Sarah Liz Bell as Dame Anu
My Hamlet-like inability to let go of this play continues.
Dame Anu was the second character created for the show, immediately after her nemesis Dame Grendela. She was initially conceived as a Sir Andrew Aguecheek to Grendela’s Sir Toby Belch, but I quickly decided to throw some Malvolio in there to counter Sir Andrew’s Timidity. It was not long before Malvolio took over entirely.
The Black Knight is dressed in blue, traditionally the color most likely to win an audience’s sympathy. This is lucky, as Anu is perhaps the most querulous person in Amosa (and also shares my disdain for inebriation).
In retrospect, I feel Anu gets off a bit light compared to Malvolio. She is exposed as a hypocrite and made to feel foolish, but only in front of two people; whilst Malvolio is humiliated to an extraordinary extent and almost driven mad, made an amusement for all the Illyrian court. And yet, paradoxically, it is Anu’s humiliation that has elicited sympathy from the audience, something I have failed to accomplish in at least three attempts with various Malvolios. Perhaps Malvolio should have a sword fight with Olivia.
(Note to self: sword-fight between Malvolio and Olivia).
COSTUME by Delena Bradley
LIGHTING by Benjamin Dionysus
PHOTO by INDie Grant Productions, LLC