Three Musketeers: Absolutely Epic!

Review of the Three Musketeers at Seattle Repertory Theatre


By Nur L.

Sword-fights are always fun to watch when they aren't real, but The Three Musketeers masterfully choreographed battles were absolutely epic. The skill with which these fights were staged speaks to the prowess of actors and the directors. Everything went right for this play; and the actors' skills at playing warriors were matched with the gravitas with which they performed their lines. I was hooked from the beginning.
We're immediately thrust into the action as father and son parry each other's blows, practicing their fencing skills. D'Artagnan, we find out, is leaving his country life for the city. Andrew William Smith plays the part of a hick desperate to make it in with the Musketeers to the letter. He is equal parts charming, naive, and rough around the edges. And D'Artagnan must take his feisty younger sister, played by Montana von Fliss, along with him, much to his chagrin. He is on a quest to give the musketeers' coach his father's letter, in the hopes of being allowed to join their ranks, but sure enough, the letter is taken from him by the Siren-like Milady (Cheyenne Casebier.) That's when the adventure really starts.
D'Artagnan is so unassumingly a country-boy that he manages to get himself challenged to a duel by the three charismatic members of the musketeers Athos, Porthos and Aramis (played by Hans Altwies, Jeffrey M. Bender, and Ryan Shams respectively) on the same day of his date with love-interest, Constance (Jennifer Sue Johnson. The play seamlessly mixes humor and action, creating a riveting display. But for all D'Artagnan's charms, this play belonged to the inimitable Cardinal Richelieu.
Richelieu, played by Jim Abele, is every inch the conniving advisor. The dynamic between his subtly slimy, sneering, contemptuous persona and King Louis' (Alban Dennis) jovial buffoon slyly pokes fun at French history while keeping audiences totally engrossed.
This play is a must-see. It dips a toe into the larger historical issues, but it is pure entertainment. I was gripped from start to finish, and I always wanted more.


The Three Musketeers plays at Seattle Rep Theatre now thru November 15, 2008


http://www.seattlerep.org/


155 mercer Street, Seattle WA 98109


Box Office: 206.443.2222