Exit Pursued by Talent: Mammoth Shakespeare Festival is a Hit at a New Venue!

Community theater never ceases to amaze me with the hidden talents in our town, and the Mammoth Shakespeare Festival consistently brings these talents to light. This year’s alternative to our usual “Booza Palooza” wine-walking events is The Winter’s Tale, reimagined by Sierra Classic Theatre in a modern setting. Arts enthusiasts might get a little lost this year, as the Shakespeare festival is no longer taking place at Sam’s Wood Site. Instead, both The Winter’s Tale and The Merry Wives of Windsor are being held at Eagle Lodge. And I must say, the view is incredible. It is definitely an upgrade of venue.

Let’s start with a synopsis of one of, if not the last, plays the Bard ever wrote. 415-year spoiler alert….

The Winter’s Tale by William Shakespeare is a tragi-comedy that explores themes of jealousy, redemption, and the passage of time. The play begins with King Leontes of Sicilia, who is consumed by baseless jealousy, believing that his wife, Hermione, is having an affair with his best friend, King Polixenes of Bohemia. This leads to a series of tragic events, including the death of their son and the abandonment of their newborn daughter, Perdita. Sixteen years later, Perdita, who has been raised by shepherds, falls in love with Polixenes’ son, Prince Florizel. The play concludes with the revelation of Perdita’s true identity, the reconciliation of the estranged families, and the miraculous revival of Hermione, bringing the story to a hopeful and redemptive ending.

The reimagining by director Allison McDonnell Page was apparent from the first scene. Her calling card of vibrant colors, music, and modern-day thought-provoking themes woven masterfully into the tapestry is on full display. While the audience was asked to turn off our cell phones, the cast was not. McDonnell Page’s vision—a poignant take on the “he said, HE SAID” and fake news culture—was based on the pervasive influence of cellphones and the toxic social media web we all feed daily. During an argument between the jealous and deluded King Leontes and his innocent Queen Hermione, one of his court members, Cleo, played confidently by Mackenna Smith, a spirited Mammoth High student, films the entire scene on her cellphone and posts it on social media for all of Sicilia to see. The court of public opinion precedes the court of law (as it so often does), and poor Hermione, played by Lianne Salcido, is arrested. In fact, one amazing scene conceived by McDonnell Page was to hold the court sentencing on stage while actors and crew were planted throughout the audience. As Salcido delivers her pleas for innocence, catcalls and chants of “Lock her up!” and “Whore!” are hurled, making us in the audience feel the horror of the situation—a reflection of disturbing realities we witness daily on social media and mainstream news, which I’m sure was the director’s intent.

Now that we have discussed the play, let me highlight where it truly shines: in its performers. Let me start by saying that not one newbie actor on stage looked as if they were merely reciting lines from memory. We all know what I mean—unprepared, terrified, robotic recall, not yet experienced enough to bring the words to life. There wasn’t a single instance of that here. Even a child as young as seven seemed realistic and owned every scene she was in with a charm far beyond her years. Maxine Kenny will be a force in the coming years, mark my words.

The cast shines and delivers extremely realistic and emotional performances. We have SCT stalwarts like Chuck Scatolini, Jeff Frome, and Maurice Cooper, who always bring their best. Chuck’s cocksure delivery is always a treat. Frome prances around on stage like a man half his age, and it is truly a delight to watch him perform, especially in this comical role that carries significant weight in different scenes. Cooper, who always plays larger-than-life characters for obvious reasons (standing at 6’5” with a voice as if he were 6’11”), is no different in this role. As King Polixenes of Bohemia, it’s entirely believable that King Leontes (Skylar Kenny) would feel jealous and cuckolded by this mountain of charm and talent.

But if I am being honest the play rests on the unproven shoulders of three actors: Skylar Kenny, Lianne Salcido, and Amy Smith. By no means do these three actors, who may have only five previous performances between them, have any right to shine as brightly as they do! I’ll start with the king, as we should. 

Kenny is the true “what the heck did I just witness” actor in this play. His character, Leontes, is the main focus. It is his hubris and pitfalls that we ride along with and are forced to witness as he takes a turn for the deranged. Kenny’s performance is nuanced, angry, suspicious, paranoid, and downright believable. For someone who, as I gather, has only done one previous play (SCT’s The Minutes this past winter), it is unreal how commanding his performance is. It reminds me of Walter White in everyone’s favorite show, Breaking Bad. You want to like him—there are redeemable qualities to his character—but he believes so strongly in his delusions that he has no other path but down, and it is delicious to watch. Kenny’s nuanced portrayal makes Leontes’ jealousy feel palpable, driving the plot’s tragic turn as he unjustly accuses his wife, Queen Hermione, of adultery and imprisons her. Even in his redemption at the end, I felt like I wanted to see him punished, not rewarded. A brilliant performance and a welcome addition to the local theater scene.

Amy Smith embodies the spirit of community theater. She is a local business owner, a talk show host on Eastern Sierra NOW, and a renowned cyclist. She has played a few bit parts in SCT’s Love/Sick 2 years ago, led Measure for Measure for SCT’s Shakespeare Fest, and was the scene-stealing French maid Yvette in Mammoth Lakes Repertory Theatre’s Clue this winter. One lead and multiple bit parts… That’s it! Yet Smith holds every scene she is in; she chews it up, rewrites the script, finds financing, and shoots the Oscar-winning film about it before selling it to Netflix—all while being nearly still in every scene. A tour de force of emotional depth, her performance in this play, which juggles with the ideas of the protagonist and antagonist, positions Paulina as the moral force and “antagonist,” while King Leontes, a jealous, child/wife-murdering “protagonist,” anchors the story.

The heart of the play, and indeed its central point, is Queen Hermione, portrayed by Lianne Salcido. She accomplishes more with less stage time and dialogue than any other character. You instantly fall in love with her queenly demeanor and kind-hearted interactions with her son, Maximilian (Maxine Kenny). Salcido delivers a stirring performance that tugs at your heartstrings. In this play, it is crucial that the role of Hermione is portrayed with love and honesty, providing a stark contrast to Leontes’ jealous rage. As far as I can tell, Lianne has only appeared in one previous play, also The Minutes. Watching this natural talent unfold on stage is truly amazing. Her pure, courageous belief in the lines and emotions she portrays, even as the crowd yells “whore” at her, is remarkable. She never falters, she never wavers. From the first scene to the last, Salcido delivers a performance full of pathos, reminding us why we go to the theater: to feel.

I recently saw a professional stage version of The Merry Wives of Windsor in Lake Tahoe, and I would put any of these three actors up against the professional performances I witnessed there. As I mentioned before, they have no right being as good as they are. We are truly blessed with talent in Mammoth Lakes. Speaking of…

So many others were incredible in this play. High school students and long-time SCT players Jenna Lynch and Sophie McMahan shine with youthful charm as the young lovers, Florizel and Perdita. There is an incredible scene in the middle of the play that takes place at a sheep-shearing festival in Bohemia, where both Lynch and McMahan perform their lines to the tune of “Home” by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. It is quite interesting to see how the script and melody align with the story, enhancing the narrative in this format. 

Bohemia is full of funny characters and moments: a sheep farmer courted by two women, multiple song and dance numbers. Ana Swisher, another Mammoth High student who is in darn near every scene, I later found out had multiple roles in The Merry Wives of Windsor as well! That is dedication to the craft!  But the clown of clowns in this section of the play is charmingly played by Delaney Wiitala as Otto Klaus. An entrepreneurial thief and con artist with as many costumes as fake beards and accents, Otto has a song for every occasion. This trickster is as adept at making a profit off the unsuspecting, as she is enjoyable to watch. A crowd-pleaser for sure, and by far one of the most memorable moments in the play, is Otto literally stealing the clothes off her mark’s back, down to his underwear.

Another standout performance was the earnest and heartwarming portrayal by Kris Gentry as Antigonus, Paulina’s husband, whose fate is sealed in the iconic “Exit, pursued by a bear” scene. He has a pure love for this child he is tasked with disposing of. Even as the gods send said bear to end his story, he repents and, as he himself predicted earlier, “gives his last bit of blood to protect an innocent.”

The play is rounded out by wonderfully delightful and memorable performances turned in by Christopher Cotter, Deanna Clark, Nancy Bristow, Peggy Sage and Sydney Shultz.

The Winter’s Tale is a powerful story of jealousy, loss, and forgiveness, brought to life by an outstanding cast. This performance is not to be missed.

I could wax eloquent for days on the joys of watching this play, but alas, I must thither onward to harketh ‘pon the morn—or however you say, “On Thursday, we will be delivering a review of The Merry Wives of Windsor by Shira Dubrovner of Mammoth Lakes Repertory Theatre,” the other part of Sierra Classic Theatre’s Shakespeare on the Mountain Festival.

There are six more performances, three for each play, Tuesday the 13th through Sunday the 18th. Each play alternates nights. They all start at 7 p.m., with a discussion about the play beginning at 6 p.m. 

I cannot recommend this production enough. Please visit https://www.mammothshakes.com/ for all the details. I hear VIP tickets get you wine and cheese, as well!

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For more info on the Mammoth Shakespeare Festival, click here.

Jesse Steele

TIP JAR

Jesse is a media content creator and film maker from the Eastern Sierra.