Live theater has returned to The Lakeside theater, home of Rangeley Friends of the Arts, in a four-day run of playwright J.S. Puller’s The Death of Robin Hood. This Brittany Wetherill-directed, genre-bending play brought in four nearly sold out shows between July 30 – August 2, proving just how hungry people are to sit with others in a shared experience and be entertained.
J.S. Puller’s The Death of Robin Hood is an alternate retelling of the origins of Robin Hood, a sort of “what if this is what really happened.” Some basic background knowledge of the original story can add to the experience but it is not essential. The Sheriff of Nottingham is still a dastard, played with great relish by Ethan Wright, a mix between Austin Powers’s Dr. Evil and The Princess Bride’s Vizzini. His misogyny against his own wife, Lady Marian, scene-stealer Tina Falasco, had most in attendance hissing at some of his more reprehensibly hilarious lines.
When Nottingham needed a hero to thwart the evil doings of the Sheriff, the three amigos, Allan-a-Dale (Fletcher Dellavalle), Will Scatheloke (Daxx Williams), and John Little (Benjamin Wetherill) joined forces. Their disparate characters melded together to create what would become the essential traits of Robin (in the) Hood: Allan’s derring-do and archery skills, Will’s chicanery and lust for wealth, and John’s altruism and faithfulness.
This 6-person ensemble was tight in every way. You could sense the camaraderie only many, many hours of practice can forge. Their relationships were fully fleshed, from Marian’s palpable disdain for her husband, John’s fatherly tone with Will, to Ellen Scathaloke’s (Heidi Bassett) forgiving love for Allan. All actors succeeded in bringing their characters to life. We wanted the rift between Allan and Will to heal. We wanted Marian to find peace and adventure away from her unworthy husband. We wanted Ellen and Allan to restore the love Allan had abandoned three years prior. And we wanted John’s wishes fulfilled to return the money taken from Nottingham’s poor citizens.
Community theater would not happen without the spirited dedication of its community members donating their time and talent to the endeavor. And this production boasts a long list of those who did just that. Amanda Christian’s set design was fun, sparse, and functional. This allowed for quick scene changes as the backdrop switched from one Janice Adler/Heidi Sorensen creation to another. Justin Orazi’s lighting, aided by his able apprentice Ana Orazi, added elegantly to the mood. Millie Hoekstra and Allison Steward managed the backstage crew, functioning like a well-oiled machine.
Ms. Wetherill was meticulous with her song choices and sound effects, as evidenced with a medieval cover of Bon Jovi’s “Dead or Alive” and the well-timed hammering on an anvil and swords clinking during fights, along with many other examples. One highlight came towards the end of Act 1 when several cast members shot actual arrows, though blunted, over the heads of the audience. The entire production was obviously a labor of love for Brittany. As she stated: “This story is about LOVE. Love for your fellow man, love for your family, love for your friends, love for yourself, and, yes, even some romantic love. It explores healthy and unhealthy relationships, and how one can either mend or break those relationships. It covers themes like forgiveness, teamwork, morality vs. law, and what it means to be a hero. Robin Hood, as a story, has always been, and will probably always be, an important story to tell, simply because it covers all these themes, and still lets us have fun. This is a funny show, but it uses that humor to get right at the heart of some very serious issues that affect our lives, and I LIVE for stories like that.”
Brittany went on to remind us, “As we grow into adults, we either learn how to live in harmony with our emotions, or to mask them, which is part of what makes acting on the stage so challenging and so fun. We have to learn to unmask again, and let emotions play a more essential role. I was incredibly lucky in that I was able to pull a high schooler from RLRS, Daxx Williams, to play our most volatile character, Will Scatheloke. I was also able to secure Averie Flewelling, another high schooler, to be my personal assistant throughout the production. Whenever the rest of us ‘adults’ were still holding back, I’d set both these powerhouses on stage and let them show the rest of us what big emotions really look like, which only added life to our show. To balance that out, we also had Tina Falasco, a licensed massage therapist and calming presence, playing our Lady Marian, and Benjamin Wetherill, ordained deacon, to play our Little John and bring all the Dad energy. The two of them added wisdom and perspective, and helped ensure all the wonderful drama stayed on the stage. Somewhere in between, we had Fletcher Dellavalle as Alan-a-Dale, and Heidi Bassett as Ellen Scatheloke, who brought in a lot of energy, hard work, and passion, as well as some brilliant comedic timing. Our Sheriff, Ethan Wright, was a last moment find from Farmington, and a real gem. As a music teacher, he also has experience in putting on high school stage productions, and was excited to be working with a mixed group. His knowledge and experience in the theater helped keep us all on track throughout the months of hard work that went into this show.”
Thank you, Brittany, and her entire cast and crew, for such a good time, and teaching us a few valuable lessons along the way. The arts are alive and well at the Lakeside Theater.
