DON QUIXOTE a world premiere work in progress
Don Quixote (Armando Durán) and his horse Rocinante (James Jesse Peck). Photo by David Cooper.
DON QUIXOTE by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra; world premiere adaptation by Octavio Solis Director: Laird Williamson; Scenic Designer: Richard L. Hay; Costume Designer: Deborah M. Dryden; Lighting Designer: Robert Peterson; Music/Sound: Paul James Prendergast; Puppet Designer: Lynn Jeffries. June
When you come to see OSF’s world premiere Don Quixote be advised to leave your memories of Dale Wasserman’s Man of La Mancha at home. There is no “Impossible Dream.” Author Octavio Solis, director Laird Williamson and their production team have created a visually stunning and memorable staging that emphasizes the farcical and allows the philosophical and romantic elements to be incidental to the story telling. At the end of the three hours that our deluded protagonist treads the boards we are left with incomplete feelings. This may be because it is still a play in progress having been commissioned by OSF with changes being made a week before curtain time.
Don Alonso Quijano (excellent Armando Duran) is an aging country romantic who lives vicariously through his readings of Knights in Armour and chivalry. He has purchased his books by selling pieces of his property. In an attempt to dissuade his foolish dreams, a priest Father Perez (John Pribyl), his niece Antonia (Mariko Nakasone), his housekeeper Magdalena (Dee Maaske)'s and a barber (Mark Murphey) burn most of his books. Through sign language, with Nakasone speaking, mute John Pribyl as Father Perez intones"Fiction is a terrible crime. People even look to fiction for moral instruction."
It is to no avail. Quijano abandons his home, salvages an eclectic, ragged suit of armor and sets out on his glorious quest as the Man of La Mancha, “righter of wrongs, defender of damsels in distress and champion of the underdog.” Alas, alas, all his delusions end and real adventures end in disaster.
Keeping with the theme of delusion, this production uses brilliant and varied puppets designed by Lynn Jeffries. They include flocks of geese and sheep, vultures, an owl and a doll to represent the beautiful damsel Dulcinea, who in life is a simple farm girl and culminates in light projection of the infamous encounter with the windmills.
The story begins with an avatar of Cervantes (Jeffrey King), acting as a narrator and later becoming part of the story. Don Quixote has a hallucination of a dangerous figure called The Enchanter portrayed as giant puppet with the eerie voice of David DeSanto. Every quest needs a horse and the one he selects is an old nag he names Rocinante played by James Jesse Peck, anterior and Anna-Lisa Chacon, posterior. It is worth the price of admission to see Quixote in action riding Rocinante. How does Quixote ride Rocinante? Don’t ask.
In his delusional state he accepts the title of Knight by an innkeeper (Brent Hinkley), he assumes to be a lord. Quixote starts his quest quest. Every Knight needs a squire. Quixote, after being soundly beaten for interfering with a shepherd and his master, is helped by Sancho Panza (Josiah Phillips). Ass luck would have it Sancho is a dull-witted farmer who is inveigled to become his squire with a promise of a reward with an island of his own. Sancho brings along his trusty donkey, Dapple, another movable puppet. This time the puppet is mounted on a tricycle! With very few lines of dialog, Phillips does a very creditable job with facial expressions and head movements. He is most vocal when he tries to convince his master that the giants he is about to attack are windmills!
Many of the well-known encounters are included in the story line and Solis does a good job of keeping the story on track. Duran creates a believable, lovable mad man who at turns is foolish and laughable and with every defeat an object sympathy. The secondary story of Cardenio and Lucinda is confusing. Despite the marvelous puppetry and Laird Williamson's astute direction blurs the fantasy and reality are never separated and turmoil remains in our deluded hero’s mind. The total picaresque, sprawling and over long running time confirms it is still a work in progress.
Kedar K. Adour, MD
Courtesy of www.theatreworldinternetmagazine.com