The tale of Don Quixote has taken over the stage at Hedgerow Theatre, and it is a creative interpretation of the story. This production, as adapted for the stage by Keith Dewhurst, while still keeping to the spirit of the original story adds some modern adaptations and humor. Don Quixote at Hedgerow Theatre is a show that is imaginative with a cast that brings the tale of Don Quixote to life on stage.
Don Quixote is inspired by Miguel de Cervantes’s seventeenth century masterpiece by the same name. This play tells the story of Don Quixote who sees the world through then lens of a knight adventurer. He enlists the help of his sidekick, Sancho, and embarks on a journey to bring back the chivalry and valor of the knights-errant. Along his expedition, Don Quixote encounters several situations that his imagination turns into fantastical adventures.
Director, Jared Reed, explains in "Thoughts from the Director" that this production "focuses on just one of the theme of Cervantes's masterpiece: What is a life well lived?" The cast does this through playing multiple roles, the use of puppets, shadow imagery and humor. Playing the role of Don Quixote is Brian McCann. McCann is ardently honorable as Don Quixote; from the moment he appears onstage he embodies the character's chivalric code. McCann also brings a humanizing quality to this role, whereas this aspect can be lost in playing a character such as this. Zoran Kovcic portrays the squire, Sancho. Kovcic depicts Sancho's addle mindedness and provides added humor. McCann and Kovcic work well together bringing the duo of Don Quixote and Sancho to life. The ensemble all worked well together as they played a variety of characters as well as operating shadow puppets, all which aided in bringing to life Don Quixote’s adventures. One of the highlights from the ensemble comes from Devon Walls who in one scene portrays a marionette. He is perfectly animated in this role and he makes this scene memorable. Additionally, Brock Vickers adds to the humor of the show as a guitarist by adding gravitas and providing the basis for a running gag. One criticism I have for this production is that the operation of the shadow puppets could use a bit of refinement as some visual elements were lost due to issues with placement or manipulations of the puppets . That being said, Don Quixote at Hedgerow Theatre is imaginative and tells the classic tale of Don Quixote in an innovative way.
Don Quixote runs at the Hedgerow Theatre through June 7, 2015. For more information and tickets visit their website at www.hedgerowtheatre.org or call their box office at 610-565-4211.
Final Thought: Don Quixote at Hedgerow Theatre is a show that uses creativeness to tell a classic story. It is a show that encourages audiences to use imagination when seeing this production. The cast effectively portray a variety of characters that bring the fanciful adventures of Don Quixote and Sancho to life on stage.
Kelli Curtin is editor and writer for theatresensation.com. In addition, she is a contributor for the online site broadwayworld.com. Kelli is excited to share her passion about theatre and the Arts with her readers. Kelli can be found on twitter @theatrescribe and on Facebook/theatresensation.
Photo courtesy of Hedgerow Theatre
