Such were the strange goings-on at the Park Avenue Armory as the Royal Shakespeare Company presented the world's greatest love story to an involved and patient audience this afternoon.
Near the end of the first part, at a natural break in the action, a RSC staffer came out to ask forgiveness, saying that there had been a back-stage accident and the show would pause while they sorted it out. A few minutes later she came back to tell us that the unlucky victim of said accident was none other than Romeo (actor Sam Troughton) and that his understudy, after a slightly longer pause, would take his place.
We were all asked to leave our seats so that the company might prepare, and spend a few minutes in on-stage rehearsal.
The show must go on.
Indeed!
And a good show it was. The RSC built a Globe-Theatre-like space within the cavernous armory so that even the cheap seats (like mine) were in excellent visual and aural range. The acting in the company was mostly stellar, and the staging was compelling even without much in the way of sets. Both the old and the new Romeo (Dyfan Dwyfor, earlier on stage as Peter) were in love with a Juliet I didn't really fancy, but all in all it was a solid afternoon of Shakespeare.
Such is the magic of theatre that the company could soldier on and that we in the audience could put our concern for the fallen actor on hold as we re-entered the Bard's world. At the curtain call the cast pointed to and surrounded Dwyfor and he of course got a huge ovation. He was beaming, and I reckon this will be one of his favorite tales of life in the theatre.
Just another day in New York. Just another reason I can't imagine living anywhere other than where I do.
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