Review: UMass' CASANOVA - 'Nothing is Real Here; Everything is Appearance'

There are a few things I have learned about the UMass theatre department this semester. One, they love using the aisles of the theatre to make entrances and exits, two they are extremely fond of nudity (no matter the show), and finally they love modernizing stories. These things are what make me love all of the shows I have seen this semester, and Casanova by Constance Congdon was no exception.

The story concentrated on Giacomo Girolamo Casanova, the famous Italian seducer. As we learn about his life, we also are introduced to the many women he fell in love with. Running at over three hours long, there were a lot of stories to be told, a few which probably should have been trimmed down to reduce the time. The only show that I feel is acceptable to be three hours long is Les Miserables. Nevertheless, I enjoyed meeting the various characters in Casanova's life.

The first two we are introduced to are Bobo and Sophie. Bobo is a very flamboyant character who is a no-nonsense type of guy who is extremely disappointed with the world, especially Paris. Zachary J. Smith, who played Bobo, was in one of my classes this semester. Seeing him transform into this character was amazing, he became a completely different person, which is extremely rare especially in college theatre. Sophie played by Julia Piker was an amazing actress, especially when no one was looking. One of the things I tend to do as an audience member is focus on the actors who are not under the spotlight, but rather off to the side. Sophie had a gaze like the Mona Lisa, you were not sure of what was going on in her head, but her look was so intriguing that you wanted to know.

Theres, played by Gracie Baker, was probably the character who stood out the most to me. She played a woman who rose from the dead to haunt Casanova. She was extremely over the top and dominating which was critical to her role. Another over the top actress who I always enjoy seeing is Meaghan Morris who took on a number of roles in this production. Meaghan is a genius character actress. As Grandmama she reminded me of a mix bettern WinniFrEd Sanderson from Hocus Pocus and the mysterious witch from Beauty and the Beast. Then she was the woman pretending to be a castrato, her voice was, as always, magical.

I have to of course acknowledge the two Casanovas. Young Casanova played by Gregory Boover is a very skinny and pale man who has this dominance about him. He managed to appear weak and vulnerable but at the same time sexy and desirable. Everytime he spoke he pulled you in, forcing you to listen to his words. Older Casanova played by Sam Warton was very memorable. It was so interesting having him on stage in the carriage watching his past unfold before his eyes. Beth Codey who played his companion Uta was extremely funny and managed to have a firm grip on her extremely thick accent.

What I enjoyed most about Casanova was the sexuality and humor it had to it. The show was not afraid to cross boundaries and extend limits. Almost every character had sex appeal, which was an important part of the story. They weren't trying to cover anything up (both figuratively and literally). There was a lot of humor to this show, but the humor allowed you to also focus on the serious moments. You would laugh, and then there would be a poignant line that would pull you back in and make you think. Bravo to director Brianna Sloane and the cast of Casanova.