‘Three Musketeers’ a swashbuckling summer triumph
Ken Ludwig’s adaptation of “The Three Musketeers,” at the Alley Theatre through June 30, is a high-energy romp through 1600s France that’s funnier and more buoyant than any European period piece I’ve seen in a long time. Directed by Mark Shanahan, it zips through Alexandre Dumas’ original text at a refreshingly quick pace, never boring the audience with overly long dialogues or monologues but rather focusing on the heart of what makes an adventure an adventure — a childlike determination to fight against the forces of evil.
I use the word “childlike” not to imply this story is simplistic but to emphasize the sense of pure wonder injected into this play. Stanley Andrew Jackson III, as protagonist D’Artagnan, embodies this spirit perfectly. A country boy who travels to Paris in hopes of becoming a musketeer — a prestigious defender of the king’s realm — D’Artagnan skips through the story with glee. When he arrives in Paris, he stumbles upon three men, Athos ( Jay Sullivan), Porthos (Seth Andrew Bridges) and Aramis (David Matranga), and in three goofy scenarios accidentally insults their honor.
He thus accepts challenges to duel each of them later in the night, but in the process the three men find out D’Artagnan is not only a skilled fighter but a good man, worthy of friendship. They are suddenly ambushed by cloaked fighters working for the treacherous Cardinal Richelieu (Todd Waite), who is deep in a Machiavellian scheme to dethrone the King (a delightfully bumbling Dylan Godwin). D’Artagnan is pleased to be thrust into a complex web of palace intrigue as the three men — known as the Three Musketeers — invite him into their band.
Dumas’ novel was famous for its intersecting plotlines and multitude of characters. The play is careful not to get muddled by this, rather using quick dialogue scenes and some narration to bring us up to speed. There’s a scheme to help the Queen of France (Melissa Pritchett) return a diamond necklace that she had given to her former lover, the Duke of Buckingham (David Rainey), back to Paris. There’s a third-act reference to the warring Catholics and Protestants, and even a wink to Dumas’ other famous novel, “The Count of Monte Cristo.”
But none of the plot feels especially mired in the density of a novel. In fact, Ludwig’s focus on swordplay and adventure is reminiscent of Rick Elice’s play “Peter and the Starcatcher,” another literary adaptation that made the most out of
its action set pieces. “The Three Musketeers” has wonderful fight scenes, sometimes involving nearly 10 people crossing swords at once. Fight director H. Russ Brown keeps the choreography light and impressive by combining traditional one-handed fencing with Hollywood-style flourishes such as flips, punches and kicks.
Like a fighter, a good adventure must be light on its feet. It must master rhythm and grace but know when to strike hard. A bloody rivalry between an added character, D’Artagnan’s sister Sabine (Victoria Valentine), and Cardinal Richelieu’s niece/righthand woman Sophie ( Julia Krohn) gives the play emotional heft. Krohn is a terrific addition to the ensemble, offering a serious take on villainy — compared to Waite’s mustache-twirling cartoonish interpretation of evil — that gives “The Three Musketeers” an unexpected edge.
Summer seems to be the perfect time for escapist theater, and “The Three Musketeers” fits the seasonal blockbuster role well. Dumas’ story about factions vying for power will delight Shakespeare fans, and the conversational American English dialogue and fancy swordplay will entertain the “not really into theater” crowd (you know who you are).
This play is not deep or meaningful or challenging. But the Alley Theatre’s bathrooms never have long lines, the air conditioning is refreshing but not frigid, and the evening feels classy without requiring a dress code. Not everyone has $100 (plus parking and dinner) to spend on a Friday, but those lucky enough to be able to afford paying for two hours of stressfree entertainment won’t be disappointed. This play should make everyone smile at least once.