It takes a special playwright to write convincingly about Shakespeare, to capture his life, times, family, friends and writing. Bill Cain, the author of “Equivocation” at Arena Stage is such a playwright, capable not only of evoking the spirit of Shakespeare, but also of adding to his mythology. A presentation of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, “Equivocation” is set in London in 1606. Shag, short for Shagspere (Anthony Heald), has been summoned by Sir Robert Cecil, spymaster to King James I, and commissioned to write a definitive play on the infamous Gunpowder Plot of 1605, a failed plan allegedly hatched by the Catholic enemies of the Protestant king. That plot was supposedly aimed at blowing up the Houses of Parliament, the king and all his family.
Most of the play demonstrates Shag’s difficulty in sifting through the lies surrounding the Gunpowder Plot in order to get the facts straight. His dilemma also involves the knowledge that if he writes something unflattering to the powers that be, it could cost his life and the lives of his company members.
| Onstage |
| ‘Equivocation’ |
| Where: Arena Stage, 1101 Sixth St. SW |
| When: Through Jan. 1 |
| Info: $40 to $85; 202-488-3300; arenastage.org |
There is a sense of constant excitement and tension onstage. Heald is powerful as the imposing, intriguing Shag, who struggles with emotional demons. Cain gives Shag some dynamic speeches suggesting what Shakespeare might have felt about his life, and Heald delivers those speeches with conviction.
Shag’s acting troupe, the King’s Men, is represented by four actors (Jonathan Haugen, John Tufts, Richard Elmore and Gregory Linington) who also take on countless other roles. Tufts plays the foppish King James, decked out in yellow doublet, hose, hat and gloves. Haugen plays the vicious Cecil, investing the role with maximum duplicity. Elmore and Linington play many parts, making “Equivocation” seem to have a cast of at least 20 rather than six.
There is a subplot in “Equivocation,” involving Shag and his daughter, Judith (Christine Albright). A twin of Shakespeare’s son who died young, Judith is scorned by her father until the final scenes of the play. Albright is impressive in this important role about reconciliation.
Christopher Acebo’s set is a square wooden floor abutting a concave wooden back wall, effectively suggesting the Globe Theatre. Deborah Dryden’s costumes capture the look of Shakespeare’s London.
“Equivocation” begins to lose power and momentum in Act II when Shag investigates claims that the Catholics accused of the Gunpowder Plot were actually set up by the opposing religious/political faction.
Yet on balance “Equivocation” is a fascinating view of the relationships between honesty, power, money, propaganda, religion, politics and art. Under the direction of Bill Rauch, it is an accessible, provocative vision of a playwright trying, as Cain defines equivocation, “to tell the truth in difficult times.”
