The Old Bard

ARTS AND CULTURE

By J. Cooper Robb

Add Comment | Comments: 0 | Posted Oct. 17, 2001

Deus ex machina aka "god from the machine": a nifty--albeit artificial--device used by the Greeks where a god descends from the heavens via a large crane to wrap up any plot complications left by the playwright. Rarely has a play needed this ploy more than Cymbeline, Shakespeare's late-career tragicomedy currently receiving a rousing production at the Philadelphia Shakespeare Festival. To resolve Cymbeline's numerous coincidences, Shakespeare employs this ancient contrivance both literally and figuratively in one highly implausible denouement that is so ludicrous, some critics have suggested the conclusion (or perhaps the entire play) may be the work of a lesser playwright. Nevertheless, when played--as it is here--with the appropriate sense of humor, Cymbeline can be immensely entertaining. Absent from a Philadelphia stage since 1906 (Princeton's McCarter Theatre mounted an unforgettable production several years back), PSF director David Howey--an excellent Shakespearean actor in his own right--juggles Cymbeline's trio of stories craftily while eliciting several strong performances from the large cast. As the unfairly accused Imogen, newcomer Sara Valentine not only speaks the role eloquently, but without any of the accompanying artifice typically seen in local productions. Also good are Tim Moyer (Belarius) and Edward Snyder as the wonderfully slimy Iachimo. But the production is far more than just linguistically satisfying. With Ian Rose's thrilling fight choreography and Obadiah Evans' thunderous sound design, Cymbeline is an action-packed romance: fast, furious and delightfully engaging.
>> Through Nov. 18. $15-$24. Philadelphia Shakespeare Festival, 2111 Sansom St. 215.496.8001. www.phillyshakespeare.org