Dell’Arte made the rousing return of its 34th annual Baduwa’t Festival even more special — by celebrating the company’s 50 years of madcap, theatrical existence in Blue Lake with an updated version of the classic melodrama, “The Poor of New York.” And, who better to do that revamp than DAI legend Michael Fields. Although he left the company a few years ago after giving 40 years of his own, artistic life (both onstage and behind the scenes) to make it an internationally renowned, physical theatre icon, he remained the perfect choice to revise the timeless script to reflect the today’s poor’s challenges.
And, of course, he did so with his own, outrageous, insightful, creative flair as both “adapter” and director of the resulting production that just opened its highly anticipated three-week run. (He even makes a hilarious cameo appearance as the “old sea-dog captain” who dies off much too soon.) The rest of the decidedly daffy cast ensemble is a treasure trove of marvelous actors, who fit their over-the-top personas like a glove, including the classic, melodrama villain and banker, Gideon Bloodgood (played to the dastardly hilt by Evan Grande).
He’s the mean and miserly landlord who delights in gleefully over-charging and cheating his already poor tenants. And, of course, he has an equally despicable, untrustworthy sidekick named Badger (Julie Douglas), as well as a ruthless, spoiled brat daughter, Alida Bloodgood (Shawn Wagner). Those overcharged tenan.
