A 2 1/2 hour play that could have been done in 45 minutes: So, Thursday night was Death and the King’s Horseman. An African chief plans to kill himself in a ritual that will ensure the prosperity of his people and the British government, not understanding the culture and not wanting to, tries to stop him. I’m not going to spend a lot of time on this play because, honestly, I didn’t like it. The performances were great. I just didn’t care for the material. Most of the play was people saying the same thing over and over again with awkward blocking because something had to happen on the stage. Certainly nothing was happening in the play. I completely zoned out through most of it and didn’t miss a thing. My advice? Skip it.

Wars are easy, budgets are hard: I love theater. I see a lot of good stuff. And every once in a while, I see something extraordinary that makes all the electricity in my body rush to surface and my skin tingles. Equivocation was that kind of play. It’s a world premiere of Bill Cain’s new play here at OSF and it’s a masterpiece. Robert Cecil summons Shakespeare to his office to commission a play based on the Powder Plot. It’s meant to be a propaganda piece to inform the masses of what “really happened.” Shakespeare goes all Columbo and tries to figure out what really did happen. At least you think that’s what the play is about and so do the characters. It’s not until the end when it all comes together in a beautiful perfect moment that you really see that the real question is not “What happened” but …well…I’m not going to tell you. It’s real, contemporary world stuff that’s told to use through the reflection of history.

The language is extraordinary, witty, and poignant. (When Shakespeare congratulates Cecil on his victories, he replies, “Wars are easy. But I also balanced the budget. You never get credit for that.” The production and acting is off the charts good. I’m going to see it again when I come back in September. I’ve not seen anything like it since Arcadia.

So, fluffy fun this afternoon with The Servant of  Two Masters and the Macbeth for the big finale tomorrow night. It’s a great season this year. Get here if you can.

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