Artist Repertory Theatre: The Bed Trick by Keiko Green by Greta Lau

Roommates Lulu (Madeleine Tran), Harriet (Angie Tennant), and Marianne (Sami Yacob-Andrus) stumble through relationships of every kind. A revolving door of conflict makes for constantly shifting alliances and rivalries among the ensemble. Including Lulu’s wavering boyfriend (Mac Shonher), Harriet’s sense of self, and Marianne’s own namesake. The tensions boil over as the girls find themselves deeply entangled in a web of deception and desire.

With a structure akin to reading a book, each scene further complicates and then reveals something about the play. This push and pull of the story propels it forward and keeps anxieties high. 

The play’s self aware perspective is keenly entertaining but not without its pitfalls. College freshman and theatre major Harriet, directly and indirectly speaks to the very nature of the story and its source material. The storytelling starts heavy handed, putting the show in sharply clear context. While I found certain moments bordering on over-explanation, this approach is effective for audiences needing a door into Shakespeare. Deeply baked into the script are conversations about the contradictory ideas and the inherent “moral problems” in All’s Well That Ends Well. It is these large, uncomfortable questions that give The Bedtrick its teeth, drawn out expertly by the direction of ART’s Luan Schooler.

The script requires a fluidity of space. One that allows the characters to move freely. This is especially true for Harriet as she steps in and out of narration, always bringing the story back to its integral themes of love, manipulation, and the blurred lines of Shakespearean age consent.  

The set is centered around a dorm room, bursting at the seams with typical college memorabilia. I found myself drawn to the space’s endless intricacies. The set overflows into the audience creating an edgeless landing zone for the actors. While initially the space feels cramped, quickly it opens, becoming a sort of playground for the characters to move through. 

While the story hinges off the four teens, the performance of Marianne’s parents keeps the play grounded. Soft hearted professor, Benny (Issac Lamb) battles the transition of his daughter into adulthood while reconciling his own relationships. When Marianne’s whirlwind but well-meaning mother, Anna (Claire Rigsby) shows up unannounced, the two of them hash out their divorce and dig up old wounds. Both actors deliver beautifully nuanced performances. The obvious intimacy between them adds both authenticity to the history of the story and a  perfect mirror to the Bard’s original text.

Green’s play expertly shows how to handle the darker side of Shakespeare. This production honors those intentions and pushes audiences to question canonical stories and what is really at the core of our relationships.