Love proves lethal in John Ford’s 1629 revenge drama “The Broken Heart.” Theatre for a New Audience’s stylish rendition of this difficult and rarely performed play captures all of its chills and black humor, although you may need a score card to keep track of the convoluted plot.
Set in ancient Sparta, this work by the author of “’Tis Pity She’s a Whore” — coming soon to BAM, part of a virtual Ford festival — depicts the fateful chain of events that follow after the overprotective general Ithocles prevents his sister, Penthea, from marrying her true love, Orgilus, thinking he’s not in their station. Instead, he forces her to marry a much older nobleman, Bassanes, who has severe jealousy issues.
Orgilus (Jacob Fishel) pretends to leave town but instead remains in Sparta in disguise, planning revenge. Meanwhile, Ithocles (Saxon Palmer) pines for the king’s daughter (Bianca Amato), and even asks his wronged sister (Annika Boras) to plead on his behalf. Then . . . well, better read the program synopsis.
For her American debut, British director Selina Cartmell manages to put by-now familiar devices to striking use. The chic, minimal set and costumes are largely black and gray — right down to the copious amount of blood that’s spilled. The strongly choreographed action is underscored with the sort of portentous music that sets your nerves on edge.
But the action is clear and swiftly paced, and the large ensemble does well by both the play’s poetic language and its intense physical demands — one character is killed in a mechanical chair, another starves herself to death and a third robotically continues dancing when hearing that her loved ones are dead. Among the standouts are Andrew Weems’ Bassanes — barking out such lines as, “Hold your chops, nightmare!” and “Furies whip thee!” with entertaining gusto — and Boras, heartbreaking as the doomed bride.
Maybe Theatre for a New Audience — which has presented more than 30 Shakespeare plays, with mostly excellent results — should stray from the Bard more often.