“Two Gentlemen of Verona,” put on by Smith Shakes, Smith College’s Shakespeare Theatre club, follows the dramatic and devious tale of Valentine (Talia Natoli ’22) and Proteus (Annie Grace Cummings Ledbetter ’24) as they navigate life and love in Milan.
Directors Ulla Alexon ’24 and Teagan McGuire ’24 transformed Seelye 106 into a cozy theatre with the help of tech leader Tamarin Camp ’25. The pre-show projections gave a helpful overview of the show for those less familiar with the Bard and were followed by an amusing introduction (and instructions to boo villains) from Axelson.
Natoli and Cummings Ledbetter had a touching on-stage friendship. When Proteus betrayed Valentine, Cummings Ledbetter got booed. Cummings Ledbetter masterfully transformed pity for lovesick Proteus into disdain for the favorite villain.
Violet Paulsen ’25 (Sylvia) and Natoli gave highly vulnerable performances, lending their characters easy, tender chemistry. Ella McDaniel ’25 (Lucetta) and Allison Adams ’25 (Julia) portrayed intense female friends with a practiced ease. Adams had the audience rooting for her when she finally slapped Cummings Ledbetter at the end of the play.
Greta Morgenstern ’23 (Turio) roused laughter with physical comedy, most notably by climbing over the back of a small couch to squeeze in between Paulson and Nicoli. Caroline Pace ’24 brought a touch of contemporary humour through pop culture references while calling her servant, Sophie Askanase ’25 (Pantio), anything but their name—including “Palpatine.” Never without an innuendo, Izzy Wade ’24 (Lance) had the audience in the palm of her hand while hopping around during their monologue.
The Outlaws (Ryan Turner ’25, Althea Torrens-Martin ’25, Zoe Koeninger ’24, Connie Connoly ‘23, Defne Tekin ’25) had an energetic and connected group dynamic, using pointed sticks, spinning, and circular blocking to make Nicoli look trapped. Torrens-Martin (guitar), Koeninger (Saxophone), and Connoly (Melodica) provided musical transitions between scenes and accompaniment to Morgenstern’s lyrical monologue. Sophia Hager ’22 (Antonio), Xenon Winslow ’25 (Speed), and Lilith Cole ’24 (The Host) gave wonderful performances as well. Energy and enthusiasm was matched by every cast member regardless of role or stage-time.
