Haldane Drama’s production of “The Three Musketeers” closed on December 6, and between comical lines and heartbreaking deaths, it proved to be a production for the books.
Although “The Three Musketeers” is not a musical, songs and dance numbers were integrated into it, adding to the engagement. Some scenes featured rock music, like “Highway to Hell” by AC/DC. The incongruity between the modern music and the 1600s setting worked well and added to the comedic mood.
The costumes were beautiful, especially the several dresses of the villainess, The Countess de Winter, played by senior Lucia Petty. The masks during the masquerade ball were each unique and creative, sparkling under the stage lights and producing a captivating tableau. The extravagance of the gowns created an aristocratic atmosphere, with Queen Anne’s ball gown especially sticking out.
But while the costumes were great, the set left something to be desired. The set was all white and included vaguely Greek-looking columns, which didn’t convey that the play was set in 1600s Paris. The stark whiteness of the wood structures and staircases didn’t match the Parisian alleyway feel that the actual material of the play suggested. The greatest moments of visual intrigue on the set were the colorful lights during the tavern scene, which ended up feeling lost because they took place during set changes. When compared to the set from previous productions, like “Into the Woods,” there weren’t as many moving parts, which made it difficult to differentiate between locations. One of the only indications of a setting change was the sign, indicating the location that the scene took place in, which hung near the corner of the stage. Although it provided clarity, it was difficult to read from seats at the back of the house and the mezzanine. Some of the few visible props were items in the royal palace, including a chess set and a few fake plants. It would’ve been nice to see larger pieces, like more additions to the convent and the Cardinal’s residence. That being said, the physical set design was intuitive, and a simple set was necessary for the action-packed scenes. The set included a staircase to a raised platform in the back, and watching fight scenes with actors sparring on different levels of the stage was entertaining and engaging.
When speaking of setting, it’s impossible to ignore that “The Three Musketeers” takes place in Paris, and yet none of the characters had French accents- they mostly had British, American, or vaguely posh-sounding ones. While accents are difficult to achieve and can prove tricky for audience members to understand, some clarity about the nationality of the characters and consistency in their accents would’ve been appreciated. It was a little distracting when jokes about British people were delivered by French characters in British accents.
Lucia Petty’s acting as The Countess de Winter was excellent- it was perfectly clear when she was trying to deceive someone and when she was being genuine. Junior Lincoln Wayland was great as the main villain Cardinal Richelieu, and it’s refreshing to see him break out of his narrator typecast, having portrayed The Stage Manager in “Our Town” and The Narrator in “Into the Woods”. Senior Aine Duggan was exceptional as Queen Anne. It was a much bigger role than she’s had in previous productions, and she made the queen charismatic and funny. Sophomore Eamonn McGrory’s physical comedy, incorporating hand movements and creative line delivery as King Louis XIII, was very funny and lent to the overall comedic nature of the show. Senior Molly Bernstein was great as Sabine, embodying the character’s fiery personality superbly. Senior Lucius Bell’s high-energy portrayal of D’Artagnan complemented the fast-paced play. Junior Henry Foley-Hedlund, playing Porthos, had numerous comical lines that were well received by the audience, and he came across as the funniest Musketeer. Although the other 2 Musketeers, Athos and Aramis, portrayed by senior Merrick Williams and sophomore Henry Amadei, were less comical, they performed well.
After the show, during the thanking of the cast & crew and seniors, director Martha Mechalakos recalled that during tech week, she was worried that the play wouldn’t come across as funny. The performance certainly proved her wrong.
