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| Alyssa Kay and Katherine Jett in When Love Speaks (John Ulman) |
When Love Speaks
Thalia’s Umbrella
(at Taproot Theatre)
Through February 25, 2017
"Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?" Well? Should I? Don’t
I get an answer? If you have ever read any poetry and felt like maybe someone
should be there answering “Yes” or “No,” then you are thinking like David
Wright. Wright was reading a lot of poetry and decided that some of it,
particularly the love poetry, sounded like it should be conversations and
scenes. So, he put dozens of poets together in piles of potential dialogue,
with a large portion of Shakespeare, Marlowe, and Ben Jonson, and made a lovers’
play.
First presented in 1992 by Seattle Shakespeare Company, When Love Speaks is being remounted in a
pleasant and amusing fashion by Thalia’s Umbrella at Taproot Theatre’s small
new space. Four talented actors and a cute Dionysian helper become visitors to
an island resort – the kind where love might be born, but lust is also sometimes
disguised as love.
Christine Marie Brown
and Terry Edward Moore start out by
appearing as the most in-love couple ever, only to have Moore suddenly become
quite the temporary lover. Katherine
Jett, the most shy and abashed and funny, is perhaps hopelessly in love
with Alyssa Kay, who doesn’t mind,
but seems to be looking for someone a little assertive.
Poetry that you might know well and poetry that you might
never have heard before is combined and wound into inventive moments of
passion, persuasion or pique. Poetry inflames or confuses, entices or entreats.
It is all the dialogue.
The director, Daniel Wilson, directed the initial
presentation as well. He is supported by a wonderful set design by Roberta
Russell, who also lights the stage. She has created a light wood deck with airy
curtain openings that invite you to step outdoors to sit near the water and
drink and woo. Kelsey Rogers’ colorful costumes continue the beachy resort
feeling.
If you’re looking for something romantic for Valentine’s
week or month, this 90 minute production might be just the after-dinner romp.
Thalia’s Umbrella is also partnering with various additional local poets who
will present a few minutes of their own contemporary love poetry after the
production is done.
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