, the Doctor can be a tough pill to swallow. Mr. Boehmer gives an intense respect to his character, but is unafraid to occassionally drop the Elizabethan gravitas for an anachronistic tone in the voice or cut of the eye, which are both appreciated and applauded by the crowd. As for Ms. Sullivan, this is easily her best performance of the summer; her Mephistopheles is sexy, cold, injured and aloof all within mere breaths of each other.
Wagner and Robin (of the comedic subplot involving Faustus's servants) may get an all-time record for longest fart joke in a Renaissance-era play. {As a side note, there has been some discussion in scholarly circles about whether or not Mr. Marlowe himself actually wrote this subplot - given that fart jokes and visual gags are not his normal MO. It wouldn't be surprising if it were added on a short time later by another author in an effort to cheer the play up a bit. The truth is, of course, we'll probably never know.} However out of place this part of the story seems in relation to the rest of the production, Danny Campbell and Matt Hurley do an able job of lightening the mood with their wide-eyed curiousity mixed and a sprinkle of mischief.
One thing that was obviously missing was the special effects that are rather implicit with a staging of Doctor Faustus. There were puppets (and the puppets were impressive) but there were no smoke-and-mirrors sort of illusions that are common with this production (and have been since its original staging). Part of it is probably expense related. I'm sure part of it is also the ban the City of Hollywood has on fireworks (particularly in a piece of land marked by the historical society). There are probably many good reasons ISC has for the lack of razzle dazzle...but still, a bit disappointing.
My last point is one that I suppose I'm just going to have to get used to if I'm going to continue to see productions mounted by ISC. They are...let's say...casual about their presentations. This can be charming and quaint - but it can also be grating and unprofessional. In the instance of this production Danny Campbell, serving as The Chorus at the end of Act I, rushes from his lines on the state of Faustus's sole to instructions on how long intermission will be and where to find the bathrooms with nary a breath. People giggled at the bizarre ending of the act, but bizarre it was. The same goes for the end of the play when the demons rush on stage to tear Faustus apart and deliver his soul unto Hell. The Chorus again appears (as he should) but instead of delivering the tragic Epilogue, he pulls out a camera and starts taking pictures - with demons and Faustus alike cheesing it up.
I'm not a theatre purist and I certainly believe in updating period pieces to make them relevant and meaningful for a contemporary audience - but not at the sake of stopping just before crossing the proverbial finish line just to do the chicken dance.
Doctor Faustus:
