Review: THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK is Sporadically Swashbuckling at Synetic Theater

The beloved Musketeers, are back for another adventure in Synetic Theater's The Man in the Iron Mask, directed by Paata Tsikurishvili and adapted for the stage by Ben and Peter Cunis. After the death of his father, King Louis XIV (Alex Mills) is running France into the ground much to the despair of his mother, Queen Anne (Jodi Niehoff), and his watchful staff including Colbert (Nathan Weinberger), and Fouquet (Zana Gankhuyag). However, this is hope for France in the form of a man in the iron mask, a prisoner who is being held in the Bastille. Queen Anne enlists the help of Aramis (Ryan Sellers), a former Musketeer who is now a bishop, to free the prisoner. Aramis knows that he cannot accomplish the Queen's request without the help of Athos (Ben Cunis), a former Musketeer turned farmer, and Porthos (Nicklas Aliff), a former Musketeer turned drunkard. However, D'artagnan (Shu-nan Chu), who protects and serves the King of France as a Musketeer captain, is an obstacle in trying to free the prisoner. Synetic Theater's production of The Man in the Iron Mask is victorious during moments of silent montages and epic fight scenes, but its dialogue is at times ill fitting for such as beloved classic.

The Man in the Iron Mask is full of thrilling fight scenes. The fight choreography, which includes heart stopping sword fighting, by Ben Cunis and Vato Tsikurishvili is remarkably entertaining to watch. The additional choreography by Irina Tsikurishvili includes dance scenes and silent montages.The dance scenes vary in range from mesmerizingly whimsical during the King's dance parties to heart lighted during a scene in which the Musketeers dance in a tavern. While the fighting scenes are a necessary part of the Musketeer aesthetic, the dancing scenes are occasionally too lengthy and distract from moving the story along. In addition to the dancing and sword fighting interludes, there are silent montages that are powerful to watch and highlight the cast's strengths in physical movement. Two standout silent montages that include a scene in which the man in the golden mask visits the man in the iron mask to torture him and a dream sequence in which the jealous King Louis sees his mistress with other men. The physicality in these silent montages are spot on and the raw emotion from the cast just illuminates when these moments happen on stage.

In the production, there are glimpses of a few solid performances among the cast. Cunis, Sellers, Aliff, and Chu are able to capture the unity of the Musketeers well during times in which they ready themselves for battle. Mills transitions between his dual roles of Phillippe and King Louis smoothly. From Phillippe's obsession with the moon to King Louis burst of anger towards his own mother, he is able to make both characters distinct and memorable. Niehoff is stoic as Queen Anne and she really standouts in a scene in which she meets Phillippe for the first time. The dialogue in Synetic's production The Man in the Iron Mask often attempts to add humor during moments of tension. The humor only detracts from the serious themes and presentations of the production. There are pivotal female characters that are often reduced to smaller roles including Queen Anne. Their lines are few and far between. The production's diminishing of female roles and at times inappropriate humor are more of a flaw of the script. However, with some polishing of the script, it is possible for these flaws to be improved.

Synetic Theater's production of The Man in the Iron Mask is best during scenes that require the cast to show off their physical theater skills. The silent elements and choreographed fight scenes, the crux of this production, often overshadow the dialogue. If you enjoyed the 1998 movie, The Man in the Iron Mask, then this production is for you.

Synetic Theater's The Man in the Iron Mask runs until June 19th, 2016. The production runs 2 hours and 30 minutes with a 15 minute intermission. Tickets can be purchased online.

Photo caption and credit: (from left to right) Nicklas Aliff as Porthos, Shu-nan Chu as D'artagnan, Ryan Sellers as Aramis, and Ben Cunis as Athos in Synetic Theater's production of The Man in the Iron Mask. Photo provided by Synetic Theater.

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