Patrick Page, Kate Burton, Hamish Linklater, and Teagle F. Bougere   Photo by Carol Rosegg

By Michall Jeffers

Cymbeline is not a great play. In fact, it’s not even a particularly good one. So, lucky for Central Park theater goers, director Daniel Sullivan has taken a tongue-in-cheek approach, and turned this perennial Shakespeare also-ran into a delightful evening of Shakespeare in the Park.

But first, we have to get past some of the inherent problems. To begin with, it’s wildly derivative, and the title is misleading. The play isn’t really about Cymbeline, King of Britain (Patrick Page) at the time of the Romans. In fact, the situation brings to mind the scene in Shakespeare in Love between the playwright and his lead actor, Ned. In order to persuade Ned to portray Mercutio in his new tragedy, when asked the name of the work, he replies “Mercutio.” We trust that Patrick Page, who has a masterful theatrical voice and  presence on par with Langella and Stewart, wasn’t thus tricked into accepting a supporting role.

It’s the sad, but oh so familiar tale of his daughter, the damsel in the flowing white gown, Imogen (Lily Rabe), who’s a faithful wife of her banished husband, Posthumus Leonatus (Hamish Linklater). She is later accused of being unfaithful, which he believes. Shades of Much Ado About Nothing. There is a poisonous potion involved, a la Romeo and Juliet. The cross-dressing Shakespeare loved to employ is present, as in roughly one-fifth of the Bard’s thirty-eight surviving plays.

Hamish Linklater and Lily Rabe Photo by Carol Rosegg

The actors portray more than one character. Least successful, through no fault of her own, is Kate Burton, complete with face whiskers, as Belarius, who was banished from court and who then kidnapped Cymbeline’s sons, Guiderius (David Furr) and Arviragus (Jacob Ming-Trent). The audience spends a fair amount of time whispering “Is that…?” 

Kate Burton and Jacob Ming-Trent

Most successful is Linklater, who is nothing short of hilarious as the king’s stepson, Cloten, a dimwit in an orange clown wig. In fact, Linklater is such an easy to watch actor, sometimes it’s distracting for him to be sitting noticeably just behind the stage. At times one could be more engrossed in observing Linklater watch his fellow thespians than in focusing on the action. His mother, Cymbeline’s duplicitous second wife, has plotted for Imogen to marry Cloten. Here, Kate Burton shines. Dressed in an elaborate black dress, fiery red Elizabethan wig atop her head, she dominates the stage in her every scene. Burton possesses perfect carriage for classical theater; would that she could pass this gift on to several of her cohorts. It’s greatly enjoyable for us theater buffs to imagine the conversations that may take place between Kate Burton, daughter of the glorious Richard, and Lily Rabe, who grew up with her playwright father David, and her mother, the wonderful actress Jill Clayburgh. Incidentally, Ms. Rabe is delightful as a hooch dancer; on her way out, she tugs on her black wig, vigorously chews gum, and winks at the audience. We absolutely eat it up.

Raul Esparza as the ophidian Iachimo, is the perfect lounge lizard. With his easy singing style, drink in hand, and wearing an Italian-cut purplish suit, we see that if winning the bet with Posthumus means lying and cheating, no problem. To prove that he’s had carnal knowledge of Imogen, he employs trickery and deceit. Why Posthumus believes him without ever talking to Imogen is a whole other kettle of fish.

Around the stage itself is a mish-mash of junk store items: a chandelier, a gold skeleton, Napoleon on a horse, a bust of Caesar, and a mermaid statue. This could be meant to represent everything that’s been thrown in the stew pot for this play. It could also signify the detritus of a prop shop at a small, probably Community, theater.  Thank heaven we get to spend the evening under the stars with a superbly professional company.

Cymbeline, Delacorte Theater, 212-539-8500, publictheater.org. Through Aug. 23. Running time: 3 hours

By William Shakespeare; directed by Daniel Sullivan; sets by Riccardo Hernandez; costumes by David Zinn; lighting by David Lander

Cast: Teagle F. Bougere (Lucius/Cornelius/Others),Kate Burton (Queen/Belarius),Raúl Esparza (Iachimo/Others),David Furr (Guiderius/Second Gentleman/Others),Hamish Linklater (Posthumus Leonatus/Cloten/Others),Jacob Ming-Trent (Arviragus/First Gentleman/Others),Patrick Page (Cymbeline/Philario/Others),Lily Rabe (Imogen/Others), Steven Skybell (Frenchman/Pisanio/Others)