ROME - Having started with a somewhat sinister choral reading of Everything That Rises Must Converge, The English Theatre of Rome’s season continues with a play that is precisely the opposite. Glyka Stoiou’s production of Don Quixotes, Miguel de Cervantes’ 17th century novel, is is an enchanting delight bursting with irresistible energy, that tickles the funny bone throughout.
The play follows Alonso Quixano, a Spanish nobleman so tired of his mundane, rural life that he dresses up as the imaginary knight Don Quixote and peruses the countryside in search of adventures. He and his sidekick Sancho Panza encounter a range of creatures, from monkeys and lions to giants and dragons, and develop a bond that is quite literally unbreakable. Their journey is a myriad of colour and magic, their world a far cry from Rome’s hustle and bustle.
Stoiou uses a limited number of props, and childish props at that, to draw attention to Quixote’s deluded nature. She refrains from making his imaginary world credible, for this would only detract the audience’s attention from the messages Cervantes wished to convey.
The work’s underlying ideas are easily identifiable, which is important given the play's young target audience. Stoiou’s portrayal of many ideas, from the superficiality of social hierarchies to the importance of loyalty, is harnessed by the protagonists’ crackling chemistry.
Glyka Stoiou’s Quixote and Angeliki Karakaxidou’s Sancho are a dazzling duo. They play on each other’s stupidity throughout the play to the incessant delight of the audience.
If it wasn't for Patrick Knappich’s ambivalent drummer in the background, the protagonists’ boundless energy might just become too much. He occasional throws the audience a confused glance, which diffuses the play’s hysteria and adds another dimension to the comedy.
Though audience members will recall the production’s liveliness and extravagance, Stoiou’s staging is deceptively simple and understated. A drum set is the only item to remain onstage throughout. Use of lighting is sparing, and costumes are basic. Spectators’ paradoxical recollection of the production is a credit to the protagonists’ captivating stage presence. It also reflects one of Cervantes’ most important ideas – that money is not as powerful as society perceives it to be.
Stoiou channels Cervantes’ rebellion against social hierarchy by inviting audience members on stage. The production becomes a sort of pantomime, as spectators join the actors and take on a variety of roles. This does not just engage the younger audience members, but the more sophisticated spectators too, for any attempt to make Quixote’s illusory world plausible would distance them from the production. They are simply too swept up in the fun of it all to critique the story for its lack of credibility.
Yet the contagious sense of camaraderie perceptible throughout is what spectators will take away from the production. This is attributable not only to the company’s energy and enthusiasm, but also to their frequent engagement with music. Quixote and Sancho break into song every now and again, and Knappich plays the drums in almost every scene. The uplifting effect that ensues leaves spectators feeling warm and fuzzy, a sentiment that could not be more sought after in the run up to Christmas.
