All the Devils Are Here is a masterclass in Shakespeare. Acclaimed stage actor Patrick Page does for Shakespeare what Bill Irwin did for Beckett in his solo show
On Beckett, presented at the Guthrie earlier this year. That is, one of the nation's most experienced and knowledgeable experts giving a personable, entertaining, educational, and captivating oration on one of our greatest playwrights. Those of you who, like me, know Patrick mostly as
Hades, or Scar, may be surprised to learn that he's been studying and performing Shakespeare for four decades. He created and performed in
All the Devils Are Here: How Shakespeare Invented the Villain Off-Broadway, and we are beyond lucky that his first tour stop is right here at the Guthrie Theater. If you're even a little bit interested in Shakespeare, or the acting process, or the depiction of evil in literature, or the presence of evil in our lives,
All the Devils Are Here is a must-see. The 80-minute show, with an optional talkback after every performance,
continues through November 17.
As I've admitted before, I've never really studied Shakespeare (other than reading a few plays in high school), and particularly never thought about his evolution as a writer throughout his 20+ year career. I guess I thought that Shakespeare was always Shakespeare. Not so, and neither was a villain always a villain, as we understand it today. Patrick posits, and convincingly argues, that Shakespeare invented the complex villain that is present in so much of our entertainment today (e.g., Walter White and Logan Roy, to name a few). He traces the evolution of Shakespeare's understanding of evil from simplistic and related to physical characteristics - the Moor, the Jew, the disabled, as was believed at the time - to resulting from complex motivations. He talks about the difference between characters who have a conscience and choose evil anyway (the Macbeths) and sociopaths with no conscience or sense of remorse (Iago). It's a fascinating trajectory that makes me want to see all of these plays again.
In this concisely and smartly constructed piece, Patrick connects mini performances as nine of Shakespeare's most notorious villains with short lessons or ruminations, which key us in to what to look for in each scene. It's an amazing thing to watch him transform on a dime from his personable self to these very different characters, fully embodying them physically and emotionally (from my front row seat I could see the very real tears). Some of these roles he's played before, some he never would be able to play due to specifics of gender or race. But all of them he becomes for a few short minutes each. He's at times positively frightening, and then the lights come up, he smiles, and he's our friend Patrick again. But through it all he imbues these so-called villains with a certain humanity, which is perhaps why we love his portrayal of villains so much.
I'm convinced Patrick could make this a captivating show in a fully lit lecture hall with no props or tricks, but the design of the show adds to the theatricality of it. He's framed by a wall of stage lights on either side and overhead, but also steps out of the box to all sides of the stage. A few set pieces in black, a few choice props, and a classic red velvet curtain help with the storytelling. He's dressed in weathered black denim jeans and vest over a plum-colored button-down shirt, adding or removing layers to differentiate the characters. The lighting design instantly lets us know when he's going into a scene and coming out of it. The final scene, a medley from Macbeth in which he plays both the title character and Lady Macbeth, is the most affecting, with some spectacular sound and lighting effects. And it also makes me want to see a one-man version of the entire play, starring Patrick Page. (Direction by Simon Godwin, scenic design by Arnulfo Maldonado, costume design by Emily Rebholz, lighting design by Stacey Derosier, sound design by Darron L West).
Everything about this piece is so thoughtfully done. It's about as far from a dry scholarly lecture about Shakespeare as you can get; it's compelling, engaging, funny, and thought-provoking. And after every show, the audience has a chance to ask questions of the expert, and get really thoughtful answers. Don't miss your chance to see this divine performer in a magical, mesmerizing performance, or rather, several performances! Just hearing that deep, resonant, hypnotic voice up close and personal is worth the price of admission.
The many villains of Patrick Page (photos by Julieta Cervantes):
 | | Richard III |
|  | | Shylock |
|
 | | Macbeth |
|  | | Prospero |
|
