Madison Artist/The Collegian
If you are looking for a good laugh, you may enjoy the production University Theatre is performing, “A Servant of Two Masters” that opened March 25.
The comedy, written by Carlo Goldoni in the 18th century, was adapted by Lee Hall for the production that is set in Italy.
The play first introduces Beatrice, pretending to be her brother Federigo Rasponi, who comes to Venice. She hires Truffaldino, a servant, whose only motive in the play is to fill the void in his stomach. He is constantly whining about being hungry, but this hunger eventually turns to love by the end of the play when he falls for a maid named Smeraldina.
Almost every situation has a comedic element to it, whether it’s in hidden context or out in the open. Audience members will feel like they are a part of the play as the actors incorporated the audience on more than one occasion. There were several instances when Truffaldino speaks to the audience about how tough the economy is being a servant, tied into some contemporary issues.
Daniel Rodriguez, who played Truffaldino, brought humorous creative energy to the role. Every time he left the stage, the audience seemed to count the minutes until his return. At several points in the play, Rodriguez flew in as Truffaldino, acrobatic moves and high energy abounding. Nearly anything he did, whether as simple as hitting his head on the swinging doors to mixing up messages, was hilarious.
What makes this play so funny is how the actors portray their roles. The enthusiasm they exhibit by how they say their lines, use their bodies, gestures and facial expressions added to their roles.
The most annoying character, Clarice, is the daughter of Pantalone. She is your average spoiled girl who runs off stage crying hysterically on more than one occasion. Her part was very convincing and had a modern feel to the way she acted in some cases that made her character real.
The stage design, overall very simple, exhibited two archways with swinging doors on each side and the occasional chair or chest made up the majority of the set. I, personally, was hoping for a more elaborate set that would give a sense of what it looked like in Venice. I couldn’t completely imagine the rooms, lobbies or outdoor settings, so the play lacked that sense of place. Luckily, the acting and funny script almost made up for the lack of setting.
The only way the audience knew the scenery changed was an actor announcing the scene change before the start of every scene.
The whole cast, for the most part, was energetic and very well connected to their roles. Everything was fast paced and lively with the exception of just a few scenes.
“Servant of Two Masters” is running until April 1 in the Dennis and Cheryl Woods Theater in the Speech Arts building.