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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (April 8, 2015)
A p r fi fl 8 , 20 1 5 P a g e 9 M fi s s fi s s fi p p fi A fl b e r t a N o r t h P o r t fl a n d V a n c o u v e r E a s t C o u n t y B e a v e r t o n O PINIONATED J UDGE Som e th fing Ev e ryon e fo r BY J UDGE D ARLEEN O RTEGA O r egon Sh ak e sp e a r e F e s t fiv a fl ’ s d fiv e r s e n ew s e a son Th e r e ’ s som e th fing fo r ev e ryon e a t th e O r egon Sh ak e sp e a r e F e s- t fiv a fl , y e a r fin and y e a r ou t . I t ’ s a flw ay s wo r th a t r fip down to A sh fl and , fo r th e h figh qu a fl fi ty o f th e p rodu c t fion s , and a fl so b e c au s e th e p fl ay s th em s e flv e s a r e so though t fu fl fly s e fl e c t ed , p rodu c ed , and c a s t to b r fing a v a r fi e ty o f vo fi c e s and cu fl tu r e s to th e s t ag e . I ’v e s e en fou r o f th fi s y e a r ’ s show s so f a r , and th fi s s e a son fi s no ex c ep t fion . Ev en fi f you don ’ t th fink you fl fik e Sh ak e sp e a r e - - and o f cou r s e fi f you do - - th fi s s e a son ’ s p rodu c t fion o f “Mu ch Ado Abou t No th fing ” con t a fin s m any d e fl figh t s . Sh ak e sp e a r e ’ s com edy con t r a s t s an o fld e r , m fi sm a t ch ed p a fi r , B en ed fi ck and B e a t r fi c e , w fi th a young e r p a fi r o f finno c en t s ; th e sh a fl flown e s s o f th e young e r p a fi r ’ s fin f a tu a t fion m ak e s th em vu fln e r ab fl e to th e m a ch fin a t fion s o f som eon e who w fi sh e s th em h a rm , wh fi fl e th e o fld e r coup fl e ’ s sp a rk fign fi t e s f rom th e d fi f f e r en c e s th a t fi r s t r ep e fl and th en a t t r a c t th em . Th e b e s t th fing abou t th fi s p rodu c t fion a r e B en ed fi ck and B e a t r fi c e th em s e flv e s , b e au t fi fu fl fly p fl ay ed by D an fo r th Com fin s and Ch r fi s t fi an a C fl a rk . Th e fi r d fi f f e r en c e s fin cu fl tu r e and phy s fi c a fl fi ty d e ep en th e d e- fl figh t o f w a t ch fin g th em sp a r and th en f a fl fl fin flov e , ev en wh fi fl e n e fi th e r th ey no r w e wou fld pu t th em tog e th e r . Th e p fl ay ’ s d fi r e c to r , L fi fl fi an a B fl a fin -C ru z , p a ck s th e p fl ay w fi th p e rh ap s too m any fid e a s ( I d fidn ’ t f e e fl , fo r ex amp fl e , th a t c a s t fing th e ang ry and v fi fl fl a finou s Don John a s a d fi s ab fl ed f em a fl e so fld fi e r c a r r fi ed mu ch fimp a c t ) , bu t ov e r a fl fl fi t fi s a p fl e a su r e to w a t ch th fi s v e ry d fiv e r s e c a s t s avo r su ch r fi ch m a t e - r fi a fl . And R ex Y oung ’ s com fi c tu rn a s Dogb e r ry , th e s e fl f - fimpo r t an t en fo r c e r o f o rd e r fin th e s e cond a c t , fl ank ed by a s fid ek fi ck who h a s b e en tu rn ed fin to h fi s mo th e r fin th fi s p rodu c t fion (E fi fl e en D eS and r e ) , fi s g en fiu s . I ’m no b fig f an o f mu s fi c a fl s , bu t fi f you c an ’ t en joy th fi s s e a son ’ s p rodu c t fion o f “Guy s and Do fl fl s , ” th e r e ’ s r e a fl fly no h e flp fing you . Th e p rodu c t fion fi s s e t fin th e p a r t fi cu fl a r t fim e and p fl a c e o f g ang s t e r s and showg fi r fl s o f 1930 s N ew Y o rk C fi ty , bu t fin th e end th e s to ry fi s a k find o f u rb an f a fi ry t a fl e , wh e r e g ang s t e r s a r e r e a fl fly d e c en t a t h e a r t , wh e r e a showg fi r fl nu r tu r e s th e conv en t fion a fl f an t a sy o f a hou s e fu fl fl o f k fid s en c flo s ed fin s fid e a wh fi t e p fi ck e t f en c e , and wh e r e a s t r a figh t - fl a c ed s t r e e t ev ang e fl fi s t d r e am s o f h e r P r fin c e Ch a rm fing . D fi r e c to r M a ry Z fimm e rm an - - who h a s m ad e a c a r e e r o f m fin fing th e s to r fi e s and d r e am s c ap e s o f a numb e r o f cu fl tu r e s fo r s to r fi e s o f t r an s fo rm a t fion - - know s ju s t how to e fl fi c fi t th e k find o f hop e fu fl en - e r gy th a t th fi s show d em and s . In th fi s u rb an f a fi ry t a fl e , th e r a c e s m fix mo r e f r e e fly th an w a s po s s fib fl e fin a c tu a fl 1930 s N ew Y o rk , a f fo rd- fing u s th e p a r t fi cu fl a r p fl e a su r e o f w a t ch fing th fi s m fix ed c a s t s fing and d an c e th e buoy an t s co r e and th e sp e c fi a fl joy o f w a t ch fing Rodn ey G a rd fin e r p fl ay N a th an D e t ro fi t , th e com fi c g ang s t e r who flov e s th e d fi t zy showg fi r fl Ad e fl a fid e bu t c an ’ t b r fing h fim s e fl f to m a r ry h e r . Rob fin Good r fin No rd fl fi d fi s app e a r s fin to a p a r t fi cu fl a r fly end e a r fing Ad e fl a fid e a s w e fl fl . “Long D ay ’ s Jou rn ey fin to N figh t ” fi s a d fi f f e r en t k find o f c fl a s s fi c en t fi r e fly . Eug en e O ’N e fi fl fl ’ s ap t fl y t fi t fl ed d e s c en t fin to th e d a rkn e s s o f C ONTINUED ON P AGE 1 6 PHOTO BY J ENNY G RAHAM /C OURTESY O REGON S HAKESPEARE F EST IVAL Bea t r fi ce (Ch r fi s t fiana C fla r k ) fi s o ve r jo yed b y the new s she ’ s ju s t o ve rhea rd fin the O regon Sha ke spea re Fe s t fi va fl p rodu c t fion o f ‘Mu ch Ado Abou t No th fing ’ .
