“Equivocation” with Idle Muse Theatre Company

Equivocation by Bill Cain has opened Idle Muse Theatre Company’s 2019-20 season. Directed by Evan Jackson, the story transports us to the aftermath of the failed assassination of King James I during the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. In this alternate history, Lord Robert Cecil has commissioned William “Shagspeare” to write a true account of the incident, but true to the interpretation of the king. Be forewarned, this script is a mental workout, but the cast and crew are all personal trainers of the highest degree, qualified to guide you and push you through this ever twisting and turning tale. 

Evan Jackson perfectly directed this massive story for a miniscule stage. What a treat it was for us to be within whispering distance of a performer in a downstage corner. For a play about concealing the truth, it makes perfect sense to see many an actor’s back to the audience. The evening was two hours and forty five minutes long with one intermission, but every scene galloped along at an exhilarating pace. There were times we were howling with laughter and other times we were gasping for air from holding our breath for so long. 

Brendan Hutt led the evening as our questioning protagonist, William Shagspeare. Hutt tackled a daunting character with open honesty and sincerity, and was joined by a skillful ensemble of actors (Jake Baker, Kade Cox, and Emerson Elias) portraying a wide array of characters. It was truly awe-inspiring to watch these actors yo-yo from character to character, especially Kade Cox as he flipped from King James to Sharpe within mere lines of each other. Kali Skatchke brought such a steely strength and impressive poise to Shagspeare’s daughter, Judith, that it is a shame that this character wasn’t in more of the show. Truly, a performance you must not miss is Michael Dalberg as our “antagonist” (I use that word even though the entire play calls into question these labels of protagonist and antagonist) Robert Cecil. You will be engulfed in Dalberg’s hypnotic stage-power and laser-focus. 

It is a ponderous query that such a great script hasn’t been turned into a film yet (it has yet to even have a Broadway run.) No matter though. Milo Bue’s scenic design and L.J. Luthringer’s music and sound design along with Laura Wiley’s lighting design were near cinematic. Their combination of talents was so superb that I forgot that I couldn’t actually reach out and touch the nearby barrels or that the music wasn’t emanating from the hearts of the performers.  The title of the play is in reference to the use of words to conceal the truth or to muddle it with ambiguity, famously used by the witches in Shakespeare’s Macbeth. The play explores the pursuit of truth in tandem with duty and honor through the King’s men’s attempts to stage a play that sifts through the varying truths: the truth of one, the truth of many, the truth of the action, and the truth of the intention. That is the action of the play, but the meaning expands so much beyond those circumstances. Life is so tangled that you cannot pick up one thread without trailing the other threads behind you. In the course of two hours and forty-five minutes, they managed to scale a mountain that featured themes of family and civilization, posterity and purpose, while also fitting in an 11 o’clock number condensing some of the Bard’s own work. In our strive for truth, we have always looked to a higher power for guidance, be it money, power, religion, or love. Those in the theatre have often turned to Shakespeare, but even the most beautiful minds have doubts of their own. Every God is looking for a larger God. Rarely does a production leave you pondering worthwhile questions, but Idle Muse’s Equivocation will inspire you to happily give up an hour or two of sleep re-evaluating what you thought you knew about theatre, truth, and life

Equivocation runs September 20 – October 20 at The Edge Theatre Off Broadway, 1133 W Catalpa Ave. The regular performance run is Thursdays – Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. with an additional performance: Wednesday, Oct. 9, at 8 p.m. Industry nights are $10 every Thursday for industry professionals. Tickets are $10-$20 and are on sale now at www.idlemuse.org; or by calling 773.340.9438.  The performance runs for two hours and forty five minutes. DISCLAIMER: the performance includes violence and executions by hanging and beheading. 

Highly recommended

Sophie Vitello