By Kevin Jacobson
kevin@newsroom.byu.edu
SCERA Shell's production of 'Man of La Mancha' brings the story of Don Quixote to life and delights audiences with an excellent performance by a talented cast.
Set in 16th Century Spain, 'Man of La Mancha' is a musical adaptation of the book 'Don Quixote,' which uses a play-within-a-play technique to unfold the bewildering adventures of the neurotic Don Quixote.
The show begins with the imprisonment of the poet and author Miguel de Cervantes by the Spanish inquisition. While in prison, Miguel becomes a defendant from the unwarranted accusations of his fellow inmates. To present his defense, he puts on a play of his own creation and enlists the help of the other prisoners to act out the different characters.
Miguel becomes the character Alonso Quijana, an upper-middle-class landowner who is fascinated with the ancient idea of knighthood and chivalry. His obsession leads to his insanity.
Alonso convinces himself that he is truly a knight with the quest to rid the world of evil. He renames himself Don Quixote and sets off for adventure with his squire Sancho Panza.
Quixote's journey takes him to what he considers a glorious castle with a king who will dub him a true knight. Quixote's insanity is obvious when Sancho reveals the castle is actually a common inn off the main road.
Inside the inn, Quixote believes the hospitable innkeeper is a royal king and the serving wench Aldonza is a fair lady.
Quixote insists on calling Aldonza by the noble name Dulcinea, and he seeks to make her the lady to whom he can dedicate his adventures.
Scenes from both the prison and the Don Quixote story lines alternate until both reach a parallel climax.
'Man of La Mancha' is a play that relies heavily on its cast for its success. Fortunately, director Syd Riggs was able to assemble and direct this cast to create a fine production.
Art Allen does an excellent job of performing the tri-fold part of Miguel, Alonso and Don Quixote. He plays the part of the pleading poet Miguel equally as realistically as the mad character Don Quixote. In addition to this, he sings 'Man of La Mancha' and 'The Impossible Dream' with a power that makes the songs memorable.
Jaelan Petrie delivers the comical lines of the character Sancho with excellent timing. Petrie helps the audience share in his character's understanding of Don Quixote, and lets the viewers learn to like the foolish knight.
Playing the role of Aldonza, Megan Christensen charms as the uncouth serving girl who is transformed by Don Quixote's vision of what she could be.
Unfortunately, 'Man of La Mancha' is a handful for any amateur production company, and this is no exception.
Songs that required the vocals of the entire cast were hard to understand and they were not in sync.
Technical difficulties in the audio system seem to plague the recent productions at SCERA, and 'Man of La Mancha' also suffers from them. Dialog is occasionally inaudible, because microphones either don't work or they are turned off.
The play contains 20 scenes, which can be a little confusing and they make for a long production. Over two hours in a hard plastic lawn chair can be a little hard to endure.
Fortunately, the complex story demands the attention of the audience and makes the time easier to bear. In addition, the captivating performance from the cast makes the play memorable and delightful.
Overall Rating: Good
For more information call 225-ARTS. Tickets are $7 for adults. Shows run Thursday through Saturday and Monday until Aug. 19. Shows start at 8 p.m.