Date: Fri 13-Mar-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: JUDYC

Quick Words:

Sueno-Hartford-Stage-April

Full Text:

(rev "Sueno" @Hartford Stage)

Theatre Review--

A Very Awkward Adaptation On Hartford Stage

(with cut)

By June April

HARTFORD -- Psychologist C.G. Jung once observed "a dream is a theatre in

which the dreamer is himself the scene, the player, the prompter, the

producer, the author, the public and the critic." Hartford Stage's adaptation

of the 17th Century Spanish playwright Don Pedro Calderon de la Barca's Life

is a Dream is probably not quite the realization he had in mind. Actually, the

biographical sketch of the playwright would have made a better production than

Sueno , which continues through March 21.

First of all, the play is far too long. Two acts would have sufficed. There

are sufficient explanations of why things happened that are grasped the first

time they are said. Sueno is also a real hodge-podge of language, idioms and

costumes.

This is the story of a prince whose birth causes his mother's death. Court

astrologers have predicted the child would grow up to be a cruel monster of a

person. The king, Basilio, decides the most reasonable thing to do is to keep

his son imprisoned and in chains.

The only human contact for the prisoner is the king's servant, Clotaldo, who

turns out to have raped and left a noble woman in Poland. This is who is

supposed to be teaching ethics to the imprisoned prince.

Enter a young Polish woman, Rosaura, and her servant, Clarin. Somehow they get

into the prison, and speak to the prince, who doesn't know he's a prince. Fast

forward to the palace, where the king has had a change of heart and decides to

let the prince out and put him on the throne to see if he act as a judicious

ruler.

Toss in two cousins, Astolfo (who had raped Rosaura) and Estrella, who is all

greed and lust, and you get your average Spanish tortuous production.

The playwright, Calderon, was forced to become a priest. However, that did not

mean he was pure of word or deed. He was dismissed from the University of

Salamanca for not paying his rent, and was jailed for a short time because of

that. He once tracked an offender who had insulted a brother to a convent, and

murder charges resulted.

Somewhere in that period of his 20s, he began writing poetry and received

rewards and recognition for his work. In his late 40s he fathered an

illegitimate son. Shortly thereafter, Calderon saw the error of his ways, and

decided to follow the religious life.

As a priest he continued to write plays. When he died at 81 years of age,

having acknowledged his son, he had written over 120 plays.

As the servant/clown Clarin, Jan Leslie Harding is superb. It's worth seeing

this production just to enjoy her characterization.

Looking like she walked out of a Velasquez painting, Alene Dawson is

deliciously dopey as the power-hungry Estrella. Her rotten counterpart, cousin

Astolfo, is elegantly played by Damian Young.

It is a pleasure to listen to the eloquent voice of Yusef Bulos. As Clotaldo,

he retains a dignity and voice of reason and calm in an otherwise largely

frenetic play.

The creativity of the set is a tribute to Michael Yeargan. Associate professor

of stage design at the Yale School of Drama, this man always fashions

wonderful environments for actors.

The effective use of lighting by Christopher Akerlind heightens the dramatic

sense and lends an ominous tone where the play demands it. Costuming by Meg

Neville serves to be outlandish, luscious or stark -- appropriate to the

character.

Also a product of Yale, director Lisa Peterson does a fine job with what she

has to work with: an uneven and confusing translation/adaptation. Reading the

statement by Jose Rivera, who did the adaptation, one feels admiration for his

insights and intent, but the project still has the nature of a pregnant

elephant.

This is not a play many would willingly see a second time. However, there is

enough fine acting and interesting material to be provocative and warrant the

hour-long ride to Hartford.

(Sueno continues through March 21, with performances Sunday, and Tuesday

through Thursday at 7:30 pm, and Friday and Saturday at 8 pm. Matinees are

Saturday and Sunday at 2:30 and Wednesday at 2. Tickets are $25.50 to $39.50.

Call 860/527-5151 for reservations.)