By Roy C. Dicks, Correspondent
Italian playwright Dario Fo's 1997 Nobel Prize acknowledged a lifetime of skewering political injustices and championing common man thorough outrageous farce and satire.
His use of physical comedy, street theater and commedia dell'arte techniques appeal to theater companies, but his wild and woolly texts need a firm hand and highly creative vision to succeed.
Stillwater Theatre, Meredith College's 2-year-old resident professional company, is up to the task in its boldly inventive production of "Elizabeth: Almost by Chance a Woman."
The title character is Elizabeth I of England, whose reign was awash with spies, tortured confessions and trumped up executions. In Fo's version, Elizabeth is a raging power monger, rapidly becoming unhinged as she tries to cope with reports that her lover, Robert of Essex, is plotting to overthrow her.
She also suspects that Shakespeare is mocking her in his plays. She holes up in her boudoir while seeking the advice of Martha, her maid, Egerton, her secret police chief, and, in desperation, Mama Za Za, a dispenser of organic beauty treatments.
What ensues is a grabbag of segments, from astute English history lessons and an intriguing analysis of "Hamlet" to slapstick cross-dressed chases and sudden musical numbers. Fo sets up undeniably funny situations and characters, but drives his points home relentlessly, trying to hit too many targets.
