In a somewhat familiar but twisted romp through Sherwood Forest, the Brandeis Official Reader's Guild's production of The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood was far from perfect-but simply added to its charm. Stressing exaggeration over traditional theatrics, the production strove to have fun, and that's just what its actors and audience did.
This take on the popular medieval tale, follows the titular archer-thief (Matthew Kamm '09). Robin is despondent over maid Marian's (Vicky Bell '08) impending marriage to the Sheriff of Nottingham (Theodore Tibbits '09), who is in cahoots with an evil and illegitimate royal power-Prince John (Anthony Scibelli '09). With his Merry Men, Robin tries to rescue his erstwhile lover and combat his evil-and terribly amusing-foes. Archery and bowling contests, delightful wordplay, heinous tortures (in one scene, Robin is forced to hear a recording of The Chipmunks' "Christmas Don't Be Late") and a healthy enthusiasm abound, resulting in a delightful fantasy tale reminiscent of mood in The Princess Bride.
Both Kamm and Bell affected appropriately overdone English accents accompanied by wonderfully overly-dramatic gestures. Stereotypically medieval language, such as Robin's perpetual exclamations of "huzzah" also contributed to the audience's uproarious laughter, and Tibbits' and Scibelli's over-the-top machinations furthered the evening's hysteria.
The supporting cast was no less amusing than the leads: each had their little quirks-the incessant ranting and screaming of Marian's lady-in-waiting (Shannon Moore '09) was a particular favorite of the crowd.
Robin Hood offered little pretense-it was aware of its unprofessional production. The stage transitions were rocky and the lighting was not always on point. But these shortcomings added to the play's layman feel, providing a charm that meshed well with the work's jovial tone. Billing the play an "amateur production," the cast and crew acknowledged this quality in the program, and Towns Guy (Nathaniel Lathrop '09), the story's narrator, constantly broke the fourth wall by making reference to how Mr. Technical Director (Josh Nudell '08) could aid the production.
After the show ended and the actors took bows to a heavy applause, the cast and crew simply jumped down from the stage to greet their families and friends. There was no fanfare; only one message: "We had fun and now we're done.