Fresh Air & Echoing Sentiment: Theatricum Botanicum - Hamlet, Three Musketeers & A Tasty Frog - Review

The tendency within the structure of full theatrical plays is the adaptation of artifice within the scene. In a place such as Los Angeles, where urban sprawl takes over much of the appearance of nature, it is difficult to find a persistence of life where such productions can find root.

Despite being off the beaten path but easily drivable from teetering lights up the winding roads of Topanga Canyon either by way of the PCH off Malibu or The Valley via the 101, Theatricum Botanicum has created its own structure of heaven where the acting flows freely, no prying eyes perceive and the night sings in its own specific manner.An afternoon and evening show befits a willing Sunday afternoon with dinner possible in between barely a mile down the road with the buzzing grace of hummingbirds wrangling through the canyon.

The first of the plays, "The Three Musketeers" by Alexandre Dumas, uses the geography of the open air theater to great effect using multi-staged arenas simply perceived on different levels to attain a sense of staggered drama. One of the most telling play textures was Melora Marshall playing Musketeer Aramus with a wisp of knowing but nonetheless the crack of a whip which was wonderfully counterbalanced by the egregious wit, peppered with a couple extra points of view, by Jim LaFeve whose drink time reads of Arthos with such lines as "Woman gone? Drink up" and "Love is a lottery into which he who wins wins Death" offers a wonderful brevity. The arching sunlight offers depth because it gives the crook of the theater a sense of being in the forest much like Robin's merry theives allowing for a counterbalance of field to make one feel surrounded by not claustrophobic. The stage combat specifically allows, on the wide stage, the ability to have multiple storylines moving depending in which direction one wishes to look. This is indeed is a rarity in large theaters where one at times cannot see the true expressions on the actors faces. Here with all areas being used in direct contact there is an intention and follow-up through of intimacy which is sorely missing from most theatrical productions of well-known standards.

The lighthearted revelry of Jackson McCord Thompson, who plays D'Artagnan, brings to mind Michael Cera with muscles allowing to see the heart worn on the sleeve while still pursuing an intensity of earnestness and innocence which intensifies in the young Musketeer's love of Constance (played with pluckish glee by Willow Geer). While some in the audience thought the narrative, at times, confusing because of the amount of structure deception (not unlike Shakespeare), the reality of the production is that its pace and humor keep its inherent soul vibrant allowing a known standard to shine bright because it feels modern in its context of friendship while its frivolity of court seems untimely dated.

"Hamlet", by contrast, took place as the night gave way to the chirping of crickets and a nearby howl, perfectly angled for the arrival of a ghost. While the mystery of the King is not unbearably accomplished in the first act, the balance of watching Hamlet after many times on the screen, not the least being Kenneth Branagh's 4-hour opus, taints some of the reading by which Mike Peebler who plays the Young Dane structures to. The interesting aspect to be sure about the troupe is the interplay of the actors throughout the plays in consecutive fashion. Peebler himself played the Baron de Winter in "Musketeers" which perfectly motivates into Melora Marshall who played Aramus moving gender roles into Queen Getrude.

While "Hamlet" itself specifies itself in not being over-archingly surprising, the read of certain scenes in different productions does allow for a bit of chicanery, not the least being the intensely comedic tendencies of Polonius as imagined by Carl Palmer's lithe wit and texture. His playfulness lays the foundation for a more pronounced hatred of Hamlet despite his shortcomings. The true breakout performance, which brings to mind a similar performance in the opera "Lucia de Lammermoor", is the breakdown of love and mind of Ophelia. It is a specified performance that must run a narrow road between a lost mind and a broken heart without overthinking its tendencies. Ultimately the tragic becomings of a family bent on its own unwilling destruction plays through to the end. Again the interesting structure of the theater's geography also allows one to watch the reactions of the actors when their faces at times cannot be seen by those they are playing against which gives the audience a distinct advantage of perception.With a long afternoon a quick bite but with the delicious inventiveness of a great kitchen is always welcome. In the tender bosom of Topanga, Froggy's Fish Market offers that chill getaway that doesn't bemoan fine dining but offers a hearty and artisan meal nonetheless.Structured on an order-and-sit persistence with a grand little open bar and a deck looking out into the forest below, the idea is one of relaxation. With hummingbird feeders spaced throughout the vision, these flittering machines of natural beauty seem to funnel throughout the area offering constant amusement as the drinks weather the senses.

Froggy's Margarita, twinkled with salt and served in a mason jar, balances its idealism with Soju Tequila, Agave Wine and Triple Sec, offering a refreshing counterpart to Froggy's Fish Chowder with swordfish and mahi mahi not overcoming the taste of the spices which tenderly persuade the taste buds.

The main course, inclement of the season, was a grilled white sea bass, likely caught off the coast of Catalina Island, ensconced in a light but still savory Buerr Blanc sauce and topped with lemon-drenched pieces of scallops. The hearty portion did not overwhelm but instead lifted the experience with a wonderfully whipped accompaniment of fingerling potatoes and tangy asparagus.

And the reality is that the meal was ordered, served and enjoyed in the time allowed between the two performances (less than an hour and a half) which makes a quick bite and cocktail all the more possible if one wants to make the most of time. Granted one could also see one play and enjoy Froggy's hospitality even longer.

Theatricum Botanicum offers an escape within the structure of a Hollywood Shadow. The key is not posturing but enjoyment. The theater is a place of learning and, with all the actors, there is a sense of community and balance as one character informs another, no matter where he or she sits in the circle of life.