River City Community Players "Camelot" review by ghostpug6

One Brief Shining Evening
Rating: 5

Camelot
River City Community Players

The River City Community Players distinguished themselves with this outstanding version of "Camelot".

Jeff Adams played King Arthur with passion and humor. He clearly immersed himself in the role and offered a stirring portrayal of a conflicted monarch, one torn between love and duty. Sara Demetz, a fine actor and a brilliant singer, made Guenevere both humorous and complex; she was, in my opinion, the star of the show. Lancelot was played brilliantly by Coby Anderson - he drew some of the biggest laughs from the audience. In addition to his comic skill, he also captured the pain of Lancelot as he battled his loyalty to Arthur and his desire for Guenevere.

The show was capably directed by Tisha Entwistle, who showed great imagination through the use of silhouettes and a rotating set. The show, though long, was well-paced and a real testament to the excellence that a committed and cohesive community theater is capable of staging. If I had to nitpick, I would recommend removing the microphone from Mordred, played by Spencer Williams. Williams needs no assistance in projecting his voice; in fact, his amplified shouting overwhelmed me, almost achieving a level of pain. That said, his stage presence is exceptional. What he did, he did quite well, although I do think the director allowed Mordred to be too strong - I think Mordred should have been cunning and sneaky, not quite so powerful as he came across. Admittedly, that's a personal preference, and I won't presume to question the director any more than that. She has brought a classic to the stage and made it memorable.

I've never been much attracted to the Arthurian legend, not until last Saturday night when valiant knights donned armor and virtuous ladies graced the stage.