Loosely inspired by William Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure and with book and lyrics by Peter Kellogg and music by David Friedman, Constellation Theatre Company’s Desperate Measures brings this religious caper to merciless new territory. Directed with out-of-the-box intuition by Allison Arkell Stockman, Desperate Measures is an ace-high twist on the bard’s comedy, rewritten here as a raucous musical parable of the Wild West. The script avoids taking itself too seriously, but this irreverent, sexy, silly musical is seriously funny.
Because Measure for Measure ends in marriage, it’s technically considered one of Shakespeare’s comedies (it’s also been dubbed one of his problem plays). But as morally perplexing as it may be, Measure for Measure isn’t exactly known for its hee-haws. The plot follows that, intending to save her brother Claudio from untimely execution, novitiate nun Isabella faces an unusual proposition: sleep with the regent of Vienna or watch her brother be hanged. Unable to sacrifice her virtue, Isabella teams up with a Duke in disguise as they conspire to break the deck of injustice and set Claudio free.
Cue the kick-line, however, because the 2004 Drama Desk Award-winning Desperate Measures isn’t just packing hee-haws, it’s fully equipped with yee-haws too. In the unannexed Arizona Territory, audiences meet the notorious Johnny Blood (Hunter Ringsmith). Complete with an eponymous bluegrass ballad, Johnny is the narrative parallel to Shakespeare’s Claudio, quickly imprisoned for his crimes and sentenced to death. Ringsmith is especially clever and authentic in this role, whisking us away from the harshness of his predicament with the simple reminder, “it’s good to be alive.”
Sympathetic toward Johnny’s unfair judgment, Sheriff Martin Green (Tyler Dobies) seeks the help of Johnny’s estranged sister and soon-to-be nun, Susanna (skillfully played by understudy Julia Link for two weekends in February). But the musical’s real concern is that when Dobies’ too-cool-to-care Sheriff meets gun-slinging Susanna, their hearts practically beat out of their chests. Susanna agrees to speak to Governor Von Richterhenkenpflichtgetruber on her brother’s behalf but, just like in Measure for Measure, the governor offers Johnny’s freedom in exchange for Susanna’s chastity. As his full name might suggest, Governor Von Richterhenkenpflichtgetruber is a quintessential mustache-twirling, slow-clapping, power-hungry “bad guy” hilariously embodied by Greg Watkins, whose German accent is comically inconsistent but whose vocal talent is exhilarating.
Susanna and Sheriff Green risk multiple lives when they enlist the help of snazzy saloon girl Bella (Nina Sophia Pacheco)—who also happens to be Johnny’s betrothed—to pull off a feat of Shakespearean proportions. When the lights go out in the Governor’s bedroom, Susanna and Bella will switch places so that Bella and not Susanna is the one to do the deed, so to speak. Not only does this plan make perfect sense to everyone, it also goes off without a hitch. But the narrative doesn’t end here; trust gets broken, unexpected feelings arise, and, after all this, we are still promised a wedding.
Spirits run high with Bobby Libby as the play’s “moral compass” Father Morse—a perpetually drunk clergyman and Friedrich Nietzsche aficionado. Aided by Stockman’s direction, Nikki Mirza’s unexpectedly stylish choreography, and Refiye Tappan’s skillful music direction, Desperate Measures demonstrates an inventive spirit of collaboration, and an abundance of individual talent. Samuel Klaas’ picture-perfect, saloon-inspired set design consists of an endless series of trapdoors and surprises. Throw in E–hui’s lighting design and Kevin Alexander’s sound design, this kitschy vision of the Wild West uses every trick in the book—saloon brawls, duel draws, and ricocheting bullets. The musical’s aesthetic is unironically and unabashedly cartoonesque in that cartoons are expressive, imaginative, and can be enjoyed by people of all ages. (Notably, the program note reminds “not included are any archetypal or caricatured Native Americans—thank goodness” at the same time pointing out whose stories go untold in Desperate Measures).
With its jovial score, scandalous plot, and energetic performances all around, Desperate Measures is aesthetically vivid and pliable like old-school animation. If singing cowboys are not enough to drive that point home, every bit of dialog is written in rhyming limerick. In fairness, the resolution feels a little too easy, and the play heavily relies on a wink-nudge effect (“Blame Will Shakespeare, not [us]”). But with mighty big shoes to fill, Constellation Theatre opts for a pair of stirrups insead—and the result is a painstaking delight.
Constellation Theatre Company’s Desperate Measures, inspired by William Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure, with book and lyrics by Peter Kellogg, music by David Friedman, and direction by Allison Arkell Stockman, runs through March 17 at Source Theatre. constellationtheatre.org. $20–$55.