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Salem Community Theater presents ‘Three Musketeers’ adaptation
By STEPHANIE OTTEY
SALEM
The famous mantra of “All for one, and one for all” will again echo through Salem Community Theater this weekend, as Ken Ludwig’s adaptation of “The Three Musketeers” is presented.
Not all great books make great plays, but Ludwig’s adaptation of Alexandre Dumas’s classic story is an expert translation. Little is changed or omitted from the original text, but no scene is drawn out and the pace remains brisk. The script is witty (earning many laughs from the audience throughout the show), with some insightful one-liners that prove Ken Ludwig took great care with his adaptation.
The story follows a young man named d’Artagnan, played by Joshua Lankford, on his quest to become a Musketeer. Lankford brings a fresh face and innocence to his character that is used as a vehicle to introduce the audience to the Musketeers. This naivet replaces the need for a narrator in telling the story; the audience learns as d’Artagnan does. Lankford’s clear, strong voice is essential in making the plot clear.
Sabine, played by Nicole Slaven, is the biggest addition to the adaptation that was not present in the original book. The tomboy-ish character is d’Artagnan’s sister, who follows along to attend school at a nearby convent. Slaven has an energetic air that matches Lankford’s enthusiasm, and the two together create a very believable sibling duo.
Through the eyes of Sabine and d’Artagnan we meet The Musketeers, who surprisingly play a more secondary role in the show. The Musketeers are written into the story more like props than motivating characters. Still, they are cast and played well, earning great favor with the audience.
Tom Kusiowski, Tim Gottschling, and Dan Haueter make memorable Musketeers. Gottschling’s lovable Porthos, Kusiowski’s religious Aramis, and Haueter’s stern Athos make a zany, but noble trio.
Not only does Dan Haueter take on the role of Athos, but he acts as director, designer and choreographer, as well — a daunting task for a show such as this.
The cast is large and comprised of relatively new actors, so not all scenes run as smoothly as they are written. Some lines are mumbled, a few are dropped, and a handful of awkward pauses appeared in the Saturday night show of opening weekend. At times the actors seemed more like they are delivering lines than acting within a character, but this seems more like a side-effect to the quick pace of the show than a lack of talent.
Haueter amps up an already energetic show with heaps of sword fighting. The fight choreography is thorough and impressive, particularly the 10-man sword fight in Act 1, Scene 7. No two battles look the same, and Haueter uses the multi-leveled set with creativity and intelligence. Most of this choreography is executed well, but fans of stage combat will agree that it would be cleaner and easier to follow if the actors slowed down a bit.
Haueter not only choreographed the show with Karen E Hauck-Losito, he also designed the set that it is all played out on. The well-constructed, detailed set could easily be recycled for an array of other productions.
“The Three Musketeers” requires an extensive list of props, which were chosen with care by Haueter, Wayne Morris, Niki Slaven, Carolyn Slaven, and Brenda Morris. Rarely are such authentic looking props used in a community theater.
The sound design of the show is lacking; the scene changes would benefit from some audio assistance and a handful of sound effects are intrusive, but the lighting designed by Drew Bostwick and Dan Haueter is detailed and effective. The lighting design aids in creating a different aura for every scene.
Most impressive are the costumes, hand-crafted and designed by Brenda Morris. She clearly spent a great deal of time and effort in constructing the dozens of costumes used in “The Three Musketeers.” From the ball-gowns to the Musketeer apparel, her designs are clean and true to the time period.