`All's Well' at Bakershake

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by Karin Kross

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This, one of the Bard's lesser known comedies, is a wry bit of entertainment with a convoluted plot and tremendously elaborate dialogue. If you're willing and able to sort it all out, it proves to be an enjoyable evening.

A poor young woman named Helena, daughter of a famous physician, is in love with Bertram, son of the countess whom she serves. When Bertram goes to Paris as ward of the ailing king of France, Helena follows.

Using what she has learned from her physician father, she cures the French king of his illness and is awarded her choice of husbands from among the king's nobles. Naturally she chooses Bertram -- who, following the wedding ceremony, promptly rejects her and runs off to the wars in Italy. The rest of the play follows Helena's pursuit of Bertram and her final success in winning his love.

Amy Hassan is a fine and charming Helena -- a little unsteady on her feet at times, but generally successful in her portrayal. Niel Prunier is perhaps a bit too solid as Bertram, but otherwise adequate, with some very good moments, such as his outraged entrance following his wedding.

One may wonder why such an intelligent young woman as Helena would waste her time on a jerk like Bertram, but, then, this is Shakespeare, and if she didn't stick with him, there would be no play.

Some of the best performances, though, come from the supporting cast. Peter Rodgers is wonderful as Bertram's rascally companion Parolles. His energetic performance sometimes verges on scenery-chewing, but this is acceptable in a character as extravagant and self-aggrandizing as Parolles. Chepe Lockett is perfectly cast as the King of France, a slightly pompous but well-meaning monarch.

Also turning in a fine performance is Scot Martin as the kindly Lord Lafeu, who has some delightful scenes of banter with Parolles. Stephen Dartt is good as the often-bawdy Clown. The rest of the cast members are adequate for their roles, and there are some really wonderful bits of ensemble acting along the way.

The biggest problem the actors have working against them is something they can't do anything about: the horrendous acoustics of Baker Commons. The huge room sometimes renders the complicated dialogue a little difficult to understand. To their credit, most of the actors seem to have figured out how to make themselves understood anyway.

The staging is utter simplicity, consisting of a four-tiered stage bare of any other props or set pieces. Occasionally a chair is placed for the king's throne, but technically this play is as stripped-down as they get.

Directors Ives and Simmons use space well; the actors are all over the stage and there are a number of effective entrances through the audience. The costumes, by Tatianna Rogozinski and Maggie Wang, are bright, attractive, and well-suited.

All's Well That Ends Well is an entertaining (though sometimes difficult) Shakespearean mishmash of verbal acrobatics and plot loop-the-loops. This production is nicely done.

This item appeared in the Arts & Entertainment section of the March 18, 1994 issue.

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