Review: Post5's Outstanding EQUIVOCATION Explores the Dilemma of 'Telling the Truth in Difficult Times'

I am running out of superlatives to describe the productions at Post5 Theatre. If they keep putting on shows this good, I'll need a bigger thesaurus.

EQUIVOCATION, by Bill Cain, speculates about what would have happened if Shakespeare (called Shagspeare in the play) had been commissioned by the English government to write "The True History of the Gunpowder Plot," a foiled attempt to assassinate King James. It also speculates about the Bard himself, his relationship with his children, and why he wrote some of his plays. EQUIVOCATION is so elegantly constructed that you'll start to think all of Cain's speculation might actually be true.

But what EQUIVOCATION is really about is "telling the truth in difficult times." The government doesn't actually want a true history, they want to write history, and Shagspeare finds himself in the impossible position of wanting to discover and write the truth, but also wanting to live to a ripe old age. It's a poignant reminder that history is by and large written by the victors and a commentary about how we construct our individual and collective histories. It's also a family drama, a religious drama, a theatre group drama (new genre), and quite often a comedy.

With the complexity and the fact that four of the six actors play at multiple roles, sometimes in the same scene, EQUIVOCATION would be impossible to pull off without both a brilliant ensemble and brilliant direction. Fortunately, Post5's production has both.

In his three roles (an actor, an accused conspirator, and King James), Ty Boice transitions from arrogant to broken, from commanding to insecure, and back again. It's a thrill to watch. Boice recently announced that he would be stepping down as Post5's artistic director, and I think I can speak for all of Post5's viewing audience when I say that he will be sorely missed. Todd Van Voris is superb as both Richard, the hot-headed leader of the theatre troupe, and the equivocation expert and priest Henry Garnet, who he plays with just the right amount of emotion and restraint. Matt Smith's Robert Cecil is so perfectly snake-like that he will manipulate you successfully even when you know that's exactly what he's doing (curse him!).

The show is tied together by Paul Angelo's excellent direction, which teases apart the complexity and gives each moment, each line, each emotion it's due, a particularly impressive feat when multiple scenes take place simultaneously. This is aided by Dan Brusich's mighty fine lighting design.

EQUIVOCATION is a phenomenal play, and this is a phenomenal production. I've not even come close to doing it justice. It's just one of those things you have to see for yourself.

EQUIVOCATION runs through October 3 at Post5 Theatre. For tickets, visit www.post5theatre.org.

Photo credit: Russell J. Young

To post a comment, you must register and login.