It is said that legends aren’t born; they’re made. If that’s the case, the story of the 17th- century composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and his ultimate downfall at the hands of contemporary Antonio Salieri owes a lot to Peter Shaffer’s masterful play “Amadeus.” Though history has proven that this legend has warped the truth, the theatrical prowess and mix of tragic and comedic elements that make “Amadeus” a great drama almost renders the truth irrelevant.
The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis has mounted its own staging of Shaffer’s play, a beautifully realized production that is impressive in the ways its details manage to capture the opulence of the period.
The set makes use of the special requirements of the stage in numerous inventive ways, signifying different spaces and scenes through the placement of furniture. Two sets of mirrors stretch down the sides of the stage, expanding the size of the space in the eyes of the audience and creating interesting visual images as the action is reflected. If it’s a sign of a good production that the smallest of details is meticulously created, “Amadeus” passes with flying colors.
In the central role of Salieri, the character through whose eyes the audience is witness to the events unfolding, actor Andrew Long is given the challenge of inhabiting the character’s jealousy and maliciousness while still making him an understandable human whose actions rise out of the basic desire for fame and recognition. Salieri is a complicated, monologue-heavy role, and Long’s skill and dedication is evident. He spends every moment of the play on stage, sitting to the side even during those few scenes not featuring him, and, on this night, never once revealed a sign of fatigue. Long is called on to carry the audience through his character’s emotional arch without alienating them and his success is representative of the work that must have gone into filling this role.
In a showier role as the titular composer, actor Jim Poulos is called upon to play two very different Mozarts: the joyful man-child of the play’s first act and the desperate and damaged but fiercely proud shell of the second. Both are roles that require significant energy, and Poulos thrown himself into his scenes, whether it be giggling and crawling all over the stage or rocking back and forth and singing to himself in a moment of madness.
Actress Elizabeth Stanley, playing the character of Mozart’s wife Constanze, is the play’s third lead and is given the task of grounding the story of these three people on a more human level. Her Constanze does indulge in Mozart’s more outlandish behaviors, but, at her core, Stanley paints Constanze as a fiercely committed wife whose love leads her to places she never would have expected. Long and Poulos are given more verbal and physical fireworks, but it is the love Stanley exhibits that puts what’s at stake for these men into perspective.
Perhaps the biggest fault one can find with this production of “Amadeus” is one that would plague any not staged by a massive theatrical establishment. “Amadeus” is inseparable from the music that plays a role in these character’s lives and hearing recorded music as the actors pantomime piano playing or opera singing is disconcerting in a theater as intimate as The Rep. Usually one of The Rep’s biggest assets, the audience’s close proximity to the action can’t help but diminish the power of the music of these great composers. It was music written for a grand scale, but one cannot fault the actors for their commitment to the reality of how great music can transport the listener.
“Amadeus” is a masterpiece of drama, and, through a combination of imaginativeness and dedication, The Rep has put on the type of production this play deserves.
“Amadeus” will run at The Rep until Oct. 4.
For more information about The Rep, including ticket prices and a list of shows for the up-coming season, visit www.repstl.org.
