Antony and Cleopatra
Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival
Directed by Patrick Mulcahy

Lepidus, Schoolmaster & Clown

Another three for the price of one! And each one totally different.

Lepidus Magnus was probably well known to the more educated portions of Elizabethan audiences. Lyly mentions him in his prologue to Alexander and Campaspe in a reference that would seem very cryptic indeed if one were not familiar with his source, Pliny the Elder's History. Lepidus is the unfortunate member of the Tiumverate who loses out early on to the young Octavius Caesar. In Shakespeare's version, he attempts to reconcile Antony and Octavius, and fails only to succumb to drink in a famous scene in which he is falling-down drunk. A preciptous fall and fun to play. The apparently skilled elder statesman behaving like a frat boy. Audiences didn't seem to notice the total excision of Pompeii. The dramaturg in me still wonders whether the piece was ultimately well served, but the cut seemed to sharpen the focus on the title characters and throw the power struggle onto Octavius alone. And the audiences and critics liked the results.

The poor little schoolmaster finds himself in one of those awful dilemmas. A good and favorite student becomes influential and important, asks for help and you end up in mortal danger. A man ofapparently superior intellect finds himself in the seat of power and has to confront a very powerful young man and convey awful news to his equally powerful ex-student. Delicious given circumstances. Even pared down, Shakespeare's little schoolmaster has a complete character to explore.

But the most interesting of the three went unrecorded on film. For whatever reason, I lack a photographic record of the Clown. My first impulse was to play him, as Shakespeare's name for him suggests, as a "clown." A Character with that fascinating black humor that the Bard gave to the Gravedigger in Hamlet (also called "clown") or perhaps even a Feste. But when sitting around the table I threw out such a character, it laid a rather definite egg. Patrick threw out a few suggestions; I looked into the wonderfully expressive eyes of our Cleopatra, the uber-talented Ms. Lauren Lovett and tried something that quickly led to a creepy and fascinating necrophile. The presence of the deadly asp and the extreme beauty and power of the queen made for a mesmerizing mix. In performance, Lauren was always at that point where Cleopatra is ready--truly ready--to die.