Don’t let the title fool you, this play is anything but silent. The Mobtown Players’ production of Ben Johnson’s Epicoene or The Silent Woman is loud enough to make your head spin. The premise being that old Morose can’t stand noises and all the other characters spend the rest of the show making as much noise as possible as Morose attempts to take a “silent bride” who turns out to be not so silent. His nephew, Dauphine, and his two chums, Truewit and Clerimont, plot to foil the nuptials, pit perfectly amicable characters against each other, and undo the wedding all in an attempt to be sure that Dauphine can claim his rightful inheritance from Morose. And more but still the waggling of my tongue lest I give away the catastrophes that ensure in Act II.
Truewit (Corey Hennessey, l) demonstrates to Morose (Kevin Burke, r) the "monstrous hazards you shall run with a wife." Photo by Will Kirk.
Despite the rushed pace and bland set, the play is truly worth a look if you can just keep up with what they are saying. 17th century English can be quite a challenge to keep up with if you’re unfamiliar with the vernacular especially when it is flying from the actor’s lips at 100 miles an hour. Director Noel Schively has encouraged a rapid pace amongst the actors to progress this confusing comedy but the rushed speech adds a bit too much confusion. Some of the funniest lines in the play are nearly missed because the actors are bulleting through their lines as if their lives depended on it.
And to add to the confusion: cue the costumes! Costume designer Marla Parker can’t seem to make up her mind. The ladies of the college are donned in modern trashy attire garish enough for the street walking strumpet of 2011, while LaFoole and John Daw are decked out in their most regal jerkins and feathered scholar’s caps, yet Dauphine and friends wear a hybrid of modern vests and gallant dinner jackets mixed with slim-legged trousers and fancy period piece shirts. And it stands out so strangely against the almost naked stage. It’s unclear what she was really going for here, unless she was going for the absurd confusion in which case she truly hit her mark.
It is a little disheartening to see such a vast expanse of stage only to have the players set so far backstage, and often in such straight lines. Schively could have made better use of the amazing space provided but his actors make up for their placement in their physical performances, most of which are over the top to the point of utter hilarity.
So if you can look beyond the costumes, and hear beyond the rapid line delivery there is a true gem lying beneath these covers.
Truewit (Corey Hennessey) steals the show as he provides comic relief, the driving force behind most of the action, and becomes the learned fool. A jack of many trades all wrapped up in one single character is presented here in Hennessey’s performance. Despite his speeding through his lines he is laugh out loud hilarious. He duels against his own performance as he shouts at characters who aren’t there trying to convince other characters that they indeed are and he’s very convincing! His body twists, folds, and contorts to express his every emotion; a full range of cunning cleverness, aching fright, humble trust, and drunken tomfoolery; each one displayed to the hilt with a flurry of arm waving, face reddening, and sword cowering. He truly steals the show.
Hennessey is matched only by his counterpart, Kerry Brady, playing Clerimont. Although the reason for casting a girl in this male role is unclear, but there is no reason to complain. Brady delivers an equally stunning performance with very little physical effort. Her words are direct, and she is perhaps the only actor in the cast to not have caught the speedy speech sickness. She commands the language of the time with such precision that her poignant one-liners give you chills while you laugh. While she limits her physicality it does not detract from her performance. It enhances her intentions all the more for when she does move, collapsing in a fit of full-bellied laughter, or spinning back and forth while confronting the two foolish knights, it captivates the audience that much more. Together Brady and Hennessey carry the show, moment after moment of laughs, plots, and thrills that make you jump to your feet at the curtain call to give them that standing ovation they deserve
Deva Holub as Dol Mavis, Hannah Fogler as Lady Haughty, and Evangeline Rich as Lady Centaure. Photo by Will Kirk.
Keep an eye out for the clever comedy of the silent servant. Not billed in the program (she’s double-cast as the Lady Centaure) Evangeline Ridgaway plays the mime to the nines. While she’s only featured briefly as the silent servant her mime play was so enjoyable that audiences long to see more of her. Her eye rolls are so huge when her master’s back is turned that you think they might roll right out of her head. And when she’s fending off the barber, well watch out barber!
A tough playhouse to locate, it is worth the trek, over the old wooden bridge and down into the Meadow Mill to find this unique antique comedy. So get thee hither, on with your finest jerkin, and race your way to the madness of this not so silent comedy.
Epicoene or The Silent Woman plays though October 15th The Mobtown Players – 3600 Clipper Mill Road, Suite 114, at Meadow Mill, in Baltimore, MD. Tickets are available at the door, or you can by them online.
Amanda Gunther is an actress, a writer, and loves the theatre. She graduated with her BFA in acting from the University of Maryland Baltimore County and spent two years studying abroad in Sydney, Australia at the University of New South Wales. Her time spent in Sydney taught her a lot about the performing arts, from Improv Comedy to performance art drama done completely in the dark. She loves theatre of all kinds, but loves musicals the best. When she’s not working, if she’s not at the theatre, you can usually find her reading a book, working on ideas for her own books, or just relaxing and taking in the sights and sounds of her Baltimore hometown. She loves to travel, exploring new venues for performing arts and other leisurely activities. Writing for the Maryland Theatre Guide will give her a chance to pursue her passion of the theatre and will broaden her horizons in the writer’s field.
