Review: TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA Delights at the Shakespeare Tavern

The Atlanta Shakespeare Company has returned after the longest intermission at Shakespeare Tavern. This one-of-a-kind venue pays homage to The Bard, with a meal to match. Shakespeare Tavern came back in a big way, hosting what they call "The Shakespeare Binge Fest" to kick off the season.

TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA is just a portion of the show lineup. However, you would never know the volume of other shows in rotation because the cast was so dedicated and truly transported you to Verona. Going into the show, I had assumed that running five shows at once would result in each show only being about 20-30% good. I am very pleased to say that I was absolutely wrong in that assumption.

TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA is led by Adam King as Proteus and Sariel Toribio as Valentine, two good friends. Valentine embarks on a journey to a foreign court whereas Proteus is hopelessly in love. Through a series of misfortunes and miscommunication, Proteus ends up in the same court where Valentine has been and fallen in love with Sylvia (Cameryn Richardson). An innocent exchange drives Proteus to forsake his love Julia (Anna Holland) in favor of the lovely Sylvia. In the end, love overcomes all obstacles, including Sylvia's father, The Duke (Chris Hecke).

The lead cast is supported by some truly hilarious characters. The standout, by far, is Launce (Sarah Beth Hester). Though I'm not one to question Shakespeare, Launce's monologues felt unnecessary to the majority of the play. It was almost as if Shakespeare created a character and monologues designed to give the rest of the cast a brief reprieve backstage. The content of these monologues did not contribute to the rest of the story. Launce is often joined onstage by Crab, the dog (a real French Bulldog named Yoshi), who certainly managed to steal every scene. Hats off to Hester for rolling with Yoshi's unpredictability.

Almost as hilarious is Speed (Nick Faircloth). Speed is Valentine's servant, with delightful side commentary. Faircloth is jovial and relatable throughout the entire production, even as his other side characters.

This was my first experience seeing TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA. It was not a play I was familiar with, so I wasn't sure what to expect. However, it was enjoyable, even for those who aren't Shakespeare fans. The show exposes how awful men can be (Proteus), while also giving tremendous girl power vibes (Sylvia). One piece of advice I would give to any Bard-newbies is to NOT pay attention to each and every word. There is much more conveyed through body language, facial expressions, and the overall gist of dialogue.

The conversation between all of the characters flowed so easily that aside from a few minor slip ups, it was easy to forget they were actors reciting a script.

Adam King and Sariel Toribio were clear standouts as Proteus and Valentine. It was almost as if King was born to perform Shakespeare for how easily the character came to him. As for Toribio, he was goofy and lovable to his very core. The two as a pair led TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA to success.

In juxtaposition to these actors is Anna Holland's Julia, Proteus' love in the first half of the first act. She then journeys to be reunited with Proteus, in disguise as a young male page. Holland in the first act was a lot to take in. She portrayed this very traditional role in a confusingly modern way, complete with "happy dances" and a "woo girl" attitude. She seemed to be channeling Alicia Silversone so much that I expected her to toss her hair with a burst of "As IF!" However, when Holland moved to "playing" the male page, she seemed much more grounded.

Along those same lines was the forgettable Thurio (Kenneth Wigley). While he has a prominent role in the story (The Duke's intended husband for Sylvia, and a rival to Valentine), he is very much a secondary character. The few lines he delivered were burdened by a false posh accent that made it difficult to understand Wigley. Combined with the speed in which his lines were delivered, I'm not actually sure of anything that he said.

One creative decision I really appreciated was the blurring of traditional gender roles. In this production of TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA, Panthino and Launce were both played by women (Brooklyn Grace and Sarah Beth Hester, respectively). Of course, when Shakespeare was first being performed, all of the roles were played by men, so it is fitting to see the reverse in modern times.

Additionally, one of my favorite moments was when Proteus helps Thurio serenade Sylvia on her balcony. The production brought ensemble members onstage to sing and play instruments. Whereas I would expect most productions to play background music and mime playing the instruments, these talented actors were playing and singing live. It was a beautiful moment that really added to the quality of the production.

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For more information on remaining shows in The Shakespeare Binge Fest (through November 28, 2021), and a sneak peek into Shakespeare Tavern's holiday calendar, check out their website at https://www.shakespearetavern.com/.

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