Jon Barker and Bruce Cromer (photo: Jerry Dalia)
There has to be some reason why Ben Jonson's bawdy 17th century satire has escaped me either reading it or seeing it produced in the Metropolitan area in my memory. Therefore the production now at the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey is a long-awaited and overdue treat, one that is sure to delight receptive audiences eager to discover a rare treasure.
Lack of familiarity with this acknowledged classic should actually enhance your pleasure, as it did mine. The important thing to know is that you will laugh long and hard at this riotous staging and the terrific, over-the-top performances under the direction of Bonnie J. Monte.
Monte's very useful and also delightful "director's notes" give us good reasons on how and why she has overcome her "40-year spanning disdain" for this play about, you guessed it, an alchemist. To that point, it is about a pair of 17th century con-artists who are revealed and exposed as not so far removed in their ethics and morals from their 21st century counterparts. It is our good fortune that Monte was eventually seduced by the text, which she has commendably adapted and edited down to under three hours from its original four. To read the rest of the review please go to http://www.curtainup.com/alchemistnj14.html
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