THEATER

Music by Arthur Sullivan

Book and lyrics by W.S. Gilbert

Directed by Marissa Echeverrla '00

Music directed by John Driscoll '99

Produced by Aziza Johnson '00, Anne Thomspon '00

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Starring Seth Fenton '01, Kathleen Stetson '03, Susan Long '02

Aggasiz Theater

Dec. 10-12

When it comes to viewing any Gilbert and Sullivan production, it is essential not to take the proceedings too seriously. If you're out for a night of stark realism or harrowing psychological drama, engagements in town will better suit your palate. Such qualities are mercifully absent in the entire cycle of works that have come from two eminent gentlemen of British theater. Not an exception is this year's Gilbert and Sullivan Players' production of HMS Pinafore, which, in fierce (yet of course gentlemanly) competition with The Pirates of Penzance, is among the most beloved of the repertoire. And, although the duo hated each other towards the end of their career, they created, in Pinafore, an impossibly polite world where every character knows his or her place, but attempts to change it; courtesy and harmony abound; and of course, no one ever dares to "use a big, big D." Well, hardly ever.

That is the essence of life illuminated on the decks of Her Majesty's Ship Pinafore, ruled by the fair and just Captain Corcoran. Aboard, there is, save for that towards the reviled presence of Dick Deadeye, little animosity. There is tension to be sure, because Corcoran's daughter Josephine is in love with a seaman, Ralf Rackstraw, but she is betrothed instead to a much, much older man, Admiral of the Queen's Navy, Sir Joseph Porter. The Captain himself is in love with dear little Buttercup, but cannot marry her because she is a poorly Bumboat woman, of a lower class than he. So, these characters try to find love and belonging amid a chorus of grinning, gallivanting sailors, brightly dressed sisters, cousins and aunts, not to mention the rolling high seas. Actually, the calm flat waters of port, because, curiously enough, the good ship Pinafore never seems to leave harbour.

This is but one of the many curiosities that make Pinafore an enjoyable and engaging production, cementing firmly in the audiences' minds that interactions on stage are frivolous and insubstantial. Through the various anachronisms of credit cards, wallets with baby pictures and even a hilarious moment where the scroll of the Admiral's song is passed from the stage to the conductor, we easily suspend disbelief. Such small touches also draw attention from the show's more uneven edges--which are few and far between. For instance, the stage is just a little too cluttered. In terms of width, the Agassiz Theater is a small space to begin with, but coupled with the fact that almost half of the performing space is reduced with the ship's quarter deck, the outcome is a cluttered stage. In crossing the ship, the sailors must take great pains to avoid the females' hoopskirts (their costumes are appropriately gaudy, but slightly oversized for the space allowed). Accordingly, director Marisa Echeverria's '00 choreography is fairly simplistic, an acquiescence to the space limitations, as she appropriately chooses to focus more on the production's musical aspects rather than maintain lofty production values.

The decision to stress Pinafore's music is certainly sensible, and could hardly be construed negatively were it not for the fact that the Agassiz Theater is a great big sucking black hole for sound. The harmonies (always in fourths or fifths) are sweet and solid when it comes to larger chorus numbers, but in the counterpoint lines where soloists sing against the current of larger groups, individual lines get lost in the shuffle of choral lines. Of little help was the orchestra which, while exceptionally strong throughout, could have restrained themselves a little just to give their struggling vocalists a chance. Consequently, a little amplification to boost clarity wouldn't have been amiss. However, it's hard to fault the pit players, because Sullivan's orchestrations are invariably flowing and grandiose, and it's often difficult to restrain the vigor inherent in the music.

It's a shame too, because some exceptionally talented singers abound in Pinafore's cast; when soloists are afforded their moments, the result is captivating. Seth Fenton '01 as Corcoran delivers a boyish performance as the Captain, Ph.D student Vernon Eagle appears as the foppish and formal Admiral, resembling a more refined Mr. Bean, and Susan Long '02 provides a tongue-in-cheek performance as the bawdy but compassionate Buttercup. All the principal characters acquit themselves well with a good dose of self-awareness and ample humour, but the real star of the show is firstyear Kathleen Stetson. As the unwillingly betrothed Josephine, Stetson is simply luminous. From the melancholic torch songs of "Sorry Her Lot" and "The Hours Creep on Apace" to her puckish asides before and during "Refrain Audacious Tar", she has a positively radiant stage presence, extracting pathos in being the leashed Captain's daughter, alternately revelling in distinctly un-ladylike defiance. The chorus does well too, small choreographed numbers being infused with refinement on behalf of the women, and gangly indelicacy among the sailors.

Overall, HMS Pinafore is a delightful production. The cast is full of affable characters who genuinely seem to revel in this trifling and insubstantial world, and the entire production, from bow to stern is infused with a beguiling charm. Any misgivings is ultimately redeemable because the libretto and music are entirely loveable. Besides, with any production that begins with a mandatory rendition of "God Save the Queen", it's very difficult not to have a good time. Only the most miserable curmudgeon won't go home grinning and humming after two delectable hours in this fluffy cotton-candy world.