Thursday, July 20, 2017
Page 91
The Theater Column
I
“The Wreck of the Spanish Armada”, reviewed by John Alvarez
n a Paris hotel room, two former lovers examine lost romance, socio-political strife, modern piracy and whether the road not chosen as a youth is worth a look and the risk later in life. The Wreck of the Spanish Armada (a compound fractured fairy tale), a play being presented by the SPQR Stage Company at Cape May County Airport, is one filled with resonant dialogue, steeped in themes ranging from the nautical, to witty and wise as they paint the scene with vivid imagery. To say the play, written and directed by Bill Sterritt, has clever dialogue would be an unfair and unjust description. Sterritt, who plays one of the show’s two characters, a charming rogue pirate named Drake, weaves his words in such a way it invites the audience to eavesdrop upon the private conversation of two formerly inseparable lovers as they reminisce, rekindle and regret some of the decisions they made in their lives. The other character in the play is Anne Cloudy, a doctor of radiology. Dr Cloudy is portrayed by Susan Tischler. For many
supporters of the local theater and entertainment scene in Cape May, Tischler has always delivered a fantastic performance. This time around, even her most loyal fans will pause to catch their breath as they realize the depths and richness of character Tischler so effortlessly reaches. Sterritt is also equal to the tasks of diving to the depths of his character, Drake, to plunder the treasure of emotional riches. As his character is revealed, the audience discovers Drake has gone from a likeable yet rudderless South Jersey beach bum who ruled his kingdom from his beach chair to be transformed by his choices into an international pirate king, leading his crew of rebels in Mogadishu so his people can share in the profits and benefits of their lands which had been stripped away by oil tycoons and their price gauging. In the hands of a lesser actor, the character could easily be played as a twodimensional, updated version of the bad buccaneer portrayals which have been sailing the cinematic seas these past few years.
However, in the hands of Sterritt, Drake is presented as a man who is well aware of his mistakes and who accepts them as part of who he truly is. Sterritt and Tischler’s connection with each other’s characters are genuine — a necessity in a show like this one. The audience seating begins a few inches away from the staging area so they are close enough to see if the actors are being less than authentic. At the end, as the applause fills the room, it safe to say more than a few audience members may think about one or two roads they didn’t choose to travel upon. Perhaps some people will even wonder if the roads are worth a second look. Performances for The Wreck of The Spanish Armada are Monday to Thursday at 8:00pm through Labor Day weekend. For the months of September and October the show will be performed on Friday and Saturday nights at 8:00pm and Sundays at 2:00pm. Admission is $20. For reservations and locations, please call 323-793-2153 or Aerodrome@aol.com.
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