Classic Theater Stages “Measure for Measure”
BY JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor
Shakespeare wrote “Measure by Measure” in 1604 but the Classic Theater of San Antonio is bringing the story into the 21st century.
“Measure for Measure” has always been a favorite play of mine,” said Artistic Executive director Jimmy Moore, “and I chose it for this time of the season because I felt it was a really wonderful opportunity to showcase a female character that was dealing with a lot of the same issues hundreds of years ago, that women still deal with today: bodily autonomy, women’s role in society and women’s right to choose their own future.”
The play is set in Vienna which is teaming with brothels and libertine morality. The reigning Duke decides to appoint his deputy, Angelo, to restore morality and good behavior, while he disguises himself as a friar and observes what’s happening. A lot of things are going on. A young man called Claudio gets jailed for getting his fiancée pregnant; another man, Lucio, visits Claudio’s sister, a nun named Isabella, to talk her into visiting Angelo to plead for her brother’s life, but Angelo wants her to sleep with him before he grants his pardon. Her brother tries to talk her into yielding to the ruler.
Just reading about all of this makes you a bit dizzy. Angelo is not a kind ruler.
Meanwhile the ruling Duke is kind of amused by the developments, and, as befits an absolute ruler, intends to get the woman he wants, which in this case is the nun Isabella.
“It’s a wonderful tie-in from several hundred years ago to today,” noted Moore. “Audiences are going to enjoy being at a Shakespeare show and see these familiar elements, and they will be shocked by the parallel. Women today are dealing with so many roll-backs of the freedoms they have enjoyed for so many years.”
Both Moore and play director Liz Fisher are also talking about “surveillance,” as an aspect of the play and implying that it, too, is a contemporary issue.
“I think that, certainly, we are all surveying each other through social media,” noted Moore, “and we are being surveilled by our government as well. I think it’s a really interesting idea in many of Shakespeare’s plays – about who is watching whom. In many plays, certain characters are in a scene to collect information to use against other characters later. This play shows the pros and cons of that. We hope to create a community conversation about these topics.”
So, is the Classic’s version of “Measure for Measure” a comedy, we asked Fisher.
There are elements of both comedy and tragedy,” she said. “There are sticky, tricky, tough moments that each production has to navigate.”
The Classic’s show has a fairly large cast of thirteen actors, and there will be original music composed by
Joshua Coker. Mark McCarver is portraying The Duke; Michael Roberts is Angelo and Randee Nelson plays Isabella.
A video installation, “Spectre” by artist Anthony Martinez will be part of the experience to “serve as a haunting reminder of the ever-present eye of surveillance and its role in our lives”
Completing the experience will be the Nerryl Williams pre-show performance, “Love Without Measure” in the 2nd floor lobby lounge. She’ll be accompanied by pianist Darrin Newhart.
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Opens May 11 and runs through May 28; Thursday, Friday, Saturday at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday at 2 p.m., Radius Center, 106 Auditorium Circle, 2nd floor, 78205; Wednesday performances are at 7:30 p.m.; tickets on the Classic’s website or by calling 210-589-8450.