Theater Reviews : ‘The King’ of Commedia Charms and Amuses

In the 18th Century, Italian playwright Carlo Gozzi played around with classical commedia dell’arte and came up with something pretty close to today’s semi-scripted improv.

In his production of Gozzi’s “The King Stag” at UC Irvine’s Fine Arts Studio Theatre, director/adapter Alexander Zubatov has kept the costumes, masks, outrageous logic and magical imagery of dell’arte and has added anachronistic humor and props, including folding fowl and animals that mirror the origami birds that members of the audience will find waiting on their seats before the show.

There are mentions of O.J. The magician Durandarte (Lisa Colbert), who guides us on this tour of romance, villainy and illusion, says she’ll do nothing avant-garde because she is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts. One actor’s flights inspire another’s observation: “One movement class and he thinks he’s Baryshnikov.”

Zubatov’s version and his staging are charming, and much about them is very funny. He keeps the rhythms varied and mostly in the right shape, but during several of the scenes, particularly the romantic and expository scenes between King Deramo and his beloved Angela, he allows the energy to fall far below the high level it needs to work, a tendency toward naturalism that is out of place.

Durandarte’s two assistants are pure commedia and have a ball. Daniel DeMarco’s Brighella, with a sunburst of a mask and a style to match, is giddiness taken to melodic heights. More memorable is Michael Thomas Holmes’ low vaudeville Cigolotti, a sort of ersatz emcee who takes complete control of the stage every time he skids onto it. Using his own vocal sound effects as arcane punctuation highlighting his contemporary gags, Holmes has a firm handle on commedia style and its joyous abandon.

Todd Denning and Frank Gallegos are solid as Deramo, the dim bulb of a king who winds up turned into the regal stag, and the First Prime Minister Tartaglia, who is turned into--well, it gets complicated enough to fill a master’s thesis, which this production actually is for Zubatov. David Nevell is good as Pantalone, the Toulouse-Lautrec of a Second Minister.

Marika Becz as the Second Minister’s daughter Angela and Laura Hartpence as the First Minister’s daughter Clarice are the put-upon young ladies whose romantic attachments cause all the trouble, and their masks have them looking intriguingly like the Gish Sisters. Jason Heil has some very funny moments as a seemingly boneless Petroushka-type sweetheart to Clarice. Speechless but very visible black-clothed Harlequins Devlin Elliott and Edward Johnson move props and birds and get their own laughs.

*

The production is visually rich, with Joyce Littrell’s amusingly grotesque commedia costumes and the many magical effects of Ben Tusher’s rainbow lighting design flowing over Sarah Sullivan’s opulent-looking but deceptively simple set. Daniel Case’s choreography is clever and unobtrusive, and Norman Beede’s period-toned original music and accompaniment give added resonance.

* “The King Stag,” UC Irvine’s Fine Arts Studio Theatre, Mesa and Bridge roads, UC Irvine campus, Irvine. Today, 2 and 8 p.m. $8. (714) 824-2787. Running time: 2 hours, 30 minutes. Lisa Colbert: Durandarte

Michael Thomas Holmes: Cigolotti

Daniel DeMarco: Brighella

Todd Denning: Deramo

Frank Gallegos: Tartaglia

Laura Hartpence: Clarice

David Nevell: Pantalone

Marika Becz: Angela

Jason Heil: Leandro

Devlin Elliott: Necessity

Edward Johnson: Inspiration

A Drama at UCI Stage 2 production of a play by Carlo Gozzi, adapted and directed by Alexander Zubatov. Scenic design: Sarah Sullivan. Lighting design: Ben Tusher. Costume design: Joyce Littrell. Choreography: Daniel Case. Composer/musician: Norman Beede. Stage manager: Christina Pond.