DC: Fringe: Girl in the Iron Mask

Girl in the Iron Mask
by R. L. Nesvet
directed by Andrew Wassenich
Georgetown Theatre Company
Universalist National Memorial Church
1810 16th Street, NW
remaining performances:
Saturday, July 26th, 5:30pm
Sunday, July 27th, 5:00pm

Description: When royal twins are born, one must disappear. Through her own daring, and with the help of a dashing aristocrat and a sword-slinging nun, the lost princess roars back from her anonymous prison to take her rightful place on the throne. A new, all women re-telling of the classic adventure.

Just tell me that actresses are getting to fight, and I’m already excited. It’s a rare opportunity and in my own experience, the times I get to hold a sword in my hand are too far and few between. Unfortunately, partly due to a muddled script, partly due to the space (too small for good sword-fighting, and with the worst acoustics ever), and partly due to a few lackluster performances, this production falls a little flat.

The notable performances are from Kelley Slagle and Heather Whitpan. Slagle is a menacing and frowning Cardinal Richelieu, and a regal Madame Montpensier.

Whitpan plays the twins, King Louis XIV, and his lost sister Louise. The strength of her performance lies in the fact that she makes perfectly clear which character she is playing, even though they trade costumes in the second act. As scenes transition, her face becomes an absolute sneer when she is playing the King, and his status is perfectly evident. When Whitpan is playing Louise, there is that momentary look of panic, of “oh, right, I need to act like this now.” Whitpan shows she's one of those actresses to watch.

2 stars

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