A Servant of Two Masters is the latest offering from Mr. Hallam’s Players, commedia dell’arte for the 21st century, and the brainchild of Brandon Bruce, Senior Manager of Performance Interpretation with Colonial Williamsburg!
Commedia dell’arte was a largely improvisational style of theater that had a slate of stock characters. The most famous example today is Harlequin, but there were others, like The Doctor, The Merchant, scheming servants, and often lovestruck nobles.
These characters reappear in works like Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, Rossini’s The Barber of Seville, and on through to the 20th century. You’ll even see them in the cartoons and sitcoms we watch today. For example, Brandon says Kramer from Seinfeld is a classic harlequin!
So, let’s meet this cast of characters, shall we?
Truffaldino is (in my humble opinion) the most adorable character. He’s perpetually hungry, not terribly clever, and constantly on the receiving end of a wallop. Now that I think about it, he’s a bit like many villains’ lovable sidekicks in kids movies! Not to worry though. No matter how many times Truffaldino gets knocked down, he always ends up coming out on top!
Then there’s Dr. Lombardi, the self-appointed expert on all issues concerning law, marriage, and other matters of importance. I actually think I laughed more at him than any other character; his mannerisms just kill me! He’s also surprisingly sprightly for having such an (ahem) rotund physique.
Beatrice is a cross-dresser in love—dressing as her brother in an attempt to steal away with her lover, Florindo. (It’s all a bit complicated.) She’s new to scheming, but her confidence buoys her through, despite a few fumbles.
Florindo is macho, conceited, and prone to violence—much like Beatrice and actually—they’re a perfect match!
Let’s not forget Clarice—weepy, weak, with a tendency to faint. Oh, Clarice. And so in love with Silvio!
Silvio. Suddenly, another man has moved in on his dear Clarice! And between his overbearing father (Dr. Lombardi), his teary darling, and his own ego—well, he’s just not having a great time.
Pantalone is another beleaguered character; he’s sure to have to part with his money one way or another. It’s the occupational hazard of being a merchant with a daughter…
Smeraldina, servant to Pantalone and Clarice, is the most level-headed of the bunch. She doesn’t seem to have much of a sense of humor. But somebody has to be the straight man in this outfit!
The production perfectly balances in appeal to both adults and kids. The action is quick, and so is the dialogue. The pratfalls, grimaces, and silly voices provide plenty of entertainment for the kids. (Let’s admit it—adults like that stuff too!). Happily, the play has been cut down from its original two-and-a-half-hour length to a more manageable hour and a half. It’s also been adapted for modern audiences. Harkening back to the improvisational nature of commedia, much of the material was developed from improvisations in rehearsals.
Want to go? Upcoming shows are Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays alternating between outdoors at the Charleton Stage and indoors at the Kimball Theatre. Check the Colonial Williamsburg calendar for details.
Tickets are $18 for those 13 and up, $9 for kids ages 6-12, and free for those age 5 and under. Good Neighbor Pass holders, don’t forget you get 25% off! You can get your tickets at the usual places: the Lumber House, Merchants Square, the Visitor Center, and online. If you’d like a chance to win FREE tickets for your family to attend, simply add a comment below the blog. You’ll also get to meet the cast after the show! It’s that simple. Our winner will be chosen at random and notified by July 31.
Guest Blogger: Crystal Wallis Graves
Crystal is a fundraiser by day/blogger by night. When not working in Development for Colonial Williamsburg, she runs WhatsHappeningWilliamsburg.com, a blog highlighting affordable activities in the Historic Triangle. She’s also a classically-trained violist who performs with the Hampton Roads Philharmonic and the Jamestown String Quartet.
One of Crystal’s favorite things about Williamsburg is all the intelligent, generous, and curious people she’s gotten to know here!
Linda Phelps says
We are longtime residents and good neighbors pass holders, but have never seen a production like this. I would love to remedy that! Please pick me!
Janet Ritchie says
Love productions in Williamsburg, especially at the Kimball Theater. We’ll be in town at the beginning of August and would love to win tickets for this show!
Beth mangus says
Headed there on the first with my family. Would love the opportunity to see this show.
Chrissy Spears says
Yes! Another unique production in Williamsburg that I would love to attend with my husband!
Hope the show is still running in August.
Renee says
This sounds like a lot of fun. Thank you for providing so much exposition on the artform.
Carol Schneider says
We’ll be there in Colonial Williamsburg in August. We love theater and history! What could better than having the chance to combine our two loves.
This looks great! What a fun show! I love the dramatic pictures!
Nancy Disponzio says
Great excuse to return to one of my favorite places, and share it with my family.
Christina says
Looks great… live theater is the best!! Looking forward to checking it out…
Gina says
Looks like a fun time. I’m taking my kids to COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG for summer vacation and would love to take them to go see the play.
Gina Jackson says
Can not wait to get to CW I will be there the end of August!!! My favorite place on earth we vacation in CW every year!!! I have never been to the theater would love to win!!!
Ashley Yea says
Looks exciting and funny!
Genevieve Barnett says
Way to go Colonial Williamaburg! A family comedy to breakup the monotony of hot days & bored kids!! Thank you for something the whole family can do together! AND the opportunity to win free tickets! That’s what I call a WIN/WIN!!
This sounds like another great idea coming from CW - something for grow ups, kids and all of us grownup so who become kids as soon as we arrive in CW! Costumes, wigs, people making us laugh with silly antics - how can you lose??
I met the players while dining at Shields for lunch. I purchased the ticket for that evening’s show, Thursday, and then the storm came in. I left in the middle of it due to the storm. I would love to see it again with my son.
Donna Tamplet says
How exciting there’s a new play!
Robert C says
If this is the same group (and I think it is) that did the Sword Play play earlier this month then I’ll be in for a real treat with plenty of laughs.
Lisa Beacham says
I love plays but this play looks great. I can not wait to see this play and laugh.
Robert Ambrose says
Looks great! I have never been disappointed at any of the 18th Century play productions at CW!
Lia Lee says
Looks like another fun reason to go to Williamsburg.
Lia - You are our winner! I will send you a private message to get your personal information. Thank you so much for reading the blog and I hope you enjoy the show!
This looks entertaining!
The production looks fabulous! I’d love to see it. Heard great things about it.
I’ve loved every production I’ve seen at CW….no doubt this is another winner!
Awesome! Looking forward to it! Needing a good date night away from the kids!
We love coming to Williamsburg and look forward to seeing A Servant of Two Masters.
Norm & Lane Rose
Cary NC
I’ve never seen a play in CW. I know, hard to believe isn’t it! This would make a great first.
Looks like it would be a great way to spend the evening.
Looks like a great addition to the many events happening in Colonial Williamsburg!
I love all the productions that CW puts on. I look forward to watching this play as well.
Great Costumes, comedy, and an appeals to both kids and adults, yes!
Thank you for highlighting a performance that would be interesting to both adults and children. This is in fact one of the best things about Williamsburg, that there’s always something going on that is appealing to both adults and kids. It keeps us coming back frequently. 🙂
For me, it’s the costumes, the wigs, and the makeup. They are always amazing and add so much to the production. I can’t wait until my next trip to CW to see this show!
I love to laugh and the productions always have me laughing.