This
brief review excerpt is from The
Internet Magazine Of Theater Reviews and Theater-Related Features
THE RIVALS by Richard Brinsley Sheridan
Adapted and Directed by Roger Rees
With:
Tom Bloom
Kate Burton
John Ellison Conlee
Denis Holmes
Rick Holmes
Dana Ivey
Deidre Lovejoy
Mark McKinney
Michael Potts
Sandra Shipley
Jake Weber
Sets:
Neil Patel
Costumes: Kaye Voyce
Lights: Frances Aronson
Sound: Kurt B. Kellenberger
Williamstown Theatre Festival
--
Adams Memorial Theatre
1000 Main Street
Williamstown, MA (413/597-3400)
...Tom
Bloom is equally impressive as Sir Anthony Absolute. He bristles
at the younger generation's rebellion against his need to dominate
absolutely, blaming it all on teaching girls to read. And yet,
though he declares that if he were to take another bride it
would be one "who only knows letters and numbers to twenty",
memories of a more romantic youth linger and contribute towards
his being a well-rounded character and not a carricature.
Jake
Weber has enough dash and charm for both Ensign Beverly
and Jack Absolute to offset the fact that he does not plumb
his role quite as deeply as the actors representing the older
generation. Deidre Lovejoy, (how's that for a restoration style
metaphoric name?) nicely lets intelligence show through the
heiress Lydia Languish's girlish romanticism. The rest of the
cast is too large (11 speaking parts) to say more than that
all take full advantage of the memorable characters written
for them. Even the minor players, such as Denis Holmes doing
uproarious double duty as David and Thomas, make major contributions
...
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