peteg's blog - noise - theatre - 2015 04 10 TheVenetianTwins

Piccolo Theatre: The Venetian Twins

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Goldstar: $13.50 + $4.25 service fee = $17.75, 2015-03-24. Took the Metra up, as always, and had a hot chocolate at Brothers K, as usual, and once again braved the terrible service at the Thai across the road. Their chicken cashnew nut is actually decent, if you can order one. This piece is apparently in a style called "commedia dell'arte", with the cast surplus to any given scene sitting on the edges, producing some music and sound effects. The set had a few cute bits, like the smooth deescalation of Rosaura (Claire Hart) in a fit of pique, nose in the air. Her mercurial, savvy character suited the play perfectly, but the cast is large and IMHO too much time is given over to more tedious (but well acted) characters like Brighella (David WM Kelch, as good here as in Smash) and the moronic twin (Kurt Proepper, who has excellent comedic timing throughout and anchors the humour). Nicole Keating has her flounce down pat (as the stock Colombina), and Caitlin Aase is made for anything with a touch of woe or goth. Max Hinds was only recognisable to me with his mask on. It's long but mostly fun. Given that I had to take the Purple/Red line back, so a late night.

Albert Williams at the Reader.