CROSSING OVER Edward Kynaston (Thomas Gorrebeeck) makes his name playing female roles in "Compleat Female Stage Beauty."
Jeffrey Hatcher’s plays tend to revolve around historical events, and Compleat Female Stage Beauty, presented by City Lights Theater Company, is no exception. The main character, Edward Kynaston (Thomas Gorrebeeck), is a man who specializes in playing females roles on the stage the 17th century. Kynaston is lauded by English society at a time when the law required all female roles to be played by men. A closeted homosexual, Kynaston has a taste for upper-class indulgence that includes George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham (Robert Campbell). Kynaston, pronounced “Kinnison” and sometimes called “Kin,” revels in his fame and glory for his portrayal of Desdemona in Shakespeare’s Othello, especially her death scene—that is, until, the aspiring Margaret Hughes (Robyn Winslow) plays Desdemona in a secret theater. Hughes has seen Kynaston’s performance many times and has copied his every move, right down to the eye bats.
King Charles II (George Psarras), an avid theater buff, decides to change the law and decrees men forbidden to play female roles. Kynaston’s world comes crashing down suddenly. He has to reinvent himself. After humorously insulting socialite Sir Charles Sedley (Dale Albright), he loses his lover, who confides that when he slept with Kynaston, he imagined being with Kynaston’s fictional characters. He is shunned and beaten by thugs. He tries to act the part of Othello to the court but soon realizes he performs too much like his old female characters. Kynaston becomes an outcast and is reduced to dancing in shady burlesque theaters. He is eventually found by his old stage dresser Maria (Kate McGrath), who helps him out and tells him his portrayal of Desdemona couldn’t be more wrong. Desdemona wouldn’t just accept death with meagerness; she would fight for her life.
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Greg Sat, Jan 29, 2011 - 10:09 am
“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances. And one man in his time plays many parts. The world is a stage, and we are all its players.”— William Shakespeare.
The scope of Jeffrey Hatcher’s fact-based historical play goes far beyond notions of gender politics or sexual orientation. The focus is on his characters and none escape scrutiny. It’s not long after each is introduced that it becomes apparent that everyone is playing a part. But it’s not a matter of deception as much as it is an issue of survival in a world that doesn’t cater to those who fail to stay in character.
Hatcher’s brilliant masterwork posits that it’s the persona we adopt that truly defines us. The idea that our “identity” exists separate from that which we do is merely an illusion. We are, in fact, what we do. If that is taken away, nothing remains.
Edward Kynaston, the last of the “boy players”, realized to perfection by Thomas Gorrebeeck, discovers this awful truth after being literally stripped of his role by royal decree. He is left beaten, shunned and horribly alone. His ability to adapt to the new “restoration period” is much in doubt. Ironically, Margaret Hughes (Robyn Winslow), his anointed successor, finds herself equally disoriented. It’s not until their final scene together is his (their) fate revealed.
Staged within a scene taken from Shakespeare’s Othello, we bare witness to an acting duel of frenzied intensity, where the line between reality and performance art becomes blurred. It’s a frightening moment that makes for riveting theatre, and Gorrebeeck and Winslow push each other to limits seldom seen in any venue. It serves as a magnificent distillation of everything the playwright is attempting to say.
Such lofty themes, set during 17th century England no less, might be expected to elicit yawns, if not entirely collapse under their own weight. But that would be a gross underestimation of the literary skills of its gifted playwright. The play is timely, relevant, and at times (ahem) jovial. And it’s flawlessly executed by all concerned.
This is why I go to the theatre. When all facets fit harmoniously into place, both in acting talent, direction and overall production design, it’s is a marvelous thing to behold. Such is the case with this current production at City Lights Theatre. From the spot-on noblesse oblige trappings of the inimitable George Psarras as King Charles II, to the earthy exuberance of the scene-stealing Therese Schneck as the royal mistress, the entire cast delivers a signature performance worthy of recognition. Bravo!
It’s a memorable experience that one cannot recommend too highly. I hereby decree that all adults attend this extraordinary event forthwith!