The Two Gentlemen of Verona (2008)

Production Notes

Love at first sight is a guiding principle in director Jane Page's production of The Two Gentlemen of Verona. The play opens in sedate Verona but audience members are soon transported to the alluring amusement park setting of Milan. Here, amidst thrilling rides and games of chance, characters fall for and away from each other. A band of putti, cherubic guardians, watch over all to safeguard love's power. Adding to the fun, the clownish Launce, his canine counterpart Crab, and his companion Speed revel in hilariously idiosyncratic notions of romance. To complement Page's celebratory concept, scene designer Bruce Bergner has constructed a veritable fun park. Above the heads of the lovers a roller coaster soars, echoing the erratic nature of their relationships. Balancing the physical thrill of the coaster are brilliant banners evoking the games of skill on the midway. Setting love in motion, an illuminated Ferris wheel rises in the center of the stage. While the action remains in Verona, costume designer Maureen Stevens creates a strong impression of propriety. Julia's simple skirt and blouse remind us that people in this environment do not indulge in revelry. Proteus and Valentine likewise don respectable suits. Once the two gentlemen arrive in Milan, the audience sees color and more color. The lovers are transformed in the park's free-for-all atmosphere but Launce and Speed seem more at home here than in Verona. Putti roam the set in wings and diapers reminding us that, for an evening at least, love reigns supreme.