MEASURE FOR MEASURE
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In the play’s central crisis Isabella, a convent novice, must choose between letting herself be raped by Angelo, the power-drunk deputy of Venice, and letting her brother Claudio be executed–for the very crime that Angelo intends, fornication. (And Claudio only did it with his fiancee!) It’s hard to explain hypocrisy like Angelo’s, or his chilling taunt when Isabella threatens to expose him: “Who would believe thee?” Could the man in charge of enforcing the laws against sexual harassment actually use the protection of his office to cover his own sins? No–even cynicism has its limits.
Claudio initially agrees with Isabella that she should defy Angelo, but as the fear of death descends on him (depicted in one of Shakespeare’s scariest passages), he pleads with her to make the sacrifice. But Isabella is unflinching in defense of her chastity. The play’s “happy” ending, coming only after much torturous and uninspired explanation, could easily be seen as tragic.
Peter Siragusa and Gerry Becker are tepidly amusing as venal Pompey and idiotic Elbow, but Larry Yando has rich fun with the outrageous liar Lucio. Kenneth Northcott is excellent as the wise counselor Escalus.
