A classic fairy tale full of the duality between good and evil is one of the greatest pleasures of the theatre. Despite the variety of plots that exist in the theatre today, "All's well that ends well" and the triumph of true love still manage to captivate and enthrall an audience.
Unlike fairy tales, however, comedy is one of the hardest genres to direct. The importance of timing and blocking for both the director and the actors can not be overstated, especially in a very physically comic piece. For this reason, it is rare that comedy is truly comic.
In the American Repertory Theatre's (ART) production of "The King Stag," currently running in the Moore Theatre, the difficulty of staging good comedy is unfortunately all too apparent. As well as the actors play their roles -- as enchanting as the puppets, the masks and the costumes are, there is still something missing.
This staging, the most recent revival of ART's production, first staged in 1984, includes movement, costumes, masks and puppets by Julie Taymor, of current "The Lion King" fame. Despite evidence of Taymor's talent, the production fell a little flat.
One of the strongest aspects of this production is that it stems from a variety of theatre sources. Carlo Gozzi, the 18th century writer of "King Stag," drew strongly upon the Italian theatre tradition of comedia del'arte to re-write an Asian fable. Taymor used Indonesian influences in creating the striking movements, and the original director, Andrei Serban updates the piece with modern comedy.
Yet, it is in the attempt at reaching the modern audience that the choices made in this staging lose something -- the connection to the past traditions that "King Stag" has inherited.
The production would have benefited from the help of a more obvious connection to the rich heritage of theatre with a modern audience. It is one thing to recognize that it is misleading to describe this piece as comedia del'arte. It is quite another to successfully combine the various forms of theatre to arrive at something that draws upon all these art forms and is relevant today.
Perhaps the original ART production in 1984 did that. Certainly, Serban's program notes seem to understand and acknowledge the play's theatre tradition as well as to pay homage to the present. Perhaps where this production has difficulty is in being the link between the past and the present. Unwittingly, something gets lost in reproductions of reproductions.
Despite this flaw, there were some enchanting aspects to the show. In addition to Taymor's superb craftsmanship, the actors' skill in performing physical comedy, though at times off-key, was delightful to watch. The Blue People in particular simultaneously served as a kind of silent chorus, as puppet masters and in extraneous roles.
The onstage percussionist with his vast array of sounds and instruments provided a delightful contrast to the simplicity of the set. This simplicity in turn emphasized the magnificence of the puppetry, costumes and the masks, as well as the projections used in various scenes of the play.
Because of the larger-than-life imagery and physicality, this wonderful puppet show is perfect for children. It's also for those adults who can appreciate the magic of imagination.
"The King Stag" plays tonight at 7:00 p.m. in Moore Auditorium. Tickets are available at the Hopkins Center box office.
