Shakespeare Santa Cruz: The Man in the Iron Mask
Shakespeare Santa Cruz: The Man in the Iron Mask
Deep in the bowels of a French prison, a man is kept in isolation. His identity is secret, his crime unknown. To prevent anyone from determining who he is, his face is hidden behind a mask made of iron. However, when the name of the prisoner is revealed to Aramis, Bishop of Vanne, he immediately sets in motion a plot to release the man from jail. For, Aramis reveals to his friends Porthos and Athos, this prisoner is none other than the twin brother of King Louis. The three former musketeers plan to replace the King with his brother, ending a reign of selfish tyranny and allowing the new monarch to elevate Aramis to the rank of Cardinal of the Church. D'Artagnan, under the employ of King Louis, is torn between his loyalty to the crown and his friendship with Aramis, Porthos and Athos.
The play was really, really fun. I mean, what’s not to enjoy about dramatic swordfights and tales of honor, glory, romance and tragedy? I’ve never read the book from which the play is taken - , apparently, it’s considerably heftier than I would have guessed - so most of my knowledge stems from the 1998 Leonardo DiCaprio movie, which is wildly divergent from the original story, what with D’Artagnan fathering the twin kings of France and whatnot. But no matter how badly it is chopped or mangled - and I’m not saying that Shakespeare Santa Cruz did anything bad with their version, just generalizing - the essential elements of the story remain absolutely entertaining.
Since the play was outdoors, Seanie made us a little picnic to eat during the show. Pasta with pesto sauce, salad, and even a bottle of wine (although it had been opened, unbeknownst to us, so it was bad). Great job, Seanie!