Crazy Eyes, Swords Swinging and Shakespeare

Instead of the promised “sex, drugs and rock-n-roll,” which you do not necessarily need in a classical play, the viewers of “Cymbeline,” shown at The West End Theatre located at 263 West 86 street, get a performance by young and passionate actors, who recreate Shakespeare in a slightly modern form. If you are not scared of a sword pointing at you or pairs of crazy eyes that stare at nowhere, you will love this dramatic thriller with a happy ending, even in spite of its length.

A good choice of material is the first advantage of the performance. Shakespeare’s multiple intrigues with exposure decorated by the English of his contemporaries leave an impression that you are getting in touch with eternity. With that being said, the plot is close to the original one. The only poetic liberty the crew let happen is changing Belarius, a nobleman who kidnaps king Cymbeline’s sons to Belaria adding up even more romance to this love-pierced story.

Interestingly enough, almost everyone in the play loves somebody. King Cymbeline (David Bachrach) is crazy about Queen (Vivien Landau), his new wife, who does not love him. She wants his throne for her son, Cloten (Jonathan Marballi), and therefore, she plans to poison Cymbeline’s daughter, Imogen (Rosa Valenze Gilmore), to have her out of the way. The princess herself is in a bigger trouble. First, she is under her father’s wrath for marrying Leonatus, whom she adores. Secondly, Leonatus bets with Iachimo (Erick Gonzalez), who swears that he will seduce the beautiful woman. Assured by Iachimo’s false proofs, Leonatus orders his servant, Pisanio (Kevin Shinnick) to murder his unfaithful wife. In the meantime, Cloten wants Imogen for himself and he looks for ways to get rid of Leonatus.

A tangled thriller, the play involves sword fights, passionate monologues of love and hatred, war scenes and one decapitated body. If you are sensitive to violence, you may have to close your eyes a couple of times.

Artful in fight, the characters shoot the viewers with their every word. At times it seems like you are the cause of their troubles and it is you they are going after. Moreover, some actors speak very quickly, as though every syllable is rushed out of their mouth, which is careless when dealing with Shakespeare’s language.

One of the most interesting characters is Imogen, whose eyes shine with limitless love for Leonatus. She kisses him with a lot of passion; she hugs him as though they are a whole and she misses him whenever he is not around. Her monologues and her speech are slow and enthusiastic at the same time proving that quicker doesn’t mean better.

Another person who deserves attention is Cloten. Big in size, he stinks like a skunk, which makes his presence unbearable. In addition to this, he is disrespectful towards others and often rude and cruel. Being the Queen’s son, he boasts his position and money and is finally punished for it. He is not a likable character; however, Marballi acts him well and make him stand out.

As for sexual moments, the most intense scene is when Imogen and Leonatus meet after long separation. She clings to him covering her husband with millions of kisses, as her jeans reveal more and more of her lower back. There are a few more moments in the play when the viewers see a naked belly or a man’s nipple, so don’t be too hopeful to see something more enticing.

As there is not too much sex, there are not many drugs either. The “medicine for stomach or other aches” that the Queen gave to Pisanio and he passed to Imogen turned out to be a harmless means, which only made people believe that the princess died. Luckily, she was left on the ground next to that decapitated body and not buried alive.

But you have probably seen too much sex and drugs on TV anyway, so you won’t be very disappointed. There is so much more to the play than those false attractions.

What spoils the drama a little bit, though, is its timing. It could have been shorter. As much as we all love Shakespeare, it is well-known that his monologues are sometimes quite long and should better be read rather than heard. With two and a half hours defined by the program and a 10-minute break towards the end, the performance will keep you in your seat for a good three hours, which you definitely should know beforehand.

And still, do not be discouraged by it. How often do you spend an evening in a tiny inexpensive theater inside a church watching a classical play reborn? You will surely enjoy “Cymbeline,” framed by keen sense of humor, especially if you “love Shakespeare like we do,” as the hostess said once the performance ended.