“The show must go on” at Ohlone College’s production of Shakespeare in Love: The Play. Based on the screenplay for the 1998 Best Picture-winning film Shakespeare in Love, director Michael Navarra Smith transports audiences to Elizabethan England in this postmodern retelling of how the legendary ‘Bard of Avon’ came to be.
Theatergoers meet young William Shakespeare (played by Chava Suarez), a gifted writer but one who is plagued with writer’s block as he struggles to write a play worthy of the court of Queen Elizabeth I (Sakeenah Abdullah) while also trying to appease his backer Philip Henslowe (Charles Monk). Inspired and aided by his best friend Kit Marlowe (Gabriel Lew), Shakespeare makes progress on his experimental tragedy ‘Romeo & Ethel the Pirate’s Daughter.’ If that title doesn’t sound like the finished product, it’s because it most certainly is not.
When young William falls for the lovely Viola De Lesseps (Renee Jacqueline), his courtship of her and subsequent quarrels with her loathsome fiancé Lord Wessex (Humza Khan) and his ‘Yes-Men’ pave the way for some of literature’s greatest stage tragedies and comedies in this whirlwind examination of love, pain, humor and self-discovery.
Leading the charge in the story’s narrative is Suarez’s performance as Shakespeare himself. Saurez’s charisma and the on-stage chemistry with co-stars make for a compelling portrayal while also establishing young Shakespeare as a relatable “everyman.” Suarez’s performance is further bolstered by Lew and Jacqueline’s respective depictions of Kit Marlowe and Viola De Lesseps. The duo of Suarez and Lew utilize Vaudeville antics and physical comedy to sell their unbreakable bond. This bond is rivaled only by Suarez and Jacqueline’s chemistry which expertly conveys a dynamic between the star-crossed lovers that pays homage to romances past and present.
Other noteworthy performances include —but are not limited to— that of Sakeenah Abdullah as Queen Elizabeth I, Tristan Tumacder as Ned Alleyn, Cassidy Chase as Nurse and Humza Khan as Lord Wessex. Abdullah’s commanding stage presence is a perfect parallel to Judi Dench’s depiction of Queen Elizabeth I in the 1998 film as the character exudes a regal aura juxtapositioned with an authoritative essence. The trio of Tumacder as Alleyn, Chase as Nurse and Khan as Lord Wessex are also sure to elicit laughs and applause as the respective journeys that each of their characters embark on highlight the ulterior motives of those influencing Shakespeare in his youth.
Aiding in the audience’s suspension of disbelief, which is crucial for any stage show, is the immaculate production design. The core set, which utilizes stairways, a catwalk doubling as a balcony and other rotating elements provides a seamless transition each time the setting is changed. The use of projectors also aids in establishing the many locations of the play, from the Rose and Curtain Theatres of Elizabethan London to the River Thames, Viola De Jessep’s bedroom and Shakespeare’s writing desk. A trap-door in the stage is even utilized in a climactic portion of the final act which will leave audiences in an uproar of laughter and applause as the physical comedy of the show is cranked to capacity.
For fans of Shakespeare’s works as well as those who enjoyed the 1998 film of the same name, Ohlone College’s production of Shakespeare in Love: The Play is sure to please all who attend. Due to the subject matter, sensual references and other innuendos, this show is best suited for late-teen to adult audiences.
Ohlone College’s Shakespeare in Love: The Play
Nov. 8 – 16
Fri, Sat, Sun @ 8pm
Gary Soren Smith Center at Ohlone College
43600 Mission Blvd., Fremont
