Loyola Greyhound

Issue date: 2/19/08 Section: Arts & Society

Media Credit: Richard Marks/Greyhound Measure for Measure focuses on the story of a man condemmed to death forcompromising his lover, and the lengths people go through to change his fate

Shakespeare's comedy, "Measure for Measure" a play that explores the themes of virtue, mercy, honesty, and double standards, was beautifully brought to stage by Loyola's Evergreen Players this past weekend, and will continue to show this coming weekend. Despite Shakespeare's language being difficult to grasp at times--especially for younger performers--the cast and crew pulled the production off gracefully, combining their own unique interpretations with the heart of Shakespeare's words to create an enjoyable and intriguing work of art.

The plot centers on two young lovers, Claudio and Juliet, who are being prosecuted for having had sexual relations before being wed. The lenient Duke, who tends to overlook errors made by otherwise virtuous people, has decided to go away for a few days and observe his city while in disguise. He leaves the courtier Angelo, a man known for high moral character, in charge during his absence.

In an effort to maintain order and ensure morality, Angelo enforces the law literally and without mercy; he rules that Claudio must be put to death for compromising Juliet. Claudio's sister Isabella, an aspiring nun, tries to persuade Angelo to forgive her brother for his indiscretion and release him. To her surprise, Angelo's virtue proves to be false; tempted by Isabella's beauty and goodness, he says that he will pardon her brother only if she will surrender herself to his lust. Isabella resists, and it seems that her brother will die. But, like so many of Shakespeare's comedies, "Measure for Measure" is a story with tragic potential that is ultimately resolved through tricks and disguises, with justice done and mercy liberally applied.

Although it was clear that some of the actors in Loyola's production were less familiar with Shakespeare than others, the entire cast did a commendable job in portraying this complex moral tale. There was not a single standout lead, but rather a cast that was well-balanced and able to feed off of one another's energy to create an overall chemistry that Shakespeare himself would have taken pride in. The words of Shakespeare's plays--and the ideas behind them--may be hard to understand, but this group of young players did a fine job of making the language seem easy and familiar.

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