Cymbeline

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Cymbeline is the last of the plays attributed to Shakespeare. It is a collection of plots and tropes from a number of the plays in his body of work. It is set in Britain around the time of the Roman conquest and is based on British legends about a Celtic King who confronted the Romans. The play is a conflagration of plot lines ranging from innocence and jealousy to corruption, revenge, and murder. It was initially considered a tragedy, but it is more of a comedy when one considers the different plot lines and the nature of some key characters.

The version of Cymbeline, presented by the National Asian American Theatre Company (NAATCO) in partnership with PLAY ON SHAKESPEARE, is a modern verse translation by Andrea Thome, skillfully directed by Stephen Brown-Fried. It turns the Elizabethan era’s use of all-male casts on its head with an all-femme cast. What makes this turnabout interesting is that the play is basically about misogyny and male trust issues, with elements of a fairy tale thrown in for good measure.

The modern verse translation reasonably maintains a semblance of the Elizabethan iambic pentameter form supported by the ensemble’s solid delivery of the lines. People familiar with Elizabethan dramatic poetry may be put off by the change in the wording but not necessarily by the presentation of the text. Overall, it is an enjoyable show worth spending time on whether or not one is an admirer of Elizabethan drama done to a modern beat.

Skillfully embodied by Amy Hill, Cymbeline is not the brightest of kings. His leadership is more reactive to matters than progressive, allowing those around him to directly influence his decision-making. It is especially true of the Queen, his second wife, a scheming, manipulative character bordering on evil. Maria-Christina Oliveras solidly embodies this character and the pivotal character Belarius, a great warrior banished by Cymbeline after being falsely accused of being a traitor. She is planning to kill Cymbeline so that her son Cloten, the stepson of the king, will inherit the crown.

Cloten is given a superb, almost over-the-top performance by Jeena Yi, presenting him as a buffoonish, foul-smelling, mentally challenged, self-involved fop with evil designs on Imogen, Cymbeline’s daughter. Imogen, another solidly embodied character played by Jennifer Lim, rejects Clotin’s entreaties and secretly marries Posthumus (KK Moggie), a low-born boy taken in and raised by Cymbeline. When the relationship between Imogen and Posthumus became apparent to the king, he had Posthumus banished to Italy, not knowing he was Imogen’s husband.

A new plot develops while Posthumus is in Italy. He meets Iachimo, a clever and dishonest young Italian nobleman with a low opinion of women’s morality. He is one of three characters enabled by Anna Ishida, the other two being a Roman soldier and a jailor. Of the three, while ably performed, it is not her strongest characterization of the three. During the encounter with Posthumus in Italy, he arrogantly claims that he can seduce any woman. Then, he bets with Posthumus that he can and will seduce Imogen. When the time arrives for Iachimo to make good on his bet, Imogen rebuffs him, and then through trickery, he manages to acquire evidence he has accomplished the task. In the scene of the deception concerning Imogen, Ishida does not portray Iachimo with the level of malevolence that the character calls for, thereby missing the opportunity to show how truly dark the character is.

If these plot lines are not enough, the story adds more with the actions of Cloten towards Imogen, causing Imogen to disguise herself as a man and leave her father’s castle for the safety of the forests of Wales. Here, she encounters Belarius, known as Morgan, and his sons Arviragus (Annie Fang) and Guiderius (Sarah Suzuki). Oliveras provides a flawless transition from the Queen to Belarius, solidly embodying that character. Fang and Suzuki play three other characters, giving each character a solid definition. The backstory of Belarius is that after Cymbeline accused him of treason, he kidnapped the king’s sons and fled to Wales.

If it were possible for the story to become more involved, Shakespeare manages to achieve it by introducing the Empire of Rome in the form of Caius Lucius (Purva Bedi). Bedi skillfully plays two other characters, Lord to Cloten and Sicilius, the ghost of Posthumus’ father. Her action as Lord to Cloten is a perfect foil for Cloten’s buffoonery and self-importance. She provides perfect comic timing with her lines, strengthening the scenes with Cloten. Her later characterization of Caius Lucius also solidly adds to the scenes in which she appears. The interactions between the Queen, Cloten, and Cymbeline with Caius Lucius led to war with Rome.

You may already think this is enough, but there is more. When Iachimo returns to Italy with proof of his seduction of Imogen, Posthumus becomes so enraged at his feeling of betrayal that he orders the death of Imogen for her presumed infidelity. Now, there are two plots underway to kill Imogen: one from the Queen in the form of a poison prepared by Dr. Cornelius, one of four characters embodied by Narea Kang, and one by Posthumus by way of his faithful servant Pisanio (Julyana Soelistyo). The Queen also gives this character the charge of providing a poison potion to Posthumus and then to Imogen.

In the lead-up to the closing act, Cloten is killed when confronting Arviragus and Guiderius. Imogen drinks the potion and falls into a deathlike sleep, and Posthumus becomes a servant in arms to Caius Lucius. In addition to all of these elements, there is a fairy tale sequence where the Roman god Jupiter appears in the scene with the ghosts of Posthumus’ parents, and he makes pronouncements about what is to happen to their son in the future. The final act brings all of these plots together, resolving each one in almost a checklist fashion.

Even with all the convoluted plots, the ensemble presents a solid performance that belies the almost three-hour show. It is a production that keeps the audience engaged, but not without some downsides in the nature of the performance space. The acoustics of the theater, coupled with some of the actors’ projections, make some of the text muffled and unclear. The performance would benefit from the actors wearing microphones.

The scenic design by Yi-Hsuan (Ant) Ma cleverly uses large curtains to transform the open performance space from a bedroom with a canopy into a royal meeting hall to a forest in Wales. The addition of various props effectively helps to define the scenes further. Mariko Ohigashi’s costume design adds immeasurably to the definition of the characters, most especially given the number of different characters being portrayed by individual performers. The lighting design by Yiyuan Li and Caroline Eng’s sound design complement each other and add solidity to the flow of the action.

Cymbeline (through February 15, 2025)

National Asian American Theatre Company (NAATCO) with Play On Shakespeare

Lynn F. Angelson Theater, 136 East 13^th Street in Manhattan

For tickets, visit  http://www.ci.ovationtix.com/1131/production/1218404

Running time: two hours and 40 minutes including one intermission