All's Well That Ends Well, Except It Isn't

Yesterday was Manhattan Borough day for All's Well That Ends Well at Shakespeare in the Park. A great alternative to standing in line in the Park for hours -- if you live in the designated Borough of the Day, you just go to the stated location, pick up vouchers and, by no later than half an hour before curtain, convert each voucher into a ticket at the box office. No line at all at the Museo del Barrio to pick up the vouchers in yesterday's recurring showers and I got four, which at 7:15 we exchanged for four tickets, getting one more in the bargain since the weather (or perhaps buzz about the production) meant not all tickets had been distributed.

And things went downhill from there. All's Well, I read, is considered one of Shakespeare's "problem plays," neither a comedy nor a tragedy. This is hooey; no one dies bloodily on stage. The play is a comedy, pure and simple. (Whether it is a good comedy, even in the best of productions, is of course another question.) Not only does nobody die, but also the petulant, spoilt young brave and horny prince (Bertram) gets his comeuppance, which -- it turns out -- is the opportunity to be happy for the rest of his life, if only he'd show a little wisdom as he ages, with the woman who has always loved him (Helena). This outcome is achieved after ridiculous plot twists and coincidences, as in half a dozen or so other of Shakespeare's plays. The problem with the Shakespeare in the Park take on All's is that none of this is played for comedy by any of the characters, save for Parolles, Bertram's buffoonish aide de camp. But his antics and cowardice are amped up to the nth power (presumably a directorial decision), making him so overdone that he quickly ceases to be either funny or a good character foil to Bertram. Helena is good (after a slow start); so is her deceptive stand-in Diana and the Countess. Still, beyond them, this was an unsatisfying evening in the Park, but -- at least -- only a few spare drops of rain fell on us.