Equivocation @ OSF

The view from my window at the Plaza in Ashland OR.

The title comes from a meaning of the word that was more common in the 16th century: two or more meanings to words, not making clear which one is meant and thus useful when being interviewed by Her Majesty's goons. It loses a little in today's world because we seldom punish people for treason or sedition.

This is both a fascinating and very entertaining play by Bill Cain, opening on 18 April at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland OR. Here is a more conventional review. Strong performances by all 6 players are a necessary part of the show, and they delivered. John Tufts stood out a little taller than some of the others, especially with his delightfully queer Scottish accent delivered as King James. Once or twice he slipped and used it for a half a sentence or so in one of his other incarnations.

Cain explores notions of politics as theatre and vice versa. This might be a play worth seeing a second time, especially after one has seen or re-read a few of the Shakespearean plays alluded to and mentioned in the play. I have a hunch there were some allusions that I missed while laughing at the ones I got. Eventually I only snorted quickly because I didn't want to miss the next sentence. This is a very funny comedy indeed.

These are the boards the actors trod upon. Very solid and smooth.

Because of the many mysteries surrounding that period of time, i.e. around the last decade of the 16th and 1st decade of the 17th century, the playwright figured he could introduce a few of his own ideas about them. The story revolves around the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, the Kings Company of actors for which Mr Shagspeare was writing, and the government's obsession with hunting down Catholics and killing them. The funny bits would often come with what appears to be some contemporary political drama, which then quickly releases into their normal behavior, sort of like our current day TV drama, Medium. The language, when they are playing themselves is contemporary with now, so the F, S and C words are freely used and have their original intended purpose of shocking one to attention as well as being funny.

The connections with "the Scottish play" and Henry VIII are the most common, and curiously enough, they are being performed here at the Festival too, They all seem to have some resonance with current affairs according to the playbill.