On a dark stage lit by a sole spotlight sits a man, working. His pen moves furiously on the page. Around him, more pages flutter down from the heavens, like leaves on a fall day. The man is William Shakespeare.
“Equivocation,” written by Bill Cain, and playing at the Geffen Playhouse until Dec. 20, details this frenzied process of writing. The year is 1605. Shakespeare (Joe Spano) is commissioned by Robert Cecil (Jonathan Haugen), the secretary of state under King James I, to write a play about the “true” events of the Gunpowder Plot.
Shakespeare takes the commission but finds himself at odds with it. As he delves deeper into the circumstances behind the real event and towards the individuals within the event, the real answers threaten the safety of him and his acting troupe, the King’s Men, for they realize that to tell the tale truthfully would be treasonous.
“Equivocation” tries to be many things ““ some parts it succeeds in more than others. As a biography and tale of politics, it should be taken with a grain of salt.
The parent-child narrative concerning Shakespeare and his youngest daughter, Judith (Troian Bellisario), is played just enough to be important but not enough to be overly sentimental.
What dominates the play is truth, or rather the question: What is truth? Is the truth worth risking your life for?
Joe Spano takes the role of Shakespeare with astounding force. It is not easy to play such a well-recognized figure and not succumb into caricature. Spano succeeds in portraying a Bard that is not usually seen, someone who is human with frustrations, doubts and family problems.
A great deal of acclaim should also be given to the supporting cast, most of whom have to shoulder two or more roles in the play, akin to a well-seasoned actor of the Shakespearean age. What may be a confusing setup elevates the play into something memorable and beyond a mere historical drama. The effortless manner in which the actors transition between roles suggests that, perhaps, there is very little difference between reality and acting.
Perhaps an actor really is, as Richard Burbage (Harry Groener) says, “holding up a mirror to the real world” and when you look at him, you see yourself reflected.
As with all plays, there are weak points. After all, none of Shakespeare’s plays were perfect. Where “Equivocation” falters is in its stereotypical portrayal of the villains, with Cecil as the limping and conniving mastermind behind the events, while James I (Patrick J. Adams) is a dim-witted, crude monarch.
Such a portrayal seems too clear-cut and creates a clear assignation between truth and lies in a play that is largely about finding ways to bend the truth.
Yet that does not take away from the fact that “Equivocation” is a largely entertaining and thought-provoking venture.
Do not take “Equivocation” as a historical biography. Instead, take it how you would one of Shakespeare’s plays: dark, witty, with memorable characters and a timeless message about the power of words.