Lauren Beward as Annabella and Joshua Engel as Giovanni.
Photo by Rebecca Hranj.
Murder, mayhem, and mystery, is just the beginning of a series of plot twists and twisted characters that will have audiences gasping by the end of ‘Tis Pity She’s a Wh***. Currently in production at the Greenbelt Arts Center and presented by The Rude Mechanicals, ‘Tis Pity plays like an Italian soap opera. Directors Jaki Demarest and Paul Davis along with Assistant Director Joshua Engel take drama to new heights, “going for the shock value” but that is the intension of the original script.
‘Tis Pity is a tragedy that was written by John Ford and performed sometime between 1629 and 1633 by Queen Henrietta’s Men at the Cockpit Theatre. Its rich prose and psychological insight into the tangled webs humans weave, The Rude Mechanicals production is set in post World War II Parma, Italy – 1947. The simplistic set and slick costume designs help to capture the brazen essence of this show. From the start, there is a confession of forbidden love, a knife fight, and quite a bit of bribery – and that’s just the first five minutes.
It is a nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat production…
Will Robey is Friar Bonaventura and spiritual advisor to the Florio family. He is the voice of reason and repentance and Robey presents this character with great compassion, especially when Giovanni, portrayed by Joshua Engel, confesses to him of his forbidden love.
Giovanni is a very intense dimensional character. Engel demonstrates this through taut expressions and his body language is fraught with anguish. Giovanni is an “onion” that as the layers are peeled away, so is his mental state. There is a shocking dark side to this character yet Engel plays it in a way that evokes a bit of an empathic response to his twisted madness. His grey pin-stripe is suitable for this character, giving him an image of being put together well when at the seams he is unraveling.
Lauren Beward as Annabella and Lisa Hill-Corley as Putana.
Photo by Rebecca Hranj.
Annabella, portrayed by Lauren Beward, is sweet and innocent until her secret love is revealed. In many ways, she is similar to her brother, Giovanni. She rationalizes that the twisted love and passion she shares, is at least honest – that is her logic. In every scene together, Beward and Engel light up the stage with their fiery chemistry. Annabella’s costuming is pure irony. In the beginning she dons a purple skirt and sheer lavender blouse. Purple in the Catholic Church symbolizes pain and suffering yet later in Act II she’s wearing a white satin slip representing purity – quite the opposite of her character.
Joe Kubinski is Florio, Annabella’s and Giovanni’s father. Florio appears to be reserved while trying to have his children’s best interests in mind. He states that he will not force Annabella to marry someone she doesn’t love but ultimately his rationale is more financial than emotional. Kubinski shows that this character is aloof to all the madness around him but in part, his focus is his family and fortune. He seems a bit austere in his gray suit with a maroon long-sleeve shirt.
Lisa Hill-Corley is Putana, tutor to Annabella and Florio’s mistress. Hill-Corley is sleek and sensuous in this role and in her red flowing dress. She is the true harlot of the story. Willingly, she acknowledges Annabella’s affair with Giovanni, saying she believes it is acceptable to have affairs with anyone if the mood strikes. However, her philosophy leads to great harm by the hands of Vasques (Daniel Douek) who tricks her into confessing the paternity of Annabella’s child.
Daniel Douek as Vasques is brilliantly bold and exceedingly clever as this character. The Spanish servant to Don Soranzo (Paul Davis), Vasques is incredibly loyal to his employer. However, like many of the characters, he also is quite twisted with his manipulations of women, especially, Hippolita, played by Jaki Demarest. Though Hippolita is wife of Richardetto (Steve Calamia), she plays this role with the upmost class and completely smolders on stage with Vasques – her lover. Her ensembles are sleek and her sultry attitude transcends the entire stage.
Paul Davis is Don Soranzo, just one of many suitors in love with Annabella. Davis’ portrayal of this character starts out pretty even and steady with a hint of shyness. His love for Annabella is tried and true that is until he becomes her husband. When he demands to know the father of Annabella’s unborn child, Soranzo is consumed with humiliation and rage. Davis does not hold back Soranzo’s feelings with Annabella and her response – genuine fear.
Lauren Beward as Annabella, Paul Davis as Soranzo, Jaki Demarest as Hippolita, and Daniel Douek as Vasques.
Photo by Rebecca Hranj.
Steve Calamia is Richardetto, Hippolita’s husband. Richardetto disguises himself as a doctor in order to uncover his wife’s infidelities. Calamia brings out the cold and calculating behavior of revenge. Like many of the characters in this production, Richardetto is driven by retribution and seems unfettered by his wife’s demise.
Paul Brinkley as Grimaldi – heir to family fortune in Rome – is the brawny hit-man in this production. He conspires with Richardetto to murder Soranzo but through mistaken identity takes the life of the wrong person. This is the character that triggers a bloody trail of murder and mayhem. His dark pants and vest are reminiscent of Mafioso garb.
Melanie Jester superbly plays the male role of Bergetto, another of Annabella’s suitors. Played with a layering of comedic relief, this character is likeable in his pursuit of Annabella’s hand in marriage. But when Annabella’s love is unrequited; Bergetto finds love and solace with Philotis played by Boneza Hanchock. Pin-striped pants, suspenders, white shirt, suspenders adds to Jester’s ability to play cross-casted role.
Philotis is Richardetto’s naïve niece but Hanchock brings a level of alluring charm to this character. This couple is sweet and the least twisted of them all. They are worth cheering for but theirs is not a happy ending, either. Hanchock’s costuming is soft and gentile.
Piper Ockershausen is Poggia, secretary to Bergetto adds to the comic relief. Favoring actress Ginnifer Goodwin (He’s Just Not That into You), Ockershausen is a reminder that there are no small roles. Poggia is very loyal to Bergetto and Ockershausen’s character is quite multi-faceted both inside and out. Emma Klemt as the Widow Donada is very poised in this role as well as dynamic especially when she delivers the final line of the show.
The pre-show music is from Tom Waits which is laced throughout the show, giving the overall production a nourish feel. The lighting design by Irene Sitoski compliments space and time using green and blue lighting that brings about a doom to gloom feeling while other scenes are dressed in a rather dark yellow. Erin MacDonald deserves credit for her expertise in stage combat while Kate Smith-Morse is a triple threat as Stage Manager, Props Mistress, and Costuming.
The Rude Mechanicals and Greenbelt Arts Center does hand out an “Adult Content Warning” with the play bill. The incestuous storyline may not be in primetime television, but to date it is headline news in Germany. The point here is that while ‘Tis Pity has been deemed controversial since its debut almost 400 years ago, the plot twists and turns are done shockingly well. This show is drenched in danger and deception, passion and pain, plus madness and mayhem – themes that are common in books, movies, and television dramas. That’s what makes this production work. It is a nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat production that will truly entertain ADULTS and leave you shaking your head as the cast takes their bows.
Running Time: Approximately two hours with one 15 minute intermission.
Advisory: Mature themes and content.
The Rude Mechanicals Tis Pity She’s a Wh*** runs through August 31, 2013 at Greenbelt Arts Center, 123 Centerway, Greenbelt MD 20770. For tickets click here.