STAGE REVIEW : ‘Cymbeline’ Is Worth the Trip : The San Diego Rep’s production of this rarely done Shakespearean work is 3 1/2 hours well spent.

Shakespeare must have been in a generous mood when he wrote “Cymbeline.”

Generous about length--the swift-paced production at the San Diego Repertory Theatre’s Lyceum Space runs 3 1/2 hours.

Generous about story lines; he provides several where one would do.

But, most important, generously gentle in spirit. The characters in “Cymbeline” err at least as much as those in the tragedies, but in this wistful, magical romance, nearly all elude the consequences of their mistakes. Even when a war is fought and won so that King Cymbeline of Great Britain can avoid paying tribute to Rome, in the end he decides to pay the tribute anyway in order to maintain good relations.

All the villains, save the two who die, repent. Every still-standing fence is mended. Even those whose blood burned hottest learn to turn the other cheek.

As the wronged and once-rash Posthumus says upon freeing the shackled man who nearly cost him his life (as well as that of his wife), “Live and deal with others better.”

The length and complexity of “Cymbeline,” one of Shakespeare’s rarely done plays, might prove daunting to many companies.

But not the San Diego Rep--not even during this time of stressful financial crisis.

If the company hadn’t previously proved itself deserving of community support during its 15 years of adventurous producing, this play would be a reminder of what the company stands for.

Artistic director Douglas Jacobs’ direction shows an ardent belief in the play’s message of forgiveness, a belief in the healing power of theater and, ultimately, a stubborn belief in the integrity of Shakespeare’s text.

Bravo for not trimming the story. And bravo for the simple, bare set and staging that keep attention focused on what counts: the play and the excellent, visceral ensemble acting.

San Diego newcomer Terres Unsoeld, a tiny, intense slip of a thing, shimmers like an incandescent light as Cymbeline’s beautiful, vibrant and amazingly mature daughter, Imogene.

Shakespeare stacks several plots against this heroine: a Lear-like father who rejects her for her constancy to her husband (whom Cymbeline banishes); an Othello-like husband, Posthumus, who is taunted by the Iago-like Iachimo into believing her false and so orders her death, and a Lady Macbeth-like stepmother, who will stop at nothing, not even murder, to wrest Cymbeline’s inheritance from Imogene so that she can give it to her own son, the cloddish Clotan.

Unsoeld’s glowing performance shows that she is equal to it all--and then some. In one jeweled moment, reminiscent of the crypt scene in “Romeo and Juliet,” Imogene awakes next to what she believes is the corpse of her beloved husband. But, despite the intensity of her grief, Unsoeld never loses touch with the essential strength of her character. Unlike Juliet, she never sees suicide as an option. Imogene is a survivor with remarkable reserves of strength--qualities Shakespeare rewards with the happy ending.

Imogene and her journey are at the center of the play, but the ensemble defines the world in which she operates persuasively and movingly.

Old Globe associate artist and Shakespeare veteran Jonathan McMurtry--here in his San Diego Rep debut--anchors the play with quiet virtuosity as the angry, addled Cymbeline. Rosina Widdowson-Reynolds conveys the duplicity of the conniving stepmother with such charm that one almost admires her despite her evilness. Thom Murray is so brilliantly petulant and spoiled as Clotan that he makes amusing work of what could have become a one-note caricature.

J. Michael Ross’s deft performance as Iachimo renders the man more thoughtless than evil, so bent on winning a bet that he doesn’t realize until too late that he is gambling with people’s lives. Bruce McKenzie seems appropriately tortured as Posthumus, a wildly praised and generally beloved guy who nevertheless seems to be a bit of a lummox, flailing from one near-fatal mistake to another.

The common problem shared by these disparate characters is their susceptibility and suggestibility. They jump to wrong conclusions. They have difficulty distinguishing truth from deceit.

The play should come with warning labels: Things are not as they seem. Observe for yourself. Have faith in those you love. Give the benefit of the doubt to those who have earned your trust.

Even Imogene, among the wisest of Shakespearean heroines, falls victim to duplicity when she jumps to conclusions after receiving a gift of poisoned medicine from her straight-arrow servant, Pisanio, who is stolidly and forcefully portrayed by Bill Dunnam.

But what goes around comes around, a point made abundantly clear by Brenda Berry’s set design--a simple round stage with minimal props on which the action moves fluidly.

Instead of furniture, Berry gives us luscious, sumptuous lighting. The simplicity of the staging, accentuated by Jonathan Sacks’ original medieval-style music and Catherine Meacham Hunt’s unfussy medieval costumes, eases one into the world of the imagination.

And what a rich and rewarding trip that is. Some may balk at a 3 1/2-hour commitment to an unfamiliar work. But those with patience and an affection for mental and spiritual adventure will find the journey well worth the wild and delightful treats that are in store.

“CYMBELINE”

By William Shakespeare. Director is Douglas Jacobs. Set and lighting by Brenda Berry. Costumes by Catherine Meacham Hunt. Original music by Jonathan Sacks. Fight choreography by Christopher Villa. Sound by Will Parsons. Vocal direction by Linda Vickerman. Movement coaching by Judith Greer Essex. Stage manager is Jerome J. Sheehan. With Darla Cash, Walter Murray, Rosina Widdowson-Reynolds, Bruce McKenzie, Terres Unsoeld, Jonathan McMurtry, Bill Dunnam, Thom Murray, Eric Grischkat, John Joseph Freeman, J. Michael Ross, Damon Bryant, John Highkin and Ian Ross. At 8 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday and 7 p.m. Sundays, with Sunday matinees at 2 through Dec. 1. At the Lyceum Space, 79 Horton Plaza, San Diego, 235-8025.