'Rough Crossing' Anything But Rough

Shakespeare and Company Ends Season

By: Nikolai Rudd - Aug 24, 2007

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Shakespeare and Company's "Rough Crossing", adapted by Tom Stoppard from Molnar's Play at the Castle and Wodehouse's The Play's the Thing combines his unique wit and physical antics that are indicative of this English playwright. A wonderful musical farce about a couple of playwrights that are trying to finish their latest musical play while at sea, pits a comedy of errors that reminds people of the Three Stooges, or more aptly, the Michael Frayn's Noises Off.

Directed by Kevin Coleman and starring Elizabeth Aspenlieder, Jason Asprey, Bill Barclay, Jonothan Croy, Malcolm Ingram, and newcomer LeRoy McClain, this comedy has a light air about it. Stoppard's humor, linguistic barter and innuendos serve this play that is set in the 1930s aboard a cruise ship bound for New York from Southampton.

Though some of the characters are a bit on like a soap-opera there are some very good, subdued performances and humor that counter balance the others. The play within the play, contends that the two fictitious playwrights are writing a comical piece about a thief that gets involved with a woman from whom he stole some rare jewelry. The fictitious music composer hilariously battles a love triangle and being tongue-tied around the woman he loves. However, McClain delivers a ton of laughs with his portrayal of the ships purser who constantly gets sent out for some cognac that is very reminiscent of Frayne's sardines in Noises Off.

All-in-all "Rough Crossing" delivers as a lively farce that never pretends to be grand or deep, but leaves the audience in laughter. Everyone seems to leave in a good mood and having been thoroughly entertained. This play run through September 2nd. You can go to Shakespeare and Company's website at http://www.shakespeare.org or you can call the box office at 413-637-1199 to find out the times.

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