The Devil in Us
After Shakespeare came John Webster, with a vengeance!
The American Repertory Theater of WNY, known for its energetic productions of new or nearly new works by local playwrights, breaks protocol for its latest show, jumping into the wayback machine for murder in the 17th century Italy — and Mamma Mia! is it ever a trip!
Local creatives Charles McGregor and Arianna Lasting have taken John Webster’s 400-year-old five-act classic “The White Devil” and boiled it down to two acts. Taking care to leave all the juicy bits, they have concocted a rich taste of gory Jacobean intrigue, served over a brisk two hours. Even with trims, the language remains authentically Webster’s, which means, as with his contemporary Shakespeare, it can take some getting used to. Fortunately, while your ears are catching up, the action is unmistakable. For better or worse, human nature is consistent.
Webster’s tale was inspired by the notorious murder of an Italian noblewoman 30 years earlier, in the late 16th century. Love, lust, family ties and the thirst for power are all entangled in the intricate plot, and Webster piles it on. (Let’s recommend right here that you take a couple minutes to read the program notes before the lights go down, to know who is who.)
A quick synopsis: Vittoria (Heather Casseri), sister of the scheming Flamineo (Andrew Zuccari) and daughter of Cornelia (Stephanie Bax), is married to Camillo (Justin Pope) and romantically involved with Brachiano (Johnny Barden), who is father to Giovanni (Connor Snodgrass) and married to Isabella (Camillia Maxwell), who is the sister of Francisco (David Wysocki) and loved by Lodovico (Steven Maiseke), who was exiled for murder but pardoned by Cardinal (then Pope) Monticelso (Ian Michalski).
Matt LaChiusa’s lighting does the heavy lifting for emotional effects while the set is kept spare, making scene changes efficient — always appreciated. Rebecca Mutchuck’s costumes are modern-day, as is the music before and between acts, another ART signature.
As with Shakespeare, Webster is not for everyone, but he has a solid fan base in the theater world and beyond. “The White Devil” has been presented regularly over the past century on high-end classical stages with big name stars (Frank Langella, Claire Bloom, Patrick Macnee). Webster’s most famous work, “The Duchess of Malfi” (another murder story), inspired best-selling British mystery writers Agatha Christie, who makes it a clue in one of her novels, and P.D. James, who lifts the title “Cover Her Face” from Webster’s dialogue.
Now, ART makes it easy for the Webster-curious to try him on. Street parking isn’t hard around the theater at 545 Elmwood. Tickets are $20-$25, easily purchased online at artofwny.org or at the door. Shows are Thursdays (pay what you can) and Fridays at 7:30 p.m., and 5 p.m. on Saturdays. You have through April 27 to catch it
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