The Two Gentlemen
of Verona
by William Shakespeare
directed by Jessie Austrian and Ben Steinfeld
Fiasco Theater, in collaboration with the Folger Theatre, co-produced a version of Shakespeare's The Two Gentlemen of Verona. This production ran from April 17 to May 25, 2014, at the Folger's Elizabethan Theatre. The show was a seemingly simple tale of shifting devotions among mismatched lovers that also revealed some nasty undercurrents. The company brought its hallmark style and expansive imagination to one of Shakespeare’s most poetic comedies. The production was praised for being fast, happy, and funny, with Fiasco's small troupe using a stripped-down aesthetic and an expansive imagination to wrestle with the classic text.
The set, with crumpled pieces of paper suggesting a grove of blossoms, reflected the play's theme of love notes and torn-up messages. By using a tight-knit cast of six actors, the production was able to be both swift and immensely appealing. Fiasco's work on this play was seen as doing justice to Shakespeare in an excitingly contemporary way, with a firm belief that the plays should be accessible and fun.
The production was later remounted at Theatre for a New Audience in the Spring of 2015.
THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA
by William Shakespeare
directed by Jessie Austrian and Ben Steinfeld
April 17 – May 25, 2014 at the Folger Theatre
Remounted in the spring of 2015 at Theatre for a New Audience
The Two Gentlemen of Verona is an endearing, swift, and immensely appealing production that brought Fiasco Theater's hallmark style and expansive imagination to one of Shakespeare’s most celebrated comedies. The show, which tells a seemingly simple tale of shifting devotions among mismatched lovers, was remounted at the Polonsky Shakespeare Center after its premiere at the Folger Theatre. The production was praised for its fast-paced, contemporary feel and its ability to dance lightly over the play's pitfalls. The creative team created a set with crumpled pieces of paper to suggest a grove of flowers, which also cleverly reflected the play's many love letters.
Featuring Jessie Austrian, Noah Brody, Paul L. Coffey, Zachary Fine, Andy Grotelueschen, and Emily Young.
Creative Team
Set Designer: Derek McLane
Costume Designer: Whitney Locher
Lighting Designer: Christopher Ackerlind
The list above includes the core creative team, but is not comprehensive. We are grateful and lucky to have worked with everyone who made Fiasco Theater’s Two Gentlemen of Verona possible, from the teams backstage and front of house to design associates and interns, and all of you, our community and audience members. Photos by Gerry Goodstein
Reviews
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“A small troupe with an expansive imagination and an eagerness to wrestle with thorny classics, Fiasco has quickly become a force to reckon with in American theater. Deploying small casts, minimal sets and sparklingly lucid powers of interpretation…”
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“…Two Gentlemen” reaffirms the sense that Fiasco is doing justice to Shakespeare in a wholly and excitingly contemporary way. In these young players’ hands, demystification is an art. Fiasco does not resort to high-concept Shakespeare, a practice that has reached epidemic proportions at some classical companies. Among its tools are careful compression, deep investigation of character, a pleasure in the gestalt of ensemble work, and a firm belief that the plays are meant to be, well, accessible fun.”
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“Don't let the pale palette of the lilac V-necks, rosy pink blazers and powder-blue frocks fool you. The Fiasco Theater's brisk take on "The Two Gentlemen of Verona" is as bold and splashy as it is joyous.”