Theater Online - New York Theater Reviews

Now playing at the manhattantheatresource is Niccolo Machiavelli’s “The

Mandrake,” an amusing farce about love, sex, deception, and religious

hypocrisy. Young Callimaco is smitten with the beautiful Lucrezia . There is just one

problem: Callimaco’s beloved is already married to Nicia, an old, decrepit

geezer. And yet Lucrezia’s marital status is no deal-breaker for this determined

paramour: with the help of Friar Timothy and friends, Callimaco hatches an

elaborate plan involving a mock kidnapping, a fertility potion and a fake nose.

As Callimaco, Jeffrey Plunkett is a strong presence on stage. At times,

however, Plunkett’s physical gags feel a bit labored and his vocal quality is

muted. This may be attributed to opening night jitters, for Plunkett has

clearly done his work for the role. Michael Shattner masterfully takes on the role

of Nicia. Hunched physicality and a high pitched, quivering vocal (which

Shattner successfully maintains throughout,) contributes to a spot on

characterization. These factors, combined with Shattner’s effortless spontaneity and

impeccable comic timing, make for a show-stealing performance. A particularly shining

moment for Shattner involves a side-splitting interpretative dance sequence

performed with fellow cast member Benjamin Thomas.

Thomas appears as the show’s resident singer-guitarist, playing original

songs written by Ollie Rasini. An integral part of “The Mandrake,” Thomas

introduces the audience to the world of the play, leads viewers through

transitions and interacts subtly, yet effectively, with fellow actors during the

course of the show. Thomas has an intriguing and sweet stage presence, and, despite

the absence of lines, remains present throughout. The show opens with Thomas

strolling the small stage, singing: “Because life is brief/And many are the

griefs/That all of us must sustain/We pass the years/And waste the years/Behind

our desires and whims/Because he who denies himself pleasure/In favor of a

life of hardship/Is ignorant of the tricks of the world.” As the audience is

acclimated to the play’s setting, Thomas takes care to make eye contact with his

viewers, reinforcing the production’s intimate and communal atmosphere.

Daryl Boling’s playful directing style is charming and his penchant for

humor is palpable. A founding member and managing director of manhattantheatre source,

Boling knows the theater’s space and uses it well. The space is

arranged so that audience members are seated across from one another, making the

stage a narrow, vertical area. In this way, spectators face each other, easily

able to see the reactions of fellow viewers across the way, while also feeling

included in the theatrical event unfolding before them. Boling’s seating

arrangement creates a feeling of community that is apropos, indeed, for

Machiavelli’s mischievous farce.