Cappies Review: West Springfield's 'The Two Gentlemen of Verona'

By Claire Poirier of Loudoun Valley High School

Milkshakes served on skates to girls with curly hair and puffy dresses. Stories of the Bard and the comfortable rhythm of iambic pentameter. How do these two things meld into a Doo Wop of a time? Well, the 1950’s has arrived in whirlwind of delight in an extremely clever adaptation of William Shakespeare’s The Two Gentlemen of Verona. Get ready to lace up some skates and jump into the vortex of excitement that envelops this show.

The Two Gentlemen of Verona was an early comedy by William Shakespeare, supposedly written between 1589 and 1592. The plot revolves around two best friends, Valentine and Proteus, who struggle to stay within the traditional confines of love and friendship. Proteus leaves his love Julia to follow Valentine to Milan, where he falls for Sylvia, Valentine’s betrothed. Julia, suspicious, dresses up like a man to find out what Proteus is really up to. In a tug of war with poor Sylvia stuck in the middle, it is to be seen the characters can survive a multitude of twists and turns that somehow all comes together in the end.

The cast did a beautiful job of portraying the hilarity and energy that is necessary for a successful adaptation of this show. Whether in the arms of a passionate soliloquy or a wild chase throughout the woods, the vitality was constantly electric and showed an impressive amount of commitment and love for the piece. Small additions to the show like the Doo Wop song brought a hysterical ambiance to the show and really enhanced the theme.

There is nothing better than the love that is found in a bromance. Proteus, played by Scott Burrows, had little nuances, for example the way he controlled his voice when he was surprised or being devious, that fully developed a comedic character that was impossible not to watch. Valentine, played by Graham Morriss, had great reactions to the other characters and was impressive when portraying his lovesick nature. The juxtaposition between the personalities of Burrows and Morriss was seen at its best at the friend’s handshake, which throughout the hardships seemed to be the solution to even the most difficult conundrums. Sylvia, played by Grace Duah, brought sass and refined facial expressions that were perfectly quaffed to any situation, and Julia, played by Brittany Padgett, was extremely convincing when playing a boy and her emotion in her dramatic reveal to Proteus.

No show is complete without its share of goofy sidekicks. Speed, played by Brandon LaBarge, was always in character and present in the scene even if he wasn’t the center of attention. Launce, played by Eila Nash, was a hoot and a half during her monologues and in her reactions to her environment.

Two impressive aspects of the show were the lights and set. The lighting had finesse when following the actors with the spotlight during the chase scene and fading in and out of different parts of the stage. The movable set pieces showed stunning attention to detail and had just the right amount of complexity for the scene.

The complexities of the heart are as timeless as the need for air and water. Love hurts, and yet it is one of the most wonderful things that life has to offer. “What joy is joy, if Silvia be not by? Unless it be to think that she is by, And feed upon the shadow of perfection.”