Arena Stage is about to open two plays based on history: the Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s “Equivocation,” by Bill Cain, and “You, Nero,” by Arena resident playwright Amy Freed. Although some elements in both shows are recognizable, both Cain and Freed tweaked the facts enough to make these far more than history plays.
Stage and television star Anthony Heald appears in “Equivocation” as Shakespeare, or “Shag.” It’s London, 1606. He’s been commissioned by King James to write a play about The Gunpowder Plot, the attempt by Catholic dissidents to explode gunpowder in Parliament. In the process of writing that “official version,” Shakespeare must deal with some threatening political realities.
“He’s extremely aware of the dangers he faces in this project,” said Heald. “He’s well aware that there were playwrights who were tortured to death by the state. He also knows that there are two versions of every historical issue. So he decides to write a play called ‘The Trial,’ presenting evidence on both sides.
| ONSTAGE |
| ‘Equivocation’ and ‘You, Nero’ |
| » Where: Arena Stage, 1101 6th St. SW |
| » When: “Equivocation”: Friday to Jan. 1; “You, Nero”: Nov. 25 to Jan. 1 |
| » Info: $40 to $85; 202-488-3300; arenastage.org |
“But The Gunpowder Plot is just the hook on which the play is hung. A great deal of ‘Equivocation’ is about Shakespeare’s family and company. It’s about Shag and his twin children: Hamnet, who died some years before the action begins, and Judith, his daughter, who is a character in the play.”
When “Equivocation” starts, Shakespeare is writing a play to exorcise the demons that plague him. “His obsession with not being present at his son’s death makes Shag ignore and resent Judith,” said Heald. “So in addition to being about the play and the cooperative nature of the theater company, ‘Equivocation’ is about Will’s desire to resolve his conflict with his daughter.”
The second “historical” play at Arena is a comedy about the narcissistic ruler of Rome who reveled in debauchery and vice. “It’s a super funny play,” said Danny Scheie, who plays the title role in “You, Nero.”
“Nero commissions a playwright to write a biography of himself as a propaganda piece for the people. Throughout the play there are many versions of this biography, which all end in a spectacle, which is like a creepy reality show. There are some chilling similarities between what happened to the Roman Empire and what’s happening to America today, where many people are more interested in amateur singing contests than they are in professional entertainment.”
Although “You, Nero” is pure satire, it’s grounded in reality. “Nero lived in an absurd comic world,” explained Scheie. “He was addicted to show-biz. He went on tour through Greece playing himself, doing bizarre things. He was just nuts.
“All the reading I’ve done proves to me how brilliant Amy is. Some of her punch lines are rooted in ancient Roman poetry or history. She uses facts to create something funny and observant. And she makes wonderful, subtle connections. In her Rome, for instance, everyone wanted to be famous in the inner court. In America today, are things so different? Doesn’t everybody secretly want to walk across that stage and get an Oscar?”
