By Kristin Roberts
**There will be a matinee showing Wednesday November 9th at 2:07 p.m. with evening performances November 10th – 12th at 7:07 p.m. in the Will Rogers Auditorium.
Bill Cain’s play Equivocation calls for a cast of six actors to tackle upwards of eighteen roles, to portray a story based upon a lie about a true story, and to present such themes as religious persecution, vengeance, posterity, and the moral question of truth in the face of certain death.
RSU’s cast delivers all of this with a flourish. Two actors were assigned only one role each—Jerry Sipp, an equity actor from NewYork, who plays William Shagspeare and Hannah Westlund as his daughter Judith. While they may not have the sheer amount of characters to portray as their fellow cast members, these two provide anchors from which the play may rise.
Greg Thompson brings solidity to the character of Richard and lends wonderful recitations of Shakespeare’s works within the play. David Prock’s versatility and sheer energy are sure to make him a crowd favorite.
Colter Sharon’s mild Nate contrasts well with his outstanding performance of Cecil, a character one might love to hate. And finally Josh Gammon’s steady role as Armin is not to be overlooked— that character as well as others found in the second act of the play are replete with insight and humor.
This production could not be possible without the direction of David Blakely, closely helped by his assistant director Mary Mackie and costume designer Renée Cox. The production team and crew have helped to create a spectacular and elaborate set and have devised clever ways to bring to life onstage the seemingly impossible.
Performing a play based heavily upon language and the art of manipulating words, the cast delivered lines mostly in a seamless fashion even in their first performance. While the runtime may seem daunting to some, the plot pulls the audience in from the first scene to the last.
A play featuring the Bard himself, a Machiavellian villain, the infamous Gunpowder Plot, and a bold investigation of the human condition is sure to enlighten and please. The play also demonstrates just how many forms equivocation can take through its many characters and their needs and desires.
While Shakespeare is a main subject, the tone is contemporary, which renders it very accessible. This play is an extremely bold endeavor for a university theatre group, but with it RSU has achieved brilliant success.
It will be running through the 12th with a matinee showing Wednesday the 9th at 2:07, and then the 10th – 12th at 7:07 in the Will Rogers Auditorium.
