Slings and Arrows: Season 2

 

 

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Call me superstitious or cowardly or weak
But I'll never play a character
Whose name one dare not speak

I'll play Hamlet
In doublet and hose
Or either of the Dromeos
But sorry, I won't play Mackers

I'll play Richard the Third
With a hump and wig
Or Henry the Eighth
That selfish pig
But sorry, I don't do Mackers

Every soul who plays this role
Risks injury or death
I'd rather sweep the bloody stage
Then ever do
Mac-you-know-who

When I watched the first three episodes of Season 2 of "Slings & Arrows" on the first of these two DVDS I have to admit that I was wondering what happened to the series. Like those of us with a background in the theater, I fell in love with the New Burbage Theatre Festival and its madman artistic director Geoffrey Tennant (Paul Gross). If his bouts with mental problems were not enough, Geoffrey is saddled with a leading lady, Ellen Fanshaw (Martha Burns), who is his once (and perhaps future) girl friend and the ghost of Oliver Welles (Stephen Ouimette), his predecessor whose sudden death got him his current gig. The first season was all about staging "Hamlet" with a television star as the melancholy Dane, while the second season finds Geoffrey tackling the Scottish play (hence the title song, "Mackers," quoted above). But Geoffrey is running around dealing with not only Oliver's ghost and all those notebooks his predecessor left behind about directing the play, which gives plenty of time for the associated curse to wreck some havoc.

The good news is that when we get to the second half of the season on the second DVD, "Slings & Arrows" is totally back on track, but a bit too late to deserve the same 5 star rating as Season 1. That is because in the final three episodes we finally get deep into the staging of the play in question, as Geoffrey finally makes a connection to the play and connects with the play and then has to find a way to persuade if not coerce his lead, the ego maniacal Henry Breedlove (Geraint Wyn Davies) in to following his direction. The best moments are when Geoffrey gets us to see the play anew. Ironically, at the same time the Festival is putting on "Romeo & Juliet," directed by Darren Nichols (Don McKellar), who is actually back again. Nicholas antipathy for the play is such that he is trying to present the play devoid of all romance to the stunned displeasure of his leads, Sarah (Joanne Kelly) and Patrick (David Alpay). So we have two plays where the director and cast disagree on the performance and for the most part the wrong side is winning the argument, which is somewhat maddening. Especially when who is right and who is wrong on each stage is so absolutely clear, but the great cosmic joke for Season 2 just because people do what you want and just because you are right, does not mean that they are ever going to admit that you were right despite ample evidence proving the point.

Of course there are other things going on at New Burbage to keep everyone occupied. The Festival is having massive financial problems and as a last resort Richard Smith-Jones (Mark McKinney) has hired an advertising guru, Sanjay (Colm Feore) who promises a "youth quake" as the result of a bizarre ad campaign that goes out of its way to offend current subscribers. Meanwhile, Ellen is being audited and Anna (Susan Coyne) has caught the eye of a visiting playwright, much to her surprise. But if you know Shakespeare then you know the play is the thing, and it is not until we get to the Scottish play that "Slings & Arrows" is back in high gear, although what is happening with the other play has some interesting moments. Now we have to wait for Season 3 to come out on DVD, it appears that the first line of the final stanza of the opening song sets up what we have to look forward to in the final season:

So gimme King Lear
Cleopatra
Romeo, Juliet
Doesn't mattra
I'll play them all for free
But I'd be crackers
To take on Mackers
You see, I'm skittish about the Scottish tragedy

Season two of Sling and Arrows is darker than season one, but that's not a bad thing. The writing and acting is still wonderful, it's just not as laugh out loud funny. Don't let that steer you away though! It's still well worth the money.

According to theatre superstitions, "Macbeth" is cursed -- and since everything in New Burbage appears to be cursed anyway, you know things are gonna go south. "Slings and Arrows Season 2" is a joyously strange return to the world of Shakespearean plays and disastrous theatrical matters, this time centering around the infamous Scottish play.

"Hamlet" is over for the season, and things are seemingly looking up for Geoffrey -- especially when Ellen dumps her teenage lover and reunites with him. But there's a fly in the ointment: he's expected to put on "Macbeth," which he doesn't want to.

And he starts running into troubles right away -- eight boxes of production notes, new interns, financial woes, a disrespectful diva as the lead, and the "Romeo and Juliet" director falling off the stage and breaking her neck. What's more, Oliver's ghost has made a reappearance, and he's determined to have Geoffrey put on the infamous Scottish play properly -- only to have things spin out of control yet again.

And other theatre people have problems as well: Ellen is being audited, and Darren Nichols (Don McKellar) returns to take over "Romeo And Juliet," and promptly turns it into a passionless avant-garde affair. Most importantly, Richard's attempts to keep their finances stable blows up in his face when he signs up for an edgy, controversial ad campaign -- and ends up alienating EVERYBODY. Is it the end for the New Burbage theatre?

"Slings and Arrows Season 2" is a slightly more cheerful affair than the first season, mainly because most of the bitterness has been exorcised and Geoffrey is now firmly entrenched as artistic director. But that doesn't mean that it doesn't have its fair share of grim moments (poor Richard almost has a nervous breakdown -- and a very creepy dream sequence involving an axe).

The writers deftly juggle the various plot threads and eventually weave them together for the grand finale, when everything somehow comes together in time for the new season. And the entire series is imbued with plenty of dry, witty humor ("Oliver Welles is dead! I poured him in the river and swans ate him!") and humorous moments (the distinctive "look" for Romeo and Juliet involves metal cages and chess hats).

But there are a few flaws -- the resolution of the "Disaster Ad Campaign" plot feels rather contrived, and there's a random scene where Ellen sleeps with her brother-in-law. Who knows why?

Martha Burns and Paul Gross are actually better than in the first season, mainly because Geoffrey and Ellen are now a couple living together (most of the time) and running into some problems separating their personal and professional life. Stephen Ouimette remains deliciously dry and funny as Oliver; David Alpay and Joanne Kelly are adorable as the young lovers in "Romeo and Juliet" -- onstage and off. Turns out... he's not gay.

While it has some potholes along the way, "Slings and Arrows Season 2" is a fun revisit to the world of sets, stages and disastrous plays. And it leaves you wanting an encore.

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