When I write or talk about food, I've often declared that I won't argue about barbecue or pizza. Let me immediately state that as someone who writes about theater, I will not discuss the authenticity of Shakespeare's plays. Any of them, not just Cardenio, which is closing up this weekend at the Ivory Theatre under the auspices of St. Louis Shakespeare.
So let us just ask whether this is a worthwhile couple of hours. And the short answer is, yes, it is. It's not Noises Off in terms of accessibility and lightheartedness, but neither is it hard slogging. The first ten minutes or so of exposition are sort of a strain, but after that, the story picks up, and the intrigue pulls the audience in.
It's a "Spanish" court, the way Hamlet is "Danish". A duke and his firstborn, Pedro, are discussing younger brother Fernando who seems a bit, uh, unfocused. The decision is made to bring young Cardenio, a friend of Fernando, to court and have him act as informer on Fernando, who's currently out sowing wild oats. Cardenio, obedient to the duke, parts with his beloved Luscinda and goes to court before he has gathered the strength to ask his formidable widowed mother for her blessing to wed.
Fernando has the hots for Dorotea, a commoner. But when he and Cardenio go to Cardenio's home town to buy some horses, Cardenio points out Luscinda to him – and Fernando moves in for the kill, so to speak. Forget Dorotea, this is the chick for him. (You may notice Fernando has no scruples.) Luscinda’s father, not remarkably fond of Cardenio, thinks marrying this duke’s son is a great idea.
There’s more, of course, but you get the idea. It’s a little different from many of the tales from the Bard we’ve heard, which makes it more interesting. And there’s a lot more to like. Cardenio, himself, is Erik Kuhn, and he carries his role well, adoring Luscinda and dealing with the rascal Fernando in a number of ways. Fernando is Jason J. Little, a marvelous version of a cad, handsome and convincing in both speech and action. Kevin O’Brien plays Ricardo, his elder brother, metaphorically riding a white horse here, and he carries it off with poise and dignity, just what a duke’s firstborn ought to personify.
Shannon Lampkin is Luscinda, Cardenio and Fernando’s beloved, who has a very busy time of it indeed, swooning over Cardenio and squirming away from Fernando as though he were Harvey Weinstein. Dorotea, the commoner, Lexie Baker, is no kid with straw in her hair, since her daddy’s a land-owner. She loves Fernando but understands the match will never be. Cardenio’s mother, played by Larisa Alexander, is marvelous, underplaying her dowager strength but letting us know how she feels with small expressions and the occasional eruption.
The cast works particularly well together, with credit to Donna Northcott, the director. Little details are everywhere – watch the faces of Gerardo, Fernando’s servant, and Kanisha Kellum, the duenna to Dorotea, for instance. And the scene where almost the whole cast play a herd of sheep is wonderful.
The set, from Matthew Stuckel, is handsome in its simplicity. Not simple, however, but equally handsome are Michele Friedman Siler’s costumes that had me paying attention to details like individual fabrics. Robin Weatherall’s sound works like a charm, and the un-miked cast is almost 100% audible, only occasionally having a syllable fall into the black hole of things.
Saturday and Sunday performances; get busy.
Cardenio
through September 15
St. Louis Shakespeare
The Ivory Theatre
7620 Ivory Ave.