(THE PICKET)—The Rude Mechanical’s production of The Duchess of Malfi by John Webster performed at Reynolds Hall captured the hopeless and dejected feeling of a woman suppressed by the world around her.
The Duchess of Malfi dared to defy the restraints set upon her by her two controlling brothers, Ferdinand and the Cardinal. The Duchess finds herself widowed and wishes to remarry; however, her treacherous and corrupt brothers forbade her to marry.
Breaking the rule, the Duchess marries, in secret, a man of lower status. The brothers, suspecting that their sister has gone against their wishes, place a spy with the Duchess to catch her lover.
Years pass in the play, and the Duchess finds herself with several children. Unable to hide this fact, the brothers are informed of such, and plot a way to learn the name of the father.
The spy, named Bosola, plays a pivotal part with each character, as he does the dirty work of the brothers in hopes of recompense. Bosola does expose the identity of the father, but in the end he finds himself in wholesome regret of his life.
There were true stars within the play; by far, the brother Ferdinand, portrayed by Jake Anderson, depicted the obsessive and troubled character with gusto. The transformation from regal status to crazed madmen was superb. His gravelly voice and haunting demeanor toward the Duchess was striking to watch.
In comparison, the Duchess, portrayed by Catherine Ellzey, was an elegant symbol of a strong woman lead. The Duchess commanded the stage when she walked out in a stunningly bright, silver evening gown. Even in moments of despair, the Duchess was presented as a tenacious spirit unwillingly to give into her brother’s commands.
The room was filled with melodious music to set the mood of the play. Though The Rude Mechanicals are minimalist when it comes to props, the moving emotions of the actors brought the story to reality.
The Rude Mechanicals will continue to perform The Duchess of Malfi on:
Wednesday, November 11, 8:45 p.m.
Thursday, November 12, 8:45 p.m.
Friday, November 13, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, November 14, 7:30 p.m.
All performances are in Reynolds Hall. Tickets are $7 for the general public, FREE for Shepherd University students, $2 for Shepherd University faculty and staff, $2 for other students. For more information, contact Betty Ellzey (bellzey@shepherd.edu; 304-876-5208.)
Katie Gayman is a practicum writer for The Picket. She can be reached at kgayma01@rams.shepherd.edu or followed on Twitter @katie_gayman
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