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Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher's rarely staged 1619 revenge play The Maid's Tragedy, like Jacobean tragedy more generally, anticipates film noir in both its fixation on female sexuality and its resolutely bleak atmosphere. Hapless hero Amintor (Steve Vanderzee) faces a situation as simple and ferocious as a bear trap: He discovers on his wedding night that his new marriage is a sham, cooked up by the wicked king to preserve his own secret affair with Amintor's bride Evadne (Brenan Dwyer).
In Northwest Classical Theatreâs incisive production, the poisonous atmosphere is apparent even before Amintor and Evadne face off beside their marriage bed. From the opening scene, as stalwart war hero Melantius (Tom Walton) declares himself unsuited to the peacetime life heâs reentering, the spectacle of unchecked violence pulses underneath each well-turned witticism and polished manipulation. Under Barry Kyleâs assured direction, the company stages a feverish party en route to the charnel house.
The supporting cast, sporting increasingly pallid and expressionistic makeup, offer some diverting turnsâparticularly memorable are Melissa Whitney as spurned lover Aspatia, sullenly blocking out her environment with headphones, and Matthew Dieckman as giddy courtier Diphilus. Walton and Vanderzee seethe at the corruption surrounding them, but itâs Dwyer as Evadne, alternately haughty and tormented, who makes this production incandescent.
SEE IT: The Maid's Tragedy is at the Shoebox Theater, 2110 SE 10th Ave., 971-244-3740. 7:30 pm Thursdays-Saturdays and 2 pm Sundays through Jan. 4. $20-$22. Tickets here.
WWeek 2015