In the News
Good Nights, Good Shepherd
Martin Brady, Nashville SceneGood Nights, Good Shepard
Two local productions are worth a look
By Martin Brady
published: September 25, 2008
Two current productions provide local theatergoers with vastly different but equally worthy fare.
For sheer theatricality, you'd be hard-pressed to find a finer experience than Arabian Nights, mounted collaboratively by Actors Bridge Ensemble and Belmont University. What a smaller nonprofit theater company like ABE might lack in the way of technical budget can be nicely rectified with an institutional connection. In this case, the Troutt Theater stage is graced with a fabulous set design by Paul Gattrell, featuring a front thrust, impressive ribboned pillars and ornate angular platforms. The 16 players are elegantly fitted into June Kingsbury's sumptuous, colorful costumes, and it's all glitteringly lit by Richard K. Davis.
Davis' backlighting alone—shifting shades of aquamarine and magenta, plus a glorious crescent moon—certainly lends the appropriate exotic aura to Mary Zimmerman's adaptation of ancient Middle Eastern folk tales. The play, under the adroit direction of Bill Feehely, is enjoyable in the main, with a cast that features three veteran Nashville actors—Jon Royal, John Silvestro and Tom Mason—plus 13 uniformly poised Belmont students.
The Arabian Nights canon includes familiar tales such as "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves" and "Aladdin's Wonderful Lamp," but Zimmerman gathers other, lesser known fables. The framing device concerns the bitter caliph Sharyar, who, since discovering one of his wives in flagrante delicto with a slave, takes new wives and visits his wrath on each by killing them. Scheherezade is his latest spouse, but she wins a reprieve and forestalls her death with her magical powers of storytelling. The stories then unfold as lecherous, clownish or officious men engage with lovely, innocent or clever ladies, in scenarios that explore deceit, the course of true love, arranged marriages, the precepts of Islam, a battle of wits and more. Plus there's one big Act 2 fart joke that is successfully navigated with self-aware silliness.
In the modern age of terrorism, it's hard to ignore the depiction of virulently misogynistic Arab males and the historically subservient place of women in that culture. Yet the females here prove their mettle throughout, and it is Scheherezade's verbal skills that ultimately melt Sharyar's hardened heart.
Each new narrated fable brings a sameness in general performance style that grows a mite wearying. Nevertheless, despite the occasional callow line-reading, the students acquit themselves with professional aplomb, notably Daniella Mason (as Scheherezade), Liz Young, Nicole Pearce, Max Desir, Will Butler and Michael Rosenbaum.
The original music by Pru Clearwater is uncommonly atmospheric, featuring various stringed instruments including sitar and African drums along with some interesting choral textures. Mallory Gleason's sensual choreography is also commendable.
