“The Prisoner of Zenda”
Where: 1stStage, 1524 Spring Hill Road, Tysons Corner
When: 8 p.m. Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday; through Jan. 3 (no performance Dec. 25)
Info: $15 to $25; 703-854-1856; 1stStageTysons.org
If you’re feeling overextended because of the holidays, 1st Stage is offering a refreshing dramatic pick-me-up: A lively version of the 1894 novel “The Prisoner of Zenda,” a swashbuckling adventure story full of heroism, intrigue and romance set in the fictional country of Ruritania.
“Zenda” is almost entirely a tale of good versus evil. Using an adaptation by Matthew Francis, director Mark Krikstan lets the circuitous plot unfold slowly, balancing the forces of heroism and treachery without revealing who will win until the very last minute.
The play opens outside the doors of a castle, where the dying king’s scheming bastard son, Black Michael (Zachary Fernebok) is furious at how badly he’s been treated by the legitimate heir, his mean-spirited, alcoholic brother Prince Rudolph (David Winkler). It’s clear Michael wants the throne for himself.
The scene shifts to the home of the upper-class Rudolph Rassendyll (Winkler) in England. Knowing he has inherited the genes of a philandering, traveling Ruritanian king, Rassendyll decides to visit that country. Astonished by his exact likeness to the king, the determined Col. Sapt (the excellent Amy Waldman), makes Rassendyll stand in for the drunken Rudolph on coronation day in order to save the kingdom. Winkler is excellent in both roles, easily switching from clipped British English to guttural Ruritanian.
In addition to being a charming Princess Flavia, Bette Cassatt is a dynamic fencer, accomplishing some impressive acrobatic turns. Two smaller but pivotal roles are portrayed well: Rupert of Hentzau (Kevin Hasser) and Antoinette de Mauban (Julie Wolf).
Krikstan’s metal-scaffolding set effectively creates several spaces to provide for the play’s many locations. Cheryl Patton Wu’s costumes incorporate just the right details — a pearl button here, a silver pin there — to visually establish her characters’ status before they speak. “Zenda” depends on authentic-looking swordplay; fight choreographer Paul Gallagher has taught his actors extremely realistic moves.
Although its hefty plot may call for some suspension of disbelief on the audience’s part, the characters and the sense of heroism and duty of this “Zenda” are so truly drawn, the play seems a fairy tale that could definitely happen — at least in Ruritania.
