Review: Edgy, Gritty AS YOU LIKE IT at Synetic Theater

Before my review, let me begin with a brief public service announcement:

Senator James Lankford, please call your office;
Apparently you lost your mind last week,
And your staff wanted to give you an update.

(No sign of it so far; at last check your honesty and decency went AWOL, too).

For those of you who have avoided political news this season, here's the deal: we have a genuine kerfuffle on our hands over our beloved Synetic Theater. This so-called Distinguished Gentleman from Oklahoma chose to trash Paata and Irina Tsikurishvili's signature artistic achievement, their famous "Shakespeare Without Words" productions, and heavily inflated the level of NEA support they have received in the bargain.

Like the typical Inside-The-Beltway Jerk, Lankford dismissed Synetic's legendary work sight unseen. Which is strange, because Synetic's theater is located just a couple miles from the Circus on the Hill where he holds forth.

It's a shame, really, because when compared to the bloviations from Congress, most folks find Synetic's performances positively enlightening. The Senator really should get out more often.

To hear Lankford tell it, wordless Shakespeare is a waste of taxpayer money and a harbinger of the End of Western Civilization. Never mind that symphony orchestras and ballet companies across the country-which probably receive even heftier NEA grants-have been doing wordless versions of the Bard's stories for ages. Synetic simply builds on this tradition and, in a fusion of ballet, music and theatrical gesture, celebrates the classical canon of Western literature.

[Now, let's get down to business:]

Do not despair, Senator; to fully appreciate their artistry, it pays to read these great works before entering the theater. This certainly would be the case with their current production of As You Like It.

A comic bouquet of theatrical fluff that Shakespeare tossed off, as its title suggests, solely to please his audience, Synetic takes the story and gives it the contemporary edge that we've come to know and love. But given its gritty, urban setting and new characters, I strongly advise you re-acquaint yourself with the original plot and then peruse the 'revised' plot offered in the program here; director Paata Tsikurishvili has decided to populate the stage with a great deal more than the original, and as fascinating as this is it can be a bit confusing.

The play has everything a typical Elizabethan audience wanted in a sitcom: good bro/bad bro drama, devoted sisterhood, true romance temporarily thwarted, a conveniently nearby wilderness where society's rules are utterly subverted, cross-dressing girls who pass as comely young men (which, back then, they actually were), along with the usual comic-relief, stereotypical malcontents. Oh, and a marriage or three to wrap things up.

(Look-the story was tossed off with the same (lack of) care you see here, so let's not ponder its meaning for more than a second or two, OK?)

By far the richest vein in this production is in the leading female roles; Taylor Robinson gives Rosalind a rich vocabulary of emotions, and reveals some truly awesome comic chops. Robinson has you in fits when, disguised as Ganymede, s/he has to endure the unwanted advances of Phebe (the hilarious and distinctly leggy Laura Artesi); it's equally priceless when, also disguised as Ganymede, she offers her real-life crush Orlando some serious smooching lessons-well, given that she is still dressed as Ganymede, it doesn't end well. As Robinson's side-kick, Rosalind's cousin Celia, Sharisse Taylor brings down the house; she is all nerves and panic in contrast with Rosalind's sanguine sobriety, and the contrast alone allows for some wonderful comic moments.

The male roles here - especially Philip Fletcher's Orlando and Scott Turner's Oliver-are played with gusto, and given that the story has become a street-scene scenario the fight sequences are as exhilarating as they are vivid. Scott Brown, meanwhile, appears as the ultimate crabby street-urchin, Jacques; through the detritus in his shopping cart, Brown manages to conjure masks and he performs a somewhat abbreviated pantomime of "The Seven Ages of Man," complete with a brief homily to the maestro Marcel Marceau, whose own version ended vividly, discreetly, with a gesture of the hands. Iralki Kavsadze (whom I still remember vividly for his King Lear) attempts the dual roles of good Duke/bad Duke, a somewhat tall order, but he is at his most touching when as the good Duke Senior he is given the opportunity to recall, and to conjure the image of his daughter Rosalind.

Once the opening exposition scenes are history, draped as they are in heraldry and tapestry, set designer Anastasia Simes indulges in back-alley chic as the traditional Forest of Arden becomes (courtesy of a painted trash-can lid) "Arden St." with poles for trees. Simes creates a wonderland of trash and wreckage, with a shed (occupied by Jacques--who else?) and an automobile shell of indeterminate make, and inside which things really get wild. It is truly a pleasure, too, that we finally get to see resident composer Konstantine Lorkipanidze in the flesh; he appears here as Amiens, one of a pack of bohemian street people, and his live improvisations (by means of a cleverly-concealed keyboard) sometimes steal the show.

As with any Synetic show there are some real visual gems, both of the heart-warming and heart-stopping variety. The action really comes into its own in the second act, however, and Irina Tsikurishvili's choreography is even more intricate than before. In true Elizabethan fashion, there is also a closing dance sequence which by rights ought to have everyone on their feet-except then we'd miss all the hot moves onstage.

Running Time: 2+ hours, with one intermission.

ADVISORY: This production hints at mature content and is recommended for older teens and up.

Production Photo: The "As You Like It" Ensemble. Photo by Johnny Shryock.

Performances are December 9, 2015-January 17, 2016 at Synetic Theater, Crystal City, 1800 S. Bell Street, Arlington VA.

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