The Wimberley Players launched its astonishing 45th season of live theatre in Wimberley with “Shakespeare in Love,” a play based on the popular 1998 film of the same name written by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard. While Friday’s inaugural performance opened to a sold out house and ended with a standing ovation, Saturday’s performance, also a full house, worked harder to win over a more subdued audience, who were perhaps less familiar with the popular film that won seven Oscars and became the go-to comedy about the playwright for an entire generation. By intermission, the cast prevailed and roared home to a strong finish that brought the audience to its feet.
Set in Elizabethan England, the play is performed in the language and costume of the time and is the story of Will Shakespeare as a penniless playwright who’s fresh out of ideas. He’s been hired to write a play that Queen Elizabeth has requested that includes, “a bit with a dog.” It is a comedic take on his tumultuous journey to penning “Romeo and Juliet.”
Nathan Bachtell, in the role of Will, delivers a strong performance due, in no small part to his muse, Viola, played to perfection by Fallon Goldsmith. Their chemistry propelled the play to its conclusion, the creation of Shakespeare’s great love story and provided the audience with some of the production’s best laughs, in particular a bed that continues to drop its curtains. Goldsmith glows in her portrayal of a wealthy and beautiful young girl exercising her power and the strength of her convictions.
In the role of Will’s best friend, Marlowe, Camden Rivers gave a performance so good that it made me re-read his bio. A recent Texas State graduate with a BFA in performance and production, his maturity as an actor and a person showed through, providing depth to the ensemble. Other charismatic performances included Daniel Bisett as Wessex, Ameer Mobarek as Ned Alleyn, and Steven Cruser as Burbage.
In a small but critical role was veteran Wimberley Players performer Roxanne Strobel who played Queen Elizabeth to perfection. Commanding and utterly convincing as we can imagine the monarch might have been, she owned the boards in a costume, wig and makeup that belonged on stage at the Metropolitan. Virginia Davis, an expert designer in period costumes, deserves a Tony for Best Costume and Design for outfitting Strobel in an elaborate gown fit for, well, a Queen. Costume designer Kristin Knipp outfitted the rest of the cast in period costumes, boots, tights and headgear that gave the production authenticity.
Bridget Cook, who spent the last 45 years working as a hairstylist in the film industry, loaned her skills as a makeup and hair artist. She provided the Elizabethan-style wig worn by Strobel that’s reportedly worth big bucks if the backstage chatter is to be believed.
Kudos go to Director Bridget Farias-Gates for attracting professional, proven production talent to add to her own excellent direc- tion and staging of this large cast. She created memorable tableaus, freezing cast members in pockets of time and place that made the story flow ever forward in the static environment of a stage.
ABOVE, L TO R: KELLY MARTEL, CHLOE LAWRENCE, ROXANNE STROBEL AS QUEEN ELIZABETH, STEVEN CRUSER, MARK WEBSTER, CARTER HOLLAND, AMEER MOBARAK, IELEEN CERTA, ANDY BURKE, REBECCA WOODS AND FALLON GOLDSMITH ROMANCE THE AUDIENCE WITH “SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE” AT THE WIMBERLEY PLAYHOUSE. LEFT, NATHAN BACHTELL, AS WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, STRUGGLES WITH LINES TO WOO THE BEAUTIFUL VIOLA. PHOTOS BY JOHN R. ROGERS.
Last, but certainly not least, were the hardworking vocalist Rebecca Woods and musicians Guy Ben-Moshe and Bill Perkins who provided the live musical soundtrack for the play. Woods kept us guessing by singing the men’s part in costume as well as performing the female vocals in women’s garb. Her beautiful voice brought an alluring grace note, along with Ben-Moshe’s mandolin, to the play.
Performances are selling out quickly so plan well in advance. For tickets and other information, go to wimberleyplayers. org.
