The Heart of Robin Hood at A.R.T.

It’s been a while since I went to a show.  As a recent-postgrad struggling with student loans, coughing up the money to go see a theatrical production isn’t always the easiest.  So imagine my surprise when a friend of mine called me up earlier this week to ask if I wanted a free ticket to go see the Heart of Robin Hood with her.  ‘Why not?’ I thought.

Why not indeed.

It was, in short, a fabulous production.  At first, I was struck by the music, performed by Poor Old Shine, and the set.  A grass field that curled up into a sloped back wall.  Was it a piece of fabric that would be lowered?  Was it somehow rigged to the tree that sprawled over the ceiling and stretched out into the audience?

I got my answer when the actors appeared and started leaping, flipping, dangling from ropes, and sliding all over the back wall.  The acrobatics and stage fighting were fantastic, even better, the main player in many of the fights was a woman.  This came about from the Heart of Robin Hood’s retelling of the usual heroic story, in which Robin Hood and his merry men were simple thugs.  Robbers, gansters, call them what you will.  Then along comes Marion who cross dresses as Martin and quickly whips them into shape with her strong morals.

Though the gender roles were unsurprising, the feisty and idealistic female lead softens the heart of the bad-boy with the heart of gold, it was a nice change from the swooning Maid Marian’s I grew up with.  And it takes an important step towards the next retelling, of Maid Marian and her merry women (well, the alliteration almost works).

After the music and the set, however, the show was stolen by Christopher Sieber who played Maid Marian’s fabulous companion/music teacher/clown.  The writing behind his character, along with his delivery of the lines, was spot on.  The entire audience mourned with him as he lost his fluffed wig as he was dragged into the woods by his wayward mistress, only to cheer as he faced down the worst of Prince John’s men.

The play continues in Harvard Square until January 19th, so if you’re still looking for a last minute present, you could do far worse than to buy a pair of tickets to this whirlwind of a show.