An indoor Shakespeare festival with air conditioning!

Shakespeare’s comedy The Two Gentlemen of Verona lends itself well to piracy, and director Ariel Leigh picks up on the hint in her swashbuckling production at The Brick. For my tastes, the play could have used even more piracy, but as it is, I’ll take it. Dylan J. Sampson and Daniel Pascale feature as the two gentlemen of the title: Valentine and Proteus, respectively. Beth Devlin plays Silvia, and Vanessa Wendt, Julia: the two women who love and/or are loved by Valentine and Proteus. It’s a classic Shakespearean story of star-crossed lovers, blood brothers turned to mortal foes, women disguised as men, and an eventual happy ending for everyone. Add to that a healthy dose of witty repartee, a few outlaws, and plenty of swordplay – and you’ve got the gist of it. Proteus loves Julia, but their parents will never consent to a match, and Proteus’ father sends him to join Valentine, Proteus’ best friend, in Milan. Meanwhile, in Milan, Valentine plans to elope with the lovely Silvia. But when Proteus arrives, he falls head over heels for Silvia, swears off his love for Julia, and stabs his best friend in the back (metaphorically, this isn’t Caesar). After a tip from Proteus, Silvia’s fat …Read more