Wittenberg

Chester Theater, Chester, MA
www.chestertheatre.org
through August 28, 2011
by Robbin M. Joyce

The slings and arrows of the conflict between Faith and Reason may seem a sea of troubles, but it makes for entertaining theatre. David Davalos has created a very witty play, set as a "prequel" to Shakespeare's "Hamlet" that will delight even those who don't appreciate the Brooding Dane.

Byam Stevens, along with a highly creative production team, has created a university setting wherein Hamlet seeks guidance from two renowned professors: John Faustus and Martin Luther. The set, complete with stone buttresses and heavy wooden doors creates a feeling of weight , while the compass painted on the floor could be symbolic of Hamlet's need for direction. The lights expertly change with hardly a notice, but punctuate the gravity of the topic at hand.

Joel Ripka, as Hamlet, allows the Elizabethan language to trip off his tongue and plays a suitably ambivalent Hamlet. Aubrey Saverino skillfully portrays all of the female characters, from a bar-maid to a defrocked nun to the Virgin Mother. Kent Burnham, as Luther, fairly portrays the father of the Protestant Reformation with a graceful strength of character and conviction. But it is James Barry, as Faustus, who steals the show. His engaging demeanor, combined with a mastery of his own presence and his relationship to his fellow actors, is a joy to watch. He lithely draws a willing and appreciative audience into the arguments between Faustus and Luther, and plays a mean lute to boot.

This is a clever, creative play that allows Faith and Reason each their own valid argument, but justifies neither. It's full of smart wordplay and sharp retort, with a nod to the work of The Bard himself. To see, or not to see, that may be the question; but see with most wicked speed.