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Actor in The Captive - 2010 Webby award winner for Best Drama in Online Film & Video

Winner of the 2005-2006 Spotlight-On Best Ensemble Award for Avalon, FHB Productions
 

The cast, led by standout actors Basile and Byrnes, is excellent. Among the more notable performances...Joe Sevier as the condemned man being made to confess on the scaffold by a priest. - Byrne Harrison's review of Sons of Molly Maguire for www.oobr.comnominated for Best Ensemble through the Midtown International Theatre Festival Awards (click here for the full review)
 

Joe Sevier’s Camilo remains the only constant and the only sanity in this brave new world. - Antonia Mandry's review of The Winter's Tale for The Shakepeare Revue (www.shakespeare-revue.com) (close)

The Winter's Tale
Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Rebecca Easton
Columbia Stages
Riverside Theatre, 91 Claremont Aveune
Equity showcase (closed February 2, 2008)
Review by Antonia Mandry

Rebecca Easton’s production of The Winter’s Tale is full of fury, movement, and pizzaz, with a good deal of spitting thrown in for good measure. Easton re-imagines Shakespeare’s play as set within an America of the recent but indeterminate past, with almost a surreal filter to it.

What does such an America look like? It’s filled with glitzy clothing, tuxedos, overalls, and pin-up versions of Rosie the Riveter. Andrew Dahl struts around the stage in tight black cowboy jeans, a black cowboy hat and oversize sunglasses on his diminutive face. Songs come a-bustin’ out of him (or the radio to which he lip syncs). He wiggles his rear like an Elvis with ants in his pants, and the girls go wild. This rural world is treated with warm tones as a sunny point of comedy, while the sterile mansions of Leontes and Hermione are cool and serene in both palette and manner. The contrast between the two worlds is shocking, as is the contrast between the first and second parts of the play. The beginning, set in a Kennedy-ish world, has all the hallmarks of a tragedy, with the death of two main characters and the exile of two others. Christina Bennett Lind’s glowingly pretty and stylish Hermione is both surprised, embarrassed and finally defeated by her husband’s (played by a maniacal Paul de Cordova) jealousy, and her alleged death is preceded by that of her young son’s. It is de Cordova’s portrayal of jealousy that leads to all this tragedy and upon his performance relies the credibility of the action that follows. The portrayal itself is somewhat of a mixed bag. De Cordova’s acting is filled with passion and his fury and paranoia is portrayed with a vital intensity missing from most of the other actors. That jealousy itself is, however, is another matter. Sitting with a friend, I came out of the performance saying how unrealistic his paranoia and jealousy was while my friend’s comment that Hermione’s attentiveness to Polixenes was undue surprised me. How convincing Leontes' feelings are remains reliant on how believable the audience finds it. Nevertheless, it is this jealousy that drives the plot to the end of its tragic first half.

The second half of the play departs from this pathos with alacrity with the shift not only from locale (city mansion, to rural outdoors) but also from sense. One of Shakespeare’s most famous stage directions is Exit, pursued by bear. Although this was probably not an original Shakespeare stage direction (most likely instead added by his first editor, Nicholas Rowe in the 17th century), it remains an infamous comic pit-trap for both readers of the play and producers of it.

Easton decides to take it for the ridiculous stage direction it is, and the entrance of vicious teddy bears mauling the unfortunate Antigonus heralds the shift from tragedy to farce. Dahl’s Autolycus swivels his hips, Cliff Campbell’s Clown gives hayseed an intelligent appearance, and Joe Sevier’s Camilo remains the only constant and the only sanity in this brave new world. Music blasts, the actors break out into dance, and merry chaos reigns.

When the actions returns to the space of the repentant Leontes, whose jealousy has destroyed all he loves, the tone of the action again changes and the most beautiful moment of the production begins. Bennett Lind's Hermione stands still centerstage with her back to the audience in a white gown (the costumes of this production are amazing) and long white gloves. Motionless for a lengthy moment, this Galatea comes to life in a beautifully stirring moment supported by ethereal music and the complete focus of all the actors on stage. A truly magical moment that demonstrates forgiveness and redemption and rounds out a solid production.