(out of 
)There are a goodly number of scholars who do not give credence to William Shakespeare's authorship of the play Pericles, Prince of Tyre, preferring instead to consider it at most one of his "script doctoring" efforts. While it was registered to his name in 1608, the same year as Anthony and Cleopatra, and published with Troilus and Cressida a year later under the name "William Shake-speare," it is not of the same quality as other works of this time in the Bard's life, such as Macbeth. It's a slippery slope when debating the legitimate authorship of any of Shakespeare's plays, but it is true that some efforts, of which Pericles is an example, seem unworthy of the pen that created A Midsummer Night's Dream, Richard III and Hamlet. Whether a full Shakespeare script, or a cobbled creation of his and a lesser dramatist, this is one of his works that almost never receives a production. The fact that The Shakespeare Theatre is mounting it at all is news in itself. Unfortunately, all that director Gerald Thomson's production succeeds at is showing why the script is almost never mounted.
Pericles is a prince of Tyre, one of the many city states that populated the Greek islands in antiquity. His journeys take him from an incestuous king's land, to a land of famine, and many others, while eventually centering on a trip to find his lost wife and daughter. The plot is as plotty as any Greek myth, with just as many cautionary tales about morals, leadership, and shipwrecks. In fact, this is one odyssey that is so adventure-filled, Dioniza must give us a play-by-play to keep that audiences aware of which city state they are visiting, and which plot is being explored.
Without the benefit of Shakespeare's full concentration of wit and wordsmithing, this production becomes another mediocre adaptation of a Greek myth. Mr. Thomson has too much material to work with, and the show feels overwhelmed for it. The pacing is that of a becalmed ship, and many of the actors perform as though they are wearing masks, leaving a lot of their emotional presentation to their voices. In fact, save for two performers, there's a feeling that this would have been better presented as a radio play. Thomson creates static staging, as exemplified by his consistent use of mask business by Karen Draper's narrator, Gower, which has her always remove her mask for the final few sentences of her many monologues.
At the center of the play is Thomas M. D'Vorak's heroic sounding Pericles. While full of voice and steady of delivery, D'Vorak seems too trapped in the heroic model to give himself over to the tragedies of his journey. Even his mourning of a lost daughter and wife seems too stoic. This Pericles is too Spartan to be Greek. Surprisingly underplayed is his daughter, Marina. Christy Gordon and Mr. Thomson seem to think that proof of nobility involves rigid faces and a lot of looking at the floor. This posture is adopted by most in the play, including John Rose as faithful lord Hellicanus and Jerry Taylor, who is too soft as Antiochus.
A few performances vault past this trend, though. The greatest of these is the lively spirit that appears whenever Dannielle N. Miles graces the stage. As Pericles wife, Thaisa, her eyes sparkle as she genuinely shows interest in the proceedings. As the owner of a house of bawd, she is a mix of sexy and seething that breaks the show from its somnambulistic slumbers. It's a shame that it is 45 minutes into the first act before the first flicker of life finally appears. Solid performances come from Lisa Fazer as the scheming Dioniza and Adam Hiniker as Lysimachus.
While the onstage action isn't generally much to look at, Richard Hardt's simple set and Kimberly Hadfield-Hardt's lighting are better. The unique use of giant columns that create their own light show is ingenious. Susan Morrell's costumes are consistent, as is John Jones' sound, though the music choices were as odd as the general lack of facial expression.
Yes, he's the English language's greatest dramatist, but even he had off days. If you want to see a play that you'll probably never see produced again, then go with the understanding that this is generally an academic motivation. With that in mind, you'll find the added bonuses of one great and a few solid performances, and a pleasant light show in addition.
Production Details:
Pericles, Prince of Tyre by
William Shakespeare
The Shakespeare Theater
Cactus High School Auditorium, Glendale
(602) 272-0931
June 8th - June 25th, 2000
