Theater review by Raven Snook
"I'll be revenged on the whole pack of you": This is the notoriously abused Malvolio's parting threat to those who have mocked him in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. But in Betty Shamieh's sly sequel Malvolio, which Classical Theatre of Harlem is mounting for free at Marcus Garvey Park, the pompous puritan discovers that forgiveness is sweeter than vengeance, even when served twenty years cold.
Two decades have passed since his comic humiliation, and Malvolio—portrayed brilliantly by Allen Gilmore, who played the same role in CTH's magical Twelfth Night last summer—is no longer Olivia's lovesick fool of a steward. He's now a decorated war hero, and the foppish King Chadlio (A Strange Loop's John-Andrew Morrison) makes him an offer he can’t refuse: If Malvolio defeats the barbarian hordes, he can return to his homeland of Illyria in a position of power, and get even with those who wronged him. Meanwhile, the King plans to travel to Illyria himself to marry his ne'er-do-well son (J.D. Mollison) to Volina (Kineta Kunutu), the daughter of Duke Orsino (René Thornton) and Viola (Perri Gaffney). But Volina has other ambitions, especially after meeting Malvolio.
Malvolio | Photograph: Courtesy Richard Termine
Prior familiarity with Twelfth Night is not required, since the backstory is shared in the first few scenes, but it enhances the pleasure. Many of the original characters return, though in much-changed form: The trio of couples who wed in the original—Viola and Orsino, Olivia and Sebastian and Maria and Sir Toby Belch—have not lived happily ever after. Like Malvolio, this romp gives them a chance to redefine their lives and legacies. While Shamieh abandons iambic pentameter, much of the writing has a colloquial poetry, especially in the soliloquies; there are nods to Shakespearean comedy throughout—cross-dressing, missed connections, multiple shipwrecks—and several winks to Twelfth Night in particular. (Those in the know may chuckle at Malvolio being the leader of the Legion of the Cross-Gartered, or at Orsino mistakenly calling his wife Cesario, the name of her male alter ego in the earlier play.)
Directed by Ian Belknap and Ty Jones, this premiere of Malvolio is consistently appealing as well as eye-popping, thanks to Celeste Jennings's colorful, Caribbean-infused costumes, Alan C. Edwards's vibrant lighting, Dell Howlett's exhilarating choreography and Earon Nealey's fabulous hairdos. Like its protagonist, the production is still finding itself. Several parts and players are uproarious—along with Gilmore, the standouts include Morrison's hilariously narcissistic king, who wears a robe emblazoned with his portrait, and Paula Galloway's no-nonsense Maria—while some other shtick does not yet land. But Shamieh is not just out for laughs. Toward the end, as the characters confront each other and long-held secrets and longings are revealed, you may even find yourself a little verklempt. Would that we all could have a second act as fulfilling as Malvolio’s.
Malvolio. Richard Rodgers Amphitheater at Marcus Garvey Park (Off Broadway). By Betty Shamieh. Directed by Ian Belknap and Ty Jones. With Allen Gilmore, John-Andrew Morrison, Kineta Kunutu. Running time: 1hr 45mins. No intermission. Through July 29.
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Malvolio | Photograph: Courtesy Richard Termine