NEW YORK—The power of love, as the song goes, is a curious thing. It can reduce a grown man to tears; it can twist him inside out with pain and longing, and it can set him on the road to ultimate destruction. William Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra, now being presented by Theatre for a New Audience, is one such example of these darker effects.
In ancient Rome (with the setting moved to 19th Century Africa), Mark Antony (Marton Csokas), one of the most powerful men in the Roman Empire, has fallen madly in love with the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra (Laila Robins).
Content to lie in her arms (and bed), Antony forsakes his wife back home and, more dangerously, his duties to the Empire—the latter being something that does not at all please Octavius Caesar (Jeffrey Carlson), who rules in Rome.
Antony is fully aware of how his love for Cleopatra is being interpreted by the troops he commands, as well as by those elsewhere in power, but is powerless to do anything about it. Every time he tries to leave his Egyptian love, she contrives to keep him by her side, for she loves and needs him as much as he does her.
However it quickly becomes apparent that the lovers' attempt at hiding from their duties (and from the rest of the world) cannot last forever. The rebel Pompey (James Knight) who seeks the throne of Rome is on the march, and Antony is forced to return home after receiving news of his wife's death. In order to placate Caesar, Antony agrees to marry the ruler's beloved sister Octavia (Lisa Velten Smith).
But when Antony's desire for Cleopatra causes him once again to stray, Caesar marshals his army in an attempt to avenge Octavia's honor and to teach Antony a lesson once and for all. Facing pressure on all sides, and the realization his problems are entirely of his own making, Antony lashes out against the one person who loves him above all else, setting the stage for the ultimate acts of tragedy and defiance.
Although quite involving, thanks in no small part to the strong chemistry between the title characters, the play doesn't soar as it should. (In boxing terms, it's kind of like a 12-round decision rather than a knockout punch). Much of the problems in that regard can be traced to Darko Tresnjak's somewhat lackluster direction. For example, there are several scenes which provoke unintentioned laughter from the audience when they are supposed to being tears and shocked silence.
Also, many of characters while quite serviceable, seem interchangeable with one another, lessening their overall effect. Additionally, the characterization of Caesar is quite weak, with Carlson never projecting an aura of power and respect in the role, making it rather hard to believe this man could rise to become ruler of Rome. The text could also benefit from some judicious cutting here and there.
Despite these problems, the core elements of the play remain quite strong. Csokas is nicely roguish as a bearded and brawny Antony, brought down by his love for the sensual and somewhat conniving Cleopatra. Matching him perfectly is Robins who nicely combines cunning, sensuality, jealousy, passion and more than a bit of humor in the role. (Watching a messenger approach her with trepidation after she previously beat him for delivering bad news is priceless.)
Other standouts include as George Morfogen as Lepidus, a peacemaker who tries to bridge the gap between Antony and Caesar; Grant Goodman as Agrippa, one of Caesar's followers; and John Douglas Thompson as Enobarbus, a loyal soldier to Antony.
Designer York Kennedy does some interesting work with the lighting, with most of the battles being fought offstage via shadow projections. The set by Alexander Dodge, which include an onstage wading pool, works well. Costumes by Linda Cho are nice, especially when it comes to Cleopatra's garments.
Also in the cast are Randy Harrison, Matthew Schneck, Gregory Derelian, Nathan Blew, Christian Rummel, Michael Rogers, Christen Simon, Christine Corpuz, Ryan Quinn, and Erik Singer.
Antony and Cleopatra
Presented by Theatre for a New Audience
The Duke at 42nd Street
229 West 42nd Street
Tickets: 646-223-3010
Running Time: 3 Hours
Closes: May 2, 2008
Judd Hollander is the New York correspondent for the London publication The Stage.
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