A friend and I managed to see Cincinnati Shakespeare Company’s final performance of All’s Well That Ends Well yesterday. It is a strange play. Some characters are unlikeable, only one is likeable all the way through – the dowager Countess – and most left us with mixed feelings.
All’s Well sort of ended well – after several folk had fairly negative stuff happening. The few funny bits mainly centered around Lavatch, a probably homeless deliverer of messages, played by the wonderful Josh Stamoolis. It’s a classic Fool role, and done well.
The play is called a romantic comedy – but you wouldn’t know that if I hadn’t told you. I am glad the Shakes is near completing the entire canon – and am glad to have seen this intricate work. But it’s easy to see why it’s seldom performed. Takes a lot of work to watch, and doesn’t return much for that expenditure of energy.