"Shakespeare in Love" - by Lee Hall - Concord Players (Concord, MA.) - REVIEW
(Cover Photo: The CAST of "SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE" by Lee Hall presented by Concord Players in Concord, MA. now playing through March 1, 2025. Photo Credit Chris Pollari)
By Kevin T. Baldwin
METRMAG Reviewer
# 774-242-6724
“All the men at court are without poetry. If they look at me they see my father's fortune. I will have poetry in my life. And adventure. And love. Love above all"
- ("Viola") / Lee Hall
Concord Players
Presents
"SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE"
Adapted for the stage by Lee Hall
Music by Paddy Cunneen
Based on the screenplay by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard
Directed by Michelle Leibowitz
Music Director Kathryn Denney
Producer Brian Kelly
Stage Manager Paula Ruberti McNabb
Cast Includes: Quinton Kappel as “Will Shakespeare,” Catherine Haverkampf as “Viola De Lesseps/Thomas Kent,” John True as “Kit Marlowe,” Ben Hardt as “Lord Wessex,” Christina Petrillo as “Henslowe/Singing Ensemble,” James Honaker as “Fennyman/Singing Ensemble,” Andy DeSisto as “Richard Burbage/Singing Ensemble,” Nicholas Miller as “Ned Alleyn/Duke/Mercutio/Singing Ensemble/Featured Dancer,” Arianna Bonito as “Nurse/Singing Soloist,” David Dooks as “Sir Robert De Lesseps/Edmund Tilney/Singing Ensemble,” Kerrie Tilney as “Queen Elizabeth I,” Kate Beattie as “Queen’s Attendant/Bartender/Boatperson/Court Couple/Singing Ensemble/Featured Dancer,” Emily Chapman as “Mistress Quickly/Barmaid/Court Couple/Singing Ensemble/Featured Dancer,” Ava Enoch as “Tooley/Abraham/Court Couple/Barmaid/Queen Attendant/Singing Soloist/Featured Dancer,” Krisha Hoyt-Mackler as “John Webster/Singing Ensemble,” Justin Linscott as “Ralph/Valentine/Petruchio/Nurse/Singing Ensemble/Featured Dancer,” Christopher Maloney as “Peter/Proteus/Tybalt/Sampson/Singing Ensemble/Featured Dancer,” Samantha Moon as “Frees/Kate/Court Couple/Singing Ensemble/Featured Dancer,” John Nimick as “Lambert/Catling/Guard/Court Couple/Burbage Heavy/Priest/Actor in R&J/Singing Ensemble,” Amanda O'Donnell as “Nol/Turio/Tavern Patron/Benvolio/Singing Ensemble/Featured Dancer,” Chloe Olwell as “Adam/Gregory/Servingman/Singing Ensemble/Featured Dancer,” Johnny Penney as “Robin/Silvia/Lady Capulet/Featured Dancer,” Alison Smith-Vaniz as “Court Couple/Molly/Singing Ensemble/Featured Dancer,” Chet Williams as “Wabash/Antonio/Chorus/Singing Ensemble/Featured Dancer,” James Woodsum as “Sam/Juliet/Guard/Singing Ensemble,” Auggie as “Spot.”
Additional Creative Team:
Backstage Running Crew - Brian Adler, Eoin Donaher, Allison Rollings; Costume Assistants - Carol Antos, Pat Bentley, Kathy Booth, Kris Gines, Pat Kane, Paula McNabb, Rosalie Oliveri, Judy Perkins, Priscilla Stevens, Tracy Wall, Tina Zannieri; Dance Captains - Catherine Haverkampf, Alison Smith-Vaniz; Assistant Fight Choreographer - Ida Mihok; Fight Captain - Amanda O'Donnell; Hair and Makeup Assistant - Jamie Cook; Photography - Chris Pollari; Publicity - Andrea Roessler; Set Builders - Allen Bantly (Chief), Larry Griffin, Ava Enoch, Ralph Clifford, Charlie Keifer, Joe Oliveri, Rob Fleming; Set Painters - Kim Cook, Sandy Eisenbie, Emily Welsh, Jolanta Stachowicz, Emma Stickgold; Social Media - Katie Iafolla; Sound Board Operator - Matt Tse; Tech Supper - Brian Kelly.
Performances:
February 14, 2025 through March 1, 2025
(Contact Box Office for Exact Times)
All performances to be held at 51 Walden Street, Concord, MA.
TICKETS:
Call # 978 369-2990 or visit https://concordplayers.org/
BUY TICKETS
(Warning: The following review contains spoilers)
Concord Players has staged a thoroughly delightful production of "SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE" which will have many folks in the audience simply...well...loving Shakespeare.
"SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE" is a two-act stage adaptation written by Lee Hall based on the immensely popular and multiple Academy Award-winning 1998 film of the same title by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard.
The stage adaptation debuted in the states in 2017 but, before that, Hall's spin on "SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE" premiered in London in 2014 running until 2015. Then, in 2016, it resurfaced in Canada playing to sold-out audiences.
Now, in 2025, it makes its way to Concord, Massachusetts.
While Hall's structure has some minor issues (more on that later), there is a lot to admire in this Concord Players' staging and most of that comes from the dedication and enthusiasm expressed by its cast.
As the play opens we are transported back to London circa 1593.
Struggling playwright William Shakespeare (Quinton Kappel) is hard at work on his next commissioned play for Philip Henslowe (Christina Petrillo), owner of The Rose Theatre …or he would be if Will could think of any blasted thing to write.
It appears that the Bard is blocked… suffering from a major case of "blank page syndrome" (a.k.a. "writer’s block").
Kappel is thoroughly engaging as Shakespeare, who finds himself confronting one dilemma after another as the story unfolds.
So desperate to write something…anything…of value, Shakespeare turns to rival scribe and occasional ally, Kit Marlowe (John True).
True as Marlowe has many great scenes - including playing "Cyrano" to Shakespeare's "Christian" during a somewhat familiar looking "balcony scene" - it is just a shame we do not see more of the Marlowe character, as a pivotal moment for him during the show's second act would have yielded far more impact.
(Photo: Christina Petrillo as “Henslowe” has a less-than-reassuring moment with Quinton Kappel as “Will Shakespeare” in a scene from "SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE" by Lee Hall presented by Concord Players in Concord, MA. now playing through March 1, 2025. Photo Credit Chris Pollari)
Henslowe, deep in debt to callous loan shark Fennyman (James Honaker), demands from Shakespeare pages of a new comedy he is (supposedly) writing, “Romeo and Ethel, the Pirate's Daughter,” for which Henslowe is already announcing auditions.
Petrillo is humorous as beleaguered producer Henslowe who faces multiple dilemmas of his own being deeply in debt to Honaker who, as Fennyman, soon becomes a fan of Shakespeare himself.
While otherwise irresponsible and reprehensible creatures, we soon find both oft these scoundrels quite amusing.
Another longtime fan of Shakespeare’s writings is the beautiful Viola (Catherine Haverkampf), daughter of a wealthy merchant and about to be sent forth by her father into a marriage of convenience.
Viola, enamored by Shakespeare, is devastated to learn her parents have arranged for her to instead wed Lord Wessex (Ben Hardt).
Hardt is fully committed to the character of a financially struggling aristocrat whose marriage to Viola helps both her father and Lord Wessex’s pocketbook (yet, for her part, this arrangement offers Viola absolutely nothing in return but heartache).
Haverkampf is simply outstanding as Viola, who is determined not to live a life bereft of “poetry” and disguises herself as a man named “Thomas Kent” to attend the audition.
(Photo: Catherine Haverkampf as “Viola” in a scene from "SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE" by Lee Hall presented by Concord Players in Concord, MA. now playing through March 1, 2025. Photo Credit Chris Pollari)
Shakespeare soon discovers things about Thomas…and Viola…that soon changes his life – and the life of everyone associated with the Shakespearean troupe - forever.
In the Lee Hall adaptation of the 1998 film "SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE," the characters’ journey ultimately decides just how Shakespeare would come to finish what the world would eventually know as “Romeo and Juliet”
Thanks in no small part to the original source material by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard, "SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE" also provides insight in a more relatable way as to the Bard and the more realistic workings of the London “entertainment industry” circa 1593.
Staged to perfection by director and choreographer Michelle Leibowitz, the production values for Concord Players' "SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE" are all a visceral treat from set design to lighting to wigs and costuming and more.
The entire creative team deserves high praise indeed.
(Photo: Quinton Kappel as “Will Shakespeare” with Catherine Haverkampf as “Viola” in a scene from "SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE" by Lee Hall presented by Concord Players in Concord, MA. now playing through March 1, 2025. Photo Credit Chris Pollari)
While not a musical there is some music and choreography to heighten the ambience of "SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE" and the live musical accompaniment under the direction of Kathryn Denney is impressive.
The live musicians, located on the stage left upper balcony, were simply splendid throughout the entire performance.
The ensemble, though, found themselves plagued by some pitchy moments at the February 16th performance - yet these were mostly confined to whenever the music involved some intricate vocal harmonies.
Dance choreography is minimal but what dancing there is (and choreographed by Liebowitz) well serves to help set the overall tone of the scene in which dancing is featured.
Under the technical guidance of Chris Cardoni, other high points in the staging take place during any scenes involving fight choreography - especially during the show's second act and primarily due to the marvelous execution by the actors.
Set changes prove tricky at times as it seems the incidental music used to underscore some scene changes doesn’t always time out accurately.
Fortunately, these spots are minimal and do not diminish in the slightest the overall enjoyment of the performance.
(Photo: The CAST of "SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE" by Lee Hall presented by Concord Players in Concord, MA. now playing through March 1, 2025. Photo Credit Chris Pollari)
For fans of the movie or for those who have never seen the film, Hall’s script is a fine adaptation but with one minor drawback which is where Hall placed the story’s “intermission” (as a result the second act drags needlessly on for a whopping 90 minutes).
There are certainly other pivotal plot points (given just the sheer overwhelming number of characters and sub-plots) which could have served as the show’s “mid-point” and thus balanced out the run time of each act to about 45 minutes each.
Thankfully, the collective performance by the Concord Players' cast makes us become so invested with the characters that the above extended runtime for the second act is well worth any auxiliary time spent if only to see how the story ends.
"SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE" continues in Concord, MA. until March 1st, 2025 and is highly recommended not to let this one slip away for parting will be such sweet sorrow.
Coming up next at Concord Players will be the terrific show with the (self-described) terrible name, “URINETOWN THE MUSICAL” beginning May 2, 2025.
For tickets and more information, contact Concord Players at # 978 369-2990 or visit https://concordplayers.org/
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Approximately two hours, 45 minutes with one intermission
Kevin T. Baldwin is a member of the American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA)
@MetrmagReviews
@Theatre_Critics
ABOUT THE SHOW
We all know William Shakespeare as a brilliant, imaginative, funny, trendsetting playwright whose work has held up the test of time better than any other.
We know he lived in the 16th century and that he performed plays for the Queen, but how did Shakespeare become the Shakespeare we know today?
In this exciting play by Lee Hall, adapted from the screenplay by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard, we get to witness a version of what might have been.
Did Shakespeare have writer’s block from time to time?
Did he need a muse to write his famous tragedy "Romeo and Juliet?"
Lee Hall’s version of this successful screenplay follows the same story of Shakespeare meeting and falling in love with a aristocratic woman named Viola De Lesseps who wishes she could be an actor, and transforms it for the stage, just as Shakespeare did with stories in his day.
It is funny, clever, filled with references to Shakespeare’s work, and a delight for theater goers of all ages. (STAGEAGENT)
ABOUT THE CONCORD PLAYERS
THE CONCORD PLAYERS are proud of their continuous record of presenting quality theatre to the citizens of Concord and the surrounding communities. Three major productions are mounted each season. In addition, one-acts, such as the annual entry into the Eastern Mass Assn of Community Theatres (EMACT) Spring Festival, are frequently presented. Workshops in acting, directing, and technical theatre are also offered to the membership.
MISSION STATEMENT
The purpose of our organization is to produce and perform quality theatre for the citizens of Concord and the surrounding communities. We encourage the participation of people with an interest in technical theatre, as well as in performing.
51 Walden Street
Concord, MA. 01742
# 978-369-2990
