The Tragedy of Cymbeline, King of Britain is a play by William Shakespeare set in Ancient Britain at the time of its Conquest by Julius Caesar and first staged in London in 1611. Seldom staged in modern times, Cymbeline is considered to be a “romance” or even a “comedy,” from the Late Period of Shakespeare’s dramatic works – like The Winter’s Tale and The Tempest. Currently Cymbeline is on stage at the Antaeus Theatre in Glendale – and it opening night was October 18. Cymbeline is a Shakespearean play about the King of Britain, whose daughter Imogen secretly marries Posthumus, a man of lower rank. The furious king banishes Posthumus, who is then tricked by an Italian named Iachimo into believing Imogen has been unfaithful. Imogen flees in disguise, leading to a series of events including a Roman invasion, a mistaken death, and eventual reconciliation and restoration of identities, including the discovery of the king’s two long-lost sons.
In this new production of Shakespeare’s tragicomedy of love and rebellion Shakespeare’s tragic comedy of love and rebellion Shakespeare’s Cymbeline is reimagined in this rollicking adventure set in the American West in the 1800s. When Imogen defies her father, Cymbeline, and sets off on a treacherous journey, she encounters rugged landscapes, mistaken identities, and daring adventures. Directed by Artistic Director Nike Doukas (who previously directed The Tempest two season back), this production features original music in this seemingly overplotted tale where Shakespeare seems to have thrown in bits and bobs of his repertoire of early plays as if to parody some of his own excesses. Director Nike Doukas concedes “I’m always astounded by how messy Shakespeare’s plays are. … Cymbeline is messer than most. Its plot is a series of twists, surprises and coincidences that border on the ridiculous, a comedy, an adventure story of a tragic history.”
Shakespere’s Cymbeline is based on legends that formed part of the “Matter of Britain” concerning the early historical Celtic British King Cunobeline. Cymbeline (Bernard K. Addison) is the expanding Roman Empire’s vassal king of Britain – who is required to. pay Rome annual tribute. Twenty years earlier, Cymbeline’s two infant sons, Guiderius and Arvirargus, were kidnapped by an exiled traitor named Belaria. Cymbeline discovers his daughter, Imogen (Elinor Gunn), has secretly married her lover Posthumus Leonatus (Peter Mendoza), a member of Cymbeline’s court. The lovers have exchanged jewelery as tokens: Imogen with a bracelet, and Posthumus with a ring. Cymbeline dismisses the marriage and banishes Posthumus from the court.
Imogen – as Cymbeline’s only remaining child – must produce a fully royal-blooded heir to succeed to the British throne. In the meantime, Cymbeline’s evil Queen (Eve Gordon) is conspiring to have Cloten (Randolph Thompson), her cloddish and arrogant son by an earlier marriage, marry Imogen to secure her bloodline. The Queen is also plotting to murder both Imogen and Cymbeline, procuring what she believes is deadly poison from the court doctor. Unable to be with Posthumus, Imogen secludes herself in her chambers, away from Cloten’s aggressive advances.
Posthumus flees to Italy which seems more like Renaissance Italy than ancient Rome – a detail that Shakespeare gracefully skips over. There Posthumus meets Iachimo (Gerard Joseph), an Iago-like character, who wagers the proud Posthumus that he, Iachimo, can seduce Imogen, whom Posthumus has praised for her chastity, and will then bring Posthumus proof of Imogen’s adultery. If Iachimo wins, he will get Posthumus’s token emerald ring. If Posthumus wins, not only must Iachimo pay him but also fight Posthumus in a duel with swords. Of course, Iachimo, although energetically portrayed by Gerard Joseph, is nowhere nearly as treacherous as devious Iago in “Othello.”
Without much ado, Iachimo heads to Britain where he attempts to seduce the faithful Imogen, who rejects him. Iachimo then hides in a chest in Imogen’s bedchamber and, when the princess falls asleep, steals Posthumus’s bracelet from her. He also takes note of the room, as well as the mole on Imogen’s partially nude body, to present as false evidence to Posthumus that he seduced his bride.
Quickly returning to Italy, Iachimo convinces Posthumus that he has successfully seduced Imogen. In his wrath, Posthumus sends two letters to Britain: one to Imogen, telling her to meet him at Mitford Haven on the Welsh coast; the other to Imogen’s servant Pisania (Desirèe Mee Jung), ordering him to murder Imogen at the Haven. However, Pisania refuses and reveals Posthumus’s plot to Imogen. Pisania convinces Imogen to disguise herself as a boy named “Fidele” and head to Mitford Haven.
Meanwhile, Cymbeline refuses to pay tribute to the Roman ambassador Caius Lucius (JD Cullum, who takes on various smaller roles in the production). The Roman ambassador warns Cymbeline of the wrath of Roman Emperor and threat of invasion of Britain by sea. Somehow the nasty Cloten discovers the letters of a upcoming meeting between Imogen and Posthumus at Mitford Haven. Cleverly dressing himself in the favored robes of Posthumus, Cloten decides to go to Mitford Haven to kill Posthumus and then rape, abduct, and marry Imogen. As portrayed by Randolph Thompson, Cloten reveals in his evil plans which he enthusiastically shares with the audience.
Imogen, in turn, now in disguise as a boy “Fidele,” travels through the Welsh mountains, hoping to get to Mitford Haven. She comes upon a cave which is empty. It is the home of Belaria (also played by Eve Gordon), who lives there with her two “sons” Polydore (Tuodora Avramovic) and Cadwal (Anja Racic) – here all three male roles given to female actresses. The boys have been raised to be great hunters and woodsmen. Only she knows their real identifies at the royal princes Guiderius and Arviragus) – who know nothing about the royal blood. They discover a sickly lad named Fidele (who is actually Imogen disguised as a boy).
Back at Cymbeline’s court, Cymbeline refuses to pay his British tribute to the Roman ambassador Caius Lucius. Lucius warns Cymbeline of the Roman Emperor’s forthcoming wrath, which will be an invasion of Britain by Roman troops. Meanwhile, Cloten learns of the “meeting” between Imogen and Posthumus at Milford Haven.
Remember Cloten, the cloddish son of Cymbeline’s Queen. He is portrayed excellently by Randolph Thompson. He arrives at Mitford Haven – intent on killing Posthumus, if he shows up as planned. However, he runs into the muscular Guiderius, who easily issues Cloten a fatal wound with his own sword – and forthwith beheads Cloten and throws his severed head in the river. The performances of the two “boys” by Tuodora Avramovic and Anja Racic are brilliant. Poor Imogen is exhausted and takes a potion which she thought was a medicine and came from the evil Queen. Completely zapped out by the medicine from the Queen, she falls into a deep sleep that appears to the others as death itself.
Imogen is found “dead” by the others and they place Cloten’s beheaded body next to her and plan for a double burial. And suddenly Imogen wakes up, sees the headless body wearing Posthumus’s clothes and concludes that Posthumus has been murdered. Shaken to her core, Imogen (disguised as Fidele) is found by Lucius, the Roman ambassador as the Roman army advances into Britain. He thinks the Fidele is a servant grieving the murder of his master. He enlists Fidele in his retinue. So many convenient plot twists – that one thinks that Shakespeare is having a field day with overdone plot.
With the disappearance of her son Cloten from the court of Cymbeline, the treacherous Queen is in despair. Meanwhile, the guilt-ridden Posthumus (who still believes that Imogen cheated on him) enlists in the Roman forces as they invade Britain. There is a fierce battle as replicated on stage with much movement and confusion. Eventually Belaria, with her two “sons” – Guiderius and Arviragus – with some help from the returned Posthumus manage to rescue Cymbeline from the Roman onslaught.
With a Lear-like blindness, Cymbeline does not yet recognize these four. However, he is aware of how bravely they fought and that they captured the Roman commanders, who are conveniently (again!) Lucius and a repurposed Iachimo. As newly-adopted page boy for Lucius, Fidele (aka, Imogen) is captured, as well Posthumus (still in disguise as well).
At this point in the play, we need a “deus ex machina” to resolve the mess. Conveniently the court doctor Cornelius arrives – with an announcement that the Queen has suddenly died and he goes on to talk about her deathbed about her villainous schemes. She revealed her plan to kill her own husband the King and put her son Cloten on the throne. But, of course, King Cymbeline as the victor against Rome, plans to execute the Romans and their accomplices. He is puzzled by the face of Fidele who he finds “familiar.” The language of his fascination borders on physical attraction oddly enough.
Fidele notices a green emerald ring on the hand of Iachimo and notes it might be the ring she (being Imogen but still in disguise) once gave to Posthumus. She demands to know how Iachimo got the ring and a suddenly remorseful Iachimo confesses about the wager he made, and how he tricked Posthumus into believing he had seduced Imogen. Posthumus (in partial disguise) then comes forward to confirm Iachimo’s story, revealing his identity and acknowledging his wrongfulness in wanting Imogen killed for what he supposed was her infidelity.
Ecstatic, Imogen throws herself at Posthumus, who, believing she is a boy, knocks her down. Pisanio then rushes to explain that Fidele is Imogen. Imogen still suspects that Pisania conspired with the Queen to poison her. Pisanio claims innocence, and conveniently the court doctor Cornelius reveals the potion was harmless. Insisting that his betrayal years ago was a set-up, Belaria (makes her own happy confession, revealing Guiderius and Arviragus as Cymbeline’s own two long-lost sons who she has raised as if they were her own.
With her brothers restored to the line of inheritance, Imogen is free to marry Posthumus and Cloten clearly out of the picture (as in dead). An elated Cymbeline pardons Belaria and the Roman prisoners, including Lucius and Iachimo – seemingly without any distinction about wrong-doing. Blaming his manipulative Queen for his refusal to pay earlier, Cymbeline now agrees to pay the tribute to the Roman Emperor as a gesture of peace between Britain and Rome.
If you made it through all these plot twists, you are a genius. Obviously, Shakespeare overloaded the tale, but had a lot of fun doing it. Posthumus comes off as boorish but the true love of Imogen as a virtuous woman carries the play. Many characters are given memorable lines in their speeches, but at times the beauty of the verse seems to exceed the limits of their characters. Only Imogen shines out as one of Shakespeare’s most memorable characters.
The Antaeus Theatre Company is a resident theatre company of actors, who often reappear in plays staged with the company in Glendale This production of Shakespeare’s Cymbeline runs at the Antaeus Theatre through November 17. Tickets range from $39 to $60. For tickets online, go to: https://antaeus.org/show-details/cymbeline The Antaeus Theatre Company is locate at the Kiki & David Gindler Performing Arts Center, 110 East Broadway, Glendale, CA.
