2005
Two Gentlemen of Verona

• Producer’s Perspective
• Cast and Production Staff
• From the Playbill
• What the Critics Said

Producer’s Perspective:

Two Gentlemen of Verona is one of Shakespeare's earliest comedies, with foreshadowings of greatness to come. It is a play with a notoriously tricky ending -- the main romantic lead, upon learning that his best friend has betrayed him by wooing his beloved while having him outlawed, forgives his buddy and, in a show of generosity and beneficence, offers the beloved's hand in marriage. Director James Dunn solved this problem with a combination of judicious cuts and a superlative cast of young lovers who, with their wonderful reactions, made the scene into the comedic climax that Shakespeare intended.

All in all, it was a dream cast -- from the awesome assemblage of Bay Area Shakespeare veterans all the way down to Sydney J. Longfellow as Crab, the dog. The production was given a Felini-esque treatment with early 1960's costumes, a moth-eaten troupe of clowns, and a classic Vespa driven by, of course, Speed. This lightness allowed Shakespeare's frothy story to work upon the audience's senses like a bottle of sweet champagne. From the first moment through the giddy curtain call dance to "Volare" ably choreographed by Cynthia Pepper, this potentially difficult show proved to be a fun audience pleaser.

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