Jane Anger A Keeper of a Play

For anyone who loves the PBS show” Upstart Crow”, Jane Anger will delight you as well. This show at The Ohio Theater was written by Talene Monahon (who also played Anne Hathaway) and for the most part is a really good. The show features four terrific actors and the premise is that a cunning woman, Jane Anger (Amelia Workman) is going to help William Shakespeare (Michael Urie) get over his writer’s block. With the help of his not so young assistant Francis (Ryan Spahn), Shakespeare is able to get down to writing his new play, King Lear even though it was written years earlier by Thomas Kyd.

Director Jess Chayes escalates the action with great comedic timing, the business used by all four actors that makes this farce a must see. Michael Urie who is one of the great male actors of today (Chicken and Biscuits) is a smash as William Shakespeare. Like the TV series “Upstart Crow”, he too is able to bring ridiculous to new levels making this one of the best comedies of the season. His run on sentence wife, Anne Hathaway who arrives later in the show is the perfect blend to the trio that preceded her. Both Jane and Anne are educated woman who can read and write, but are discounted by Francis and William. Woman in the Jacobean era were not allowed to write plays, nor act on stage.

Between Nic Vincent’s simple lighting and Andrea Wood’s well-appointed costumes, Jane Anger hits on all cylinders for most of the 90 minutes.

This show is a keeper.

Jane Anger: Jennifer Campos Productions in Association with Play-PerView Theatrical at The New Ohio Theatre, 154 Christopher Street, between Greenwich and Washington Streets through March 26th. www.JaneAngerPlay.com.