This is not the season for Shakespearean purists at Bard on the Beach. Every play has been re-written, ranging from mildly to wildly successful. The last offering for the 2024 season, Measure for Measure is the latter – a fresh and zealous departure from tradition, by director Jivesh Parasram.
Parasram honours the eternal genius of Shakespeare’s writing while highlighting how such themes and ideas extend into contemporary times and can still draw crowds and laughter. However, such deviations from the original’s somber moral exploration to a more light-hearted, dance-centric narrative risks diluting some of the play’s deeper themes.
His vision transforms the play’s thematic undercurrents of sexual politics (the “me too” movement) into a prohibition on dancing, effectively integrating modern music and dance culture into Shakespeare’s classic verse.
This mash-up with the movie Footloose is not merely superficial; it cleverly rewrites lines to incorporate song titles, lyrics and slang, seamlessly blending references to rhythm & bass, Burning Man, and dance styles like the tango and Macarena into the narrative fabric. Although dancing substitutes as a euphemism for fornication, the power dynamics remain undiminished. The shadows of coercion and hypocrisy still loom within Parasram’s version.
Vienna has become a hedonistic den of Euro dance under the lax ways of party enthusiast, Duke Vincenzio. His subjects salute him with the Dab! When a decree is announced that morality laws against dancing must be enacted, Vincenzio decides to take a hiatus and leave his strict deputy, Angelo to shut down the clubs and enforce the new law.
[Tess Degenstein, Jeremy Lewis]
Taking a page out of Undercover Boss, the sneaky Duke disguises himself as a friar to gleefully monitor his subjects. Claudio, a young man caught “hotly” dancing with his fiancée Julietta, falls victim to Angelo’s strict enforcement of the ban and is sentenced to death as an example.
Word of his plight reaches his sister, Isabella, a postulant about to take her vows. Isabella values her modesty above all else but nonetheless goes to Angelo to beg for clemency. Angelo is consumed with desire to do the jitterbug with Isabella and propositions her to a forbidden dance in exchange for sparing Claudio. Isabella feels powerless at the impossible crossroads that intersect her familial and moral duties.
Set designer Ryan Cormack makes liberal use of neon lights, speaker cones, and pulsing nightclub illuminations by Hina Nishioka to paint an Eastern European discotheque vibe. Shadowy alleyways and secret passages take the place of aging Greek structures from The Comedy of Errors set. However, some sight-lines are still obscured by the stage layout, so best to sit in Section 2 if possible.
[Tal Shulman]
A glowing turntable rises from the Howard Family Stage floor where the mysterious DJ, Aux Cable, scratches out remixes and unsolicited advice. Adding his own quirky flair, Tal Shulman is bedecked in a mirror-plated fox-head and a shiny silver onesie, epitomizing the production’s irreverent approach.
Costume designer Alaia Hamer lavishly adorns the rest of the cast in neon hues, glittering sequins, glossy plastics, and wild prints that make for a vibrant contrast against the dark staging. I gawked at the to-die-for shoes! The unmistakable Fluevog trademark graces the actors’ ankles, complimenting character identities. It makes me wonder whether the shoes were bought to match the costumes, or the costumes were designed to match the shoes!
[Scott Bellis]
Scott Bellis, as the wily Duke Vincenzio, has never looked more stylish in a dazzling array of sequins from head to toe. Normally drab monastic robes are streaked with sporty Adidas stripes and the nuns’ habits are shades of pink and crimson. The effect is quite comical when the ensemble wiggle in a forbidden flash mob behind the stern presence of Angelo. Flawlessly-timed choreography by Krystal Kiran injects these goofy interludes throughout the play and fully immerses the audience into an electric world.
[Craig Erickson]
Craig Erickson’s outstanding performance captures Angelo’s complex character. He strikes the right balance between stick-in-the-mud minister and hormonal schoolboy. Cracks in his deadpan expression reveal an awareness of his own hypocrisy, but even he can’t resist the rhythm of the night.
[Karthik Kadam]
Karthik Kadam seems to thoroughly enjoy his bit as the impertinent Lucio or “footloose Kevin”. To watch him trip the light fantastic is a highlight worth the price of admission. For this show, Meaghan Chernosky must navigate both characters of Isabella and Mistress Overdone – personalities who are polar opposites.
Enunciation issues plaguing Chernosky’s performance in Comedy of Errors is much reduced. For the final twist at the end, her action speaks louder than words.
[Meaghan Chenosky, Karthik Kadam]
Parasram’s audacious adaptation is not meant for heavy retrospective contemplation. Much of the gravitas gives way to silly dance allusions. But that is also the genius of this rewrite – so much of the text has been altered to seamlessly incorporate song titles and lyrics – reminiscent of Bard’s beloved Beatles-rendition of As You Like It.
A soundtrack curated by Chris Ross-Ewart imbues the play with a vibrant energy that resonates with audiences unfamiliar with traditional Shakespearean theatre. Parasram does not claim that his rendition carries the same heft as Shakespeare’s original words. Instead, he invites audiences to embrace a fresh way to enjoy Shakespeare; to spark interest in a new generation that may regard the Bard as stuffy and passé. The unconventional ending though will leave traditionalists longing for the moral complexity found in Shakespeare’s original text.
[Jeremy Lewis, Tal Shulman]
This irreverent version of Measure for Measure pushes boundaries with its inventive reinterpretation but carries modern appeal. The Glitterati are sure to show up for an engaging auditory theatre experience that’s just plain fun! Dig out the club wear and boogie on down to Bard on the Beach’s Measure for Measure, before it goes bye, bye, bye on September 20th.
Photos by Tim Matheson.