It’s the play itself, which is a mixed bag.
With no fewer than 20 scenes and confined to a 17th century English dialect, “Stage Beauty” is not immediately accessible to the average audience. The events portrayed may be quite accurate historically, but only in the play’s last 20 minutes does it really take root dramatically.
The centerpiece is one Edward Kynaston (Alexander Price), an actor who has made his name by playing heroines — in particular, Desdemona in Shakespeare’s “Othello” — for a London company headed by actor-director Thomas Betterton (Mike Brown). When another “Othello” opens across town with a genuine actress (Kathryn Scott) in the role — defying the law of the time — the greasepaint is about to hit the fan, thrusting Kynaston’s career into jeopardy.
When the king (Andrew George), at the urging of his Cockney mistress (Laura Lindahl) rules in favor of the more natural order of performing, Kynaston finds himself in ye olde unemployment line. The balance of the play is concerned with Kynaston’s traumatic downfall and recovery.
The climactic scene, in which Price tutors Scott in the art of playing Desdemona, is superbly done, making the preceding events worth enduring. Price excels as the frustrated artist in a passionate, literate portrayal.
Brown lends strong support as his blunt-spoken friend and acting colleague, while Nakisa Aschtiani nicely underplays the loyal company aide who bolsters the actor’s recovery.
