Grrrls Will Be Boys: Taffety Punk's 'Measure for Measure'

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THE SPECTACLE OF a woman portraying a man writhing in shameful arousal could have been ineffectual, or worse, a mere sight gag. But Taffety Punk's all-female production of "Measure for Measure" has Kimberly Gilbert, and it's hard to imagine a man playing the scene with more fervor.

It's a standout role in an oft-times amusing production of Shakespeare's dark comedy. The plot: In sin-addled Vienna, the Duke (Michelle Shupe) can't enforce the city's laws against depravity, so he hands control to the moralistic Lord Angelo. When Angelo sentences Claudio (Rachel Lee Poole) to death for impregnating his fiancee, the condemned's virtuous sister, Isabella (Esther Williamson), comes to Vienna to plead for her brother's life.

Angelo is instantly gripped with lust for Isabella and agrees to free Claudio — if she will surrender her virginity to him.

The Duke helps Isabella hatch a plan involving Mariana (Tonya Beckman Ross) Angelo's former fiancee, who still pines. (Hilariously, this is conveyed by her choice of music — the Smiths — and her munching of Cap'n Crunch right out of the box.)

It's a Shakespearean comedy, so there are switched identities, faked deaths and a happy ending. An enthusiastic supporting cast appears as the pack of scoundrels that inhabit the town.

Director Lise Bruneau might have been able to do more with a bigger space, as the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop setting sometimes feels a bit small. But by and large, Taffety Punk's riot grrrls make it work.

» Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, 545 7th St., SE; through Oct. 10, $10; 202-261-6612; Taffetypunk.com. (Eastern Market)

Written by Express contributor Erin Trompeter
Photo courtesy Kristin Holodak