Synetic’s Antony and Cleopatra Is a Dazzling, Wordless Epic
Sixteen years after its debut, Synetic Theater’s movement-driven take on Shakespeare returns with visual bravado, emotional ambition, and mixed romantic heat.
Absorbing and visually enthralling, Synetic’s production of Antony and Cleopatra returns after sixteen years, with new leads and gads of the same spine-tingling energy. One of several in their repertoire interpreting Shakespeare through movement, dance, and mime — but not the spoken word — it is a strikingly original way to experience the classic play.
It’s also exceptionally daring: remove the language and it’s all about finding a way to express not just the plot, but the Bard’s many interwoven themes. Get it wrong, and it could easily veer towards the cartoonish. And when it comes to this play in particular, the task is especially ambitious with a historical tale that spans the ancient world, embraces numerous battles, zooms in and out of Roman power machinations, and still manages to evoke the passionate affair of the two larger-than-life titular figures.
Put simply, there is just a whole lot of story here to tell. The challenge is finding a way to do it without losing the human quotient — or, in other words, the juicy bits.
The good news is that Synetic’s creative team — director Paata Tsikurishvili, choreographer Irina Tsikurishvili, and composer Konstantine Lortkipanidze — continue to be masters of the sensory “page turner.” Between the immersive music and soundscape, the unstoppable whirl of bodies, and the driving narrative, this is, overall, a powerfully engaging continuum. There is always something to capture the eye, ear, or mind.
However, it’s also true to say that director Tsikurishvili perhaps does more than he needs to in covering the ground. The pro is the gratifying service paid to the play’s epic proportions, the con is an exciting and wonderous experience that would sometimes benefit from an editor. Is it enough to dampen the production? Not when balanced against the spectacular whole, and certainly not if this is your first time seeing Shakespeare performed by Synetic. Put simply, you can expect to have your mind blown by what they offer.
For sheer style and imagination, the standouts are Cleopatra and her mystical factotum, Mardian. Channeling an Egyptian-revival vibe, they make for a fascinating pair, especially the darkly charismatic Stella Bunch as Mardian, the otherworldly being who may or may not be Cleopatra’s protector. Enhanced no end by Erick Teague’s phenomenal costuming, Bunch embodies this spirit with a surety that fuels every extraordinary move. Choreographer Tsikurishvili may have conceived this extraordinary creature and given her a vocabulary, but Bunch brings her to a beautiful, sinister kind of life.
Importantly, she also does not overpower Irina Kavsadze’s Cleopatra, who breaks the mold with a statuesque glamor that works exceedingly well in telling us why Antony finds her so irresistible. With her searing thousand-yard stare, she also gives this woman a certain single-minded focus and intelligence which suggests that it’s no accident she has succeeded (at least until now) in running an empire — and that she knows there will not always be a happy ending. Kavsadze is a truly confident mover and she brings much grace and personality to her physicality.
Of course, at the heart of the play is her tempestuous dynamic with Antony, and this brings us to the newer kind of energy in the revival. Sixteen years ago, as danced by Irina Tsikurishvili and Ben Cunis, it was a love affair that was as much about romantic yearning as it was physical attraction. This time around, the mood feels palpably different. Vato Tsikurishvili brings the intensity as Antony, but the warrior’s hardness beneath his ardency never fully finds the tenderness of someone truly smitten.
When you pair it with Kavsadze’s captivating but steely Cleopatra, there is never quite the heart-stricken chemistry of the great romance. That said, Vato Tsikurishvili and Kavsadze are riveting to watch, bringing fantastic skill and artistry to their danced trysts and, unless you’ve seen the previous incarnation, you’ll be unlikely to quibble.
Another standout is Philip Fletcher as Octavian, especially since this role does so much of the narrative heavy-lifting. Fletcher is an expressive mover and actor and knows how and precisely when to command the space. Of course, in a production of this scale, the Synetic ensemble is integral, and they deliver on all accounts, be it grand acrobatics or in the tiniest detail. There is just nothing quite like Synetic’s Antony and Cleopatra, whether you are an avid Shakespeare lover, have never seen or read a word of the play, or are simply up for something completely out of this world.
Antony and Cleopatra (★★★★☆) runs through Jan. 25 at The Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Klein Theatre, 450 7th St. NW. Tickets are $74 to $141. Visit synetictheater.org.
Putting aside the curious question of why the Shakespeare Theatre Company has taken to staging musical theater -- this season it's Guys and Dolls -- the happy news is that director Francesca Zambello doesn't need to keep her day job (although let's hope she does).
She may be the artistic director of the Washington National Opera, but she's clearly got the eye, ear, and vision for a whole different kind of crowd. This is no-holds-barred Golden Age rom-com song-and-dance magic brought fully to life with some serious spectacle. From scenic designer Walt Spangler's mind-blowing industrial shop space, with all its peeling paint and careworn shop décor, to a live orchestra conducted with complete and utter flair by James Lowe, it's something to behold.
Funny and devilishly astute, Sam Holcroft's Rules for Living, now at Round House, delivers a home-for-the-holidays dramedy where everyone has way more baggage than their carry-ons. Just as giggle-worthy as her slow-mo' car wreck of a family Christmas is her clever meta-juxtaposition of a few notions from cognitive behavioral therapy about the coping mechanisms most of us use to survive and/or evade home truths. The result is some big laughs, a few insights, and a well-timed shot across the bow as we all head into the holidays.
Originally written for British characters, this has been thoroughly "translated" for a stateside audience, which is an interesting choice considering the number of Americans who now spend their evenings tucked up in front of writ-for-Brits fare and managing just fine.
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