BWW Reviews: PERICLES at the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey - Perfect for the Holidays

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey has a gift for holiday audiences in their final show of the 2013 season, Pericles by William Shakespeare. Even those who have seen Pericles before will want to see this production. Directed by Brian Crowe, the inventive staging, an excellent performance script, and a company of talented thespians promise to captivate Madison audiences. The artistic staff brings full life to the production with creative costuming, and extraordinary scenic, lighting and sound design.

Pericles carries audiences on a fantastic journey across ancient seas and chronicles the hardships of Pericles, Prince of Tyre, who suffers deep personal losses during his travels. It is adventure at its finest complete with the pageantry of kings and the thrill of the unknown. The narrative twists and turns are accentuated by the colorful characters that include goddesses, heroes, and pirates. A vicarious audience experience, you can only hope that evil and suffering will be given its due and goodness will receive its just reward.

While the authorship of Pericles has been questioned, the play itself bears the poetic signature of Shakespeare and the cast delivers stellar performances of his verse. There are outstanding performances in the play, too numerous to mention. The cast is a perfect collective. Jon Barker masters his role as Pericles, the character who experiences a lifetime fraught with conflict and lost loves. As Dionyza, Jacqueline Antaramian reveals her diabolical personality with just the right sense of tension. Antaramian is also striking in her dual role of the Goddess Diana. Clark Scott Carmichael seamlessly plays the role of Cleon who both assists and betrays Pericles. Andrew Criss deftly manages dual roles of King Antiochus and King Simonides. Lindsey Kyler, as Pericles' daughter Marina, brings the plot full circle with her lovely, natural gentility.

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey has once again offered metropolitan area audiences the opportunity to attend superb classical theater. Homecoming is a treasured theme this time of year, and it is well realized in Pericles. The production imparts a true sense of holiday spirit and will live in your memory long after you leave the theatre.

Tickets for Pericles can be purchased by calling the theatre box office at (973) 408-5600 or by visiting www.ShakespeareNJ.org.

Photo Credit: Jerry Dalia