>
The American Shakespeare Center‘s Renaissance Season (where the company of actors stages all five shows without designers or directors) is coming to an end; tonight was the final performance of Thomas Middleton’s The Witch, a play I had never seen or read. But it’s wonderful!
And even with a very short period of time to put this particular show together (it has become tradition it seems to have a very limited run of one, usually oddball, show), I thought the company did a fantastic job with it. Allison Glenzer was both Hecate, the chief witch, and Francicsca, the young noblewoman who gets into trouble and sets half of the play’s mischief in motion. And she was great in both roles. Also doing masterful double-duty was James Keegan as the Duke and, hilariously, as Abberzanes, the “gentleman” who gets Francisca into trouble. John Harrell played the Lord Governor as a tight-ass puritan, which the audience loved. Rick Blunt, once again, was excellent as Almachildes. I loved Alyssa Wilmoth as the Duchess Amoretta. She played her with a Brooklyn accent, which was funny (seriously funny), if a bit hard to understand at times. Joann Sacco played Isabella perfectly – sweet and innocent and self-righteous. Gegory Jon Phelps was just right as Sebastian and Tyler Moss took on a couple of roles, including a stellar job as Firestone, Hecate’s son. (Everyone else was great, too.)
A terrific production all around.
