Timon of Athens, 11/21, American Shakespeare Tavern, Atlanta, GA

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With this performance of Timon of Athens, the American Shakespeare Tavern has become one of the few companies to complete Shakespeare’s First Folio. In March, with performances of Two Noble Kinsman and Edward III, these two are extremely rare, and I hope to make it back for them, they will complete all the surviving works that were traditionally attributed to him, entirely or in part—which was thought to be the entire Shakespeare canon…until recently. In the last few months, Double Falsehood, another play, has been credited to him. If they performed this before June, they would be the first company ever to boast all the plays attributed to him. (The RSC will put on theirs in June.)

          Shakespeare's rarely-performed Timon of Athens is not written in acts. It is in scenes. Shakespeare wrote all his plays in scenes before moving to the Globe. Some that were performed  for the queen may have been transposed. But she never watched Timon. This makes it hard to find a place for an intermission. Jeff Watkins, the director, had the task of finding a good place in the flow to halt. This meant that he could put it in a place which was most helpful to his interpretation. During intermission, Jeff mingled with the crowd. It was an unexpected pleasure to meet the director half way through the play, as they almost never come out before the end.


  

The intermission spot he chose gave him an opportunity to clearly separate Timon’s (Maurice Ralston) god, man and beast stages. These are the thirds of the play. The idea of Timon is that he cannot relate to people at first because he is so far above them. Then he is ruined and cannot relate to men because he is so far below them. in the middle third, he is being brought down. It is a play that tests the extremes of human existence. 

 In the first third of the play, Timon acts like a god. In this part of his life, he gives away fortunes to his friends without any thought but kindness. Instead, he was troubled by everything when he blew through his wealth.  He seemed to contemplate his decisions as if he wasn’t sure whether they would or would not affect him. In the third of the play where he falls to earth, he was moving because he looked as though he had been pulling his hair out, distraught that none of his "friends" would help him in his financial struggles. And in the final third where he becomes an animal, he was brilliant. Almost insane. With a sick cough that grew worse and worse. It is one of the most challenging parts in all of Shakespeare’s plays.

          Appemantus (Andrew Houchins) is the local beggar, cynic, and only antagonist of Timon. His quiet rants against humanity were very effective because he often sat on a thrust which was also a staircase. Being the lowest of the low, he had very little tolerance for the rich. He alone predicted Timon’s end.  Therefore he was below the nobles, but also closer to the real world (the audience). This really brought out his low place in society. Only when he came upon Timon in the woods, was he above him. Timon lay in a pit, because he was a beast. Appemantus, though poor, was a man.

      Captain Alcibaldes (Travis Smith) shouted his commands with violence. It worked towards his commanding nature, but in the trial scene where one of his men is accused of murder, he didn’t build up to the rage that got him exiled, because he was already at the level he should have been moving towards. The steward, Flavius (Paul Hester), was quiet, gentle and understanding. These three men were the only ones who didn’t wear masks throughout the entire play, besides Timon. They were his only true friends. This is important because Timon is the bard's only play without any lovers or family members. Only friends. Mr. Watkins’s idea of masks was genious; Only real friends showed their faces.

      The ensemble parts, though uneven, were invaluable to the play. Their reactions fed the leads. Whether they were lords, ladies, guards, merchants, servants or friends, without fail they kept the flow moving in the grey matter, between scenes.  

      Congratulations to the Tavern! It is one of the most difficult but rewarding things in the world of arts, to accomplish Shakespeare’s entire cannon! Many years of work and more work have brought together such a magical thing!