Equivocation Keeps on Equivocatin’

Shag (Anthony Heald) takes notes as his actors flesh out his script (from left, Gregory Linington, John Tufts, Jonathan Haugen). Photo by Jenny Graham.

It’s your last weekend to see Equivocation at the Seattle Repertory Theatre (7:30 p.m. Fri-Sun, with a 2 p.m. showing on Sat-Sun; $12-40). The play really comes down to the three Bills: writer Bill Cain, director Bill Rauch, and protagonist Bill Shakespeare. But this isn’t the Shakespeare you think of, the erudite playwright who just happens to be the Best Writer EVAR. Nope, Equivocation‘s Shakespeare is known as “Shagspeare” or just “Shag,” a guy who’s still struggling with his craft, who has family issues and writer’s block and deadlines just like the rest of us. And he’s played by Anthony Heald, who you immediately recognize as That Guy, since he’s been in everything. (He played the weaselly principal on Boston Public as well as the weaselly doctor from Silence of the Lambs.)

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Equivocation premiered last year at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and everyone involved remains intact for the Rep run. The nearly three-hour play is ostensibly about Shakespeare writing a new work. He’s still workshopping King Lear when King James’ chief adviser, the hunchbacked Sir Robert Cecil, approaches him to commission a play about the King defeating the perpetrators of the Gunpowder Plot (that’s Guy Fawkes, et al, attempting to blow up Parliament, if you haven’t seen V for Vendetta). The Bard tries to dramatize this non-event, but he finds it challenging to write a play that’s nothing more than political propaganda. Because even in the 1600s, no one wants to be a sellout.  Equivocation is of course also about “equivocation,” the idea of toeing the line between truth and lie.  It’s an important and completely relevant idea, but as a theme, it kinda gets old real fast.  I get it; I have watched the Colbert Report and know all about truthiness, thanks.

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But at its core, Equivocation is all about actors playing actors playing actors, and I’m pretty sure the real Shakespeare would appreciate the meta. There’s a lot of wink-wink nudge-nudge jokes about the theatre, writing, religion, politics, economics, and Shakespeare’s body of work–not necessarily the kind of stuff you’d laugh heartily at, but you’d chuckle for sure. In that way, it’s definitely a literate play, with mini-performances of scenes from Lear and Macbeth, as well the play Shakespeare is trying to write. The transitions, between scenes as well as characters, are smooth and seamless, and that is one of the play’s strongest points. Heald as Shakespeare is great, as is the supporting cast, many of whom play several characters (sometimes even within the same scene). Of special note is Richard Elmore; the man’s gruff voice alone is worth the price of admission. Not to mention that in the opening scene, you get to see his butt.

 

• Equivocation plays five more times at the Seattle Rep this weekend.  Times and tickets available here.