Benjamin
Evett plays Caius Martius (later dubbed Coriolanus), Coriolanus's
arrogant, scornful protagonist. During the first act we see him in his
element: mocking and intimidating a crowd of riotous Plebeians,
encouraging his fellow soldiers into battle, and single-handedly
breaking down the gates of an enemy city.

As a result of his
heroic deeds, his mother Voluminia (Bobbie Steinbach) and senior Roman
senator Menenius Agrippa (Ron Goldman) encourage him to become involved
in politics. What they don't understand is that Coriolanus's vision can
only accommodate the do-or-die mentality of the battlefield. He cannot
cope with the compromise and rhetoric necessary for a political career
and this leads to his eventual undoing.

The ASP has put a lot
of thought into developing an atmosphere to draw out Coriolanus's
military themes. Rusted metal structures are used as props for the
spare set. Stephen Serwacki, former STOMP cast-member, has written
stark percussion that serves as a backdrop throughout the entire
performance. The actors' lines reverberate powerfully against his
martial riffs.

Often we see Shakespeare plays being
interpreted for different eras. In this case, the costumes evoke a
WWII, Communist-tinged wasteland-giant projections of Industrial
Workers of the World posters are displayed during scenes with the Roman
plebes. Sometimes these interpretations can lead to interesting
effects. In this case, the choice seems a bit superfluous. While it
doesn't exactly detract from the performance, it doesn't contain the
visceral impact of the percussion, and some of the more inventive fight
scenes. I understand that this choice ties in with the industrial
set-design and plebeian protests, but, when it comes down to it, having
the cast dressed in 1940's garb doesn't resonate with the rest of the
play.

The main characters' performances are what really shine.
Benjamin Evett is an electrifying Coriolanus, marching around the stage
in a near-constant frenzy of contempt and outrage-his facial
expressions and body-movement make his character's obliviousness and
live-wire passion palpable to the audience. His unreflective,
action-hero mentality is an interesting contrast to the self-doubt and
introspection we see in the more well-known Macbeth and Hamlet. Bobby
Steinbach's rendition of Voluminia is pitch-perfect. She manages to
evoke an overbearing, needy mother, but with an undercurrent of
strong-willed brilliance.

Overall, ASP has put on a
wonderfully energetic, confident performance, well worth seeing. It is
also a great opportunity to support Somerville's new community arts
center at the Armory.