‘Freely Adapted’ version of Mary Stuart is a Gamm classic

By Don Fowler
Posted 5/4/17

There is theatre. And then there is theatre!

Gamm Artistic Director Tony Estrella has taken Friedrich Schiller’s “Mary Stuart” and adapted it “for today,” giving us a world premiere that …

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‘Freely Adapted’ version of Mary Stuart is a Gamm classic

Posted

There is theatre. And then there is theatre!

Gamm Artistic Director Tony Estrella has taken Friedrich Schiller’s “Mary Stuart” and adapted it “for today,” giving us a world premiere that should have a long life, both in Rhode Island and beyond.

Never having been a big fan of plays about English royalty, I must admit to being blown away with what Estrella, who also directs the play, has done with the historical material. “Though it depicts events from a distant past,” Estrella said, “’King Elizabeth’ is happening now.”

The play is about Mary Stuart, the ousted queen of Scotland who has been imprisoned by the English crown for treason, where her fate is in the hands of her cousin, Queen Elizabeth, or King Elizabeth, as Estrella has titled the play.

The play takes a close look at women in a position of political power and the influence that a male-dominated system has on them, making it very relevant in today’s society.

The language is so precise and the interchange of ideas, thoughts and prejudices so accessible that the historical background becomes much more than the litany of dates and successions to the throne that bored us to death in history class.

To put it simply: History becomes alive and exciting.

With a minimalist set, the story focuses on the characters. You will have to search long and hard to find two better performances than those given by Jeanine Kane as Elizabeth and Marianna Bassham as Mary Stuart.

Kane, a Gamm veteran, has done it all at the Pawtucket theatre, from Shakespeare to Ibsen. Bassham, a Massachusetts-based actress, has made a name for herself at Gamm as “Hedda Gabler” and Blanche in “A Streetcar named Desire.”

Together, the two actresses give performances of a lifetime, bringing out the heart and soul of their conflicting, strong characters. The two had never met until the opening scene in Act II, when they meet in a forest in one incredibly intense and emotional scene.

In a play filled with conspiracy, treason, lies and changing allegiances, many questions about loyalty and responsibility are raised.

In the closing scenes, Elizabeth must decide Mary Stuart’s fate, causing her some agonizing moments and setting us up for a tense conclusion.

Credit to the entire cast, including Wendy Overly as Mary’s nurse, who raises real tears in an emotional scene, Dustin Blanchard as the Earl of Leicester, Tom Oakes as the Earl of Shrewsbury, Jeff Church, as the conflicted Sir Edward Mortimer, plus Cliff Odle as the overpowering Lord Burleigh, Richard Noble, Alec Thibodeau, and Clara Weisham.

If you love the theatre and crave for a production where there is intensity and meaning, plus a cast where the smaller roles are given as much care and emotion as the major roles, get over to Gamm and see “King Elizabeth.”

The world premier is scheduled to run through May 28. Call 723-4266 for reservations.

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