Many theatre companies occasionally develop spoofs of classic theatre and come up with very funny productions. Buntport Theater never makes it that easy on themselves. All their productions are original creations, and to call them take-offs or spoofs sells them short. Musketeer, the latest Buntport creation, is (of course) very funny, includes some clever plot twists and time warping devices, and has, dare I say it, an almost deep message about art and creativity.
A word about Buntport: six people collaboratively develop all aspects of each show, including writing, directing, designing, and acting. While my reviews normally mention each role and discuss that person’s contribution, that makes no sense with Buntport. Suffice to say, when I talk about each component of the production, credit goes to all six œ Erin Rollman, Hannah Duggan, Erik Edborg, Brian Colonna, Evan Weissman, and SamAnTha Schmitz.
Musketeer starts with the (presumably) factual exhumation in 2002 of the body of Alexander Dumas, author of The Three Musketeers, in order to be reburied in the Pantheon in Paris. The twist comes from the accusation that Dumas based his most famous story on an obscure book entitled The Memoirs of Mister D’Artagnan, which he allegedly borrowed from the Marseilles Public Library and never returned. In Buntport’s story, a present-day librarian hears that Dumas’ body is being moved, and decides to get the long overdue book back (and collect a huge fine). The challenge of getting a book from a man dead for 132 years doesn’t seem to daunt her in any way, and the fun begins. The story bounces back and forth between the past and the present, and between reality and imagination, drawing the audience along at every step.
The staging of Musketeer is clever and effective. The actors use the small space and interact with the few scenic elements well. I particularly like the staging of Charlotte and Dumas jammed into the casket together, part live and part projected onto a screen. The pacing is quick and the comic timing strong.
The acting ensemble is well balanced, with all actors contributing. Erin Rollman is Charlotte, the librarian, with many wonderful small character bits that really establish her personality clearly. Opposite her and in contrast is Evan Weissman as the writer Dumas. Charlotte and Dumas represent the two extremes of rationality and expression, and they battle delightfully throughout the show. As the three musketeers, both present and past, real and imagined, Hannah Duggan, Erik Edborg, and Brian Colonna all capture the essence of their characters’ personalities. In the present, they show flashes of their parallel selves from the past, giving the intertwined stories a strong connection.
The set is creative and effective. The two main elements are a set of three rear projection screens, and a casket on wheels that transforms into a carriage. I’ve seen projections used in live theatre every once in a while, but rarely are they integrated into the action of the play as completely as they are in Musketeer. The projections are sometimes just background, sometimes informational, but occasionally move into the foreground and become an integral part of the action. The transformation of the casket into a carriage and back again helps change the setting from real to imaginary each time it happens. The costumes also help reinforce the parallels between the two worlds, functioning both as anachronistic costumes in the present, and as appropriate attire in the past. The lighting is unremarkable but mostly all right. Occasionally it is a bit difficult to see into the carriage, but that does not detract much from the scene.
The message of Musketeer is that there is more to life than simple facts. Charlotte starts as a completely rational and sensible person, focused on facts. But Dumas convinces her of “the importance of disregarding the facts,” and that there is so much more œ art is what adds meaning and substance to life. At the risk of getting too deep, Buntport is really presenting the case for their very existence. Creativity and artistic expression can enhance reality and move it beyond the mundane. Perhaps at its best, art can confound and transcend reality. Okay, so that is probably way too deep. Let’s go with this: Musketeer is hilarious, clever, intriguing, and well worth seeing.
-Craig Williamson, September 1, 2008 , North Denver Tribune