A Very Different Two Gentlemen of Verona

Director PJ Paparelli sees Shakespeare’s attempts to reach out to the masses and raises him… a puking and a pantsing — all in the first few moments of Two Gentlemen of Verona.

One of the Bard’s earliest comedy dramas, Two Gentlemen of Verona is the story of volatile adolescent emotions, sudden shifts of desire and personal destruction, and friends turned foe (over girls, of course!), and these things are all too real when plopped into Paparelli’s “present day.”

Open scene in a fast food parking lot with a group of guys getting drunk at 2 AM.  How do you know? The set’s sarcastically sensible supertitles set the tone (and are terrifically witty).  Valentine (Andrew Veenstra) and Proteus (Nick Dillenburg), though best buds for life, each want different things out of it, and part to pursue them.

Proteus is happy in Verona wooing Julia (Miriam Silverman), a gal who took a while to warm to his advances, while Valentine forsakes his name, makes fun of lovers, and wants to see the world… particularly from court as an attache to the Duke of Milan.  Once arrived, Valentine eats his earlier words, falling hard for the Duke’s daughter, Sylvia (Natalie Mitchell).  Meanwhile, Proteus’ Father decides to send him to court as well, and though Proteus has exchanged rings and vows of eternal love with Julia, love’s fancy gets fickle when he meets Sylvia, and he plots a way to win her from his friend.

It’s a tale as old as time, yet introducing “modernity” into the mix, with snappy smartphone texting, an alehouse singalong karaoke club, poignant U2 song breakouts, and an industrial set full of “real-time” reminders.  And who could forget that adorable cock-eared dog?!

The play’s point is to raise questions about friendships and love, but it gambles with violence and rivalries (that seem gotten over a little too quickly).  Seems even historical adolescents had a bit of attention deficit disorder.

*Two Gentlemen of Verona is on stage at the Landsburgh Theatre until March 4.

Categories : Around Town, Arts/Theatre

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kstreetkate

Kate Michael is a "Concierge of Capitol Cool" - the President and Founder of K Street Kate, an online content company devoted to lifestyle news about the District of Columbia. Hip, happening and hyperlocal, the company was formed while Kate served as Miss District of Columbia 2006 and competed in Miss America in 2007. In her cocktail dress and with her FlipCam, Kate provides constant content to help you live la vida local.