Mandrake

I attended the Mandrake saterday night. I was plesantly surprised. I didnt think Machiavelli could be funny after reading the Prince a few years back. However the play was filled with comedy, while some of the comedic value came from the main characters, most of it came from the Zanni. A group of characters who didn't speak but instead made funny noises and did alot of slap stick comedy in the background while the play was going on. It was a very odd thing at first, because I have never seen a play that had so many things going on in the background taking away from what was going on up front. I enjoyed the theme of the play, tricking an old man to allow someone to sleep with his wife. This was done by posing as a doctor and stating that if you give her this potion she will be furtile, however the first person to sleep with her will die eight days later. This set up allowed the old man to find someone off the street to sleep with his wife so he would absorb the posion. It was very funny to see the crazness of the plot work. I also really enjoyed the masks everyone wore, it was very humorous. I give it two thumbs up!