Urbane Comedy One Minute. 'Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet)' by Ann-Marie MacDonald. State Theatre Company. [review]

Abstract

State Theatre director Kim Durban brings together a pleasing cast led by Sally Cooper as the awkward but valiant Constance and Ksenja Logos, amusing as the frazzled fourteen year old Juliet. Margot Fenley is a very forthright Desdemona, Justin Moore is droll as the ghost and feckless as Romeo and Michael Habib succeeds in attracting jeers as the caddish Professor Night and laughs as Juliet’s smutty Nurse. But with a text which is too long and a plot too convoluted, the ensemble has an uphill task. The allusive in-jokes, asides, and an excess of pastiche blank verse weakens the focus. The effect is urbane comedy one moment and increasingly desperate stage business the next.