Timon of Athens

At Bard on the Beach until September 9, 2018
Tickets from $24 at bardonthebeach.org or 604-739-0559

Posted July 11, 2018

Who is Timon? What is he/that all his friends commend him? The Google jury is out: “Timon, a kindly, friendly and generous Athenian nobleman, has many friends because of his generosity. He loves to spend money”; “Timon gives away money wastefully”; “Timon, a kindly, friendly and generous Athenian nobleman, has many friends because of his generosity”; “Timon is a kind and generous aristocrat in Athens with one major fault—he is a spendthrift.” Generous or profligate?

With the Beatles-inspired As You Like It happening on the mainstage, we in the small tent are reminded by Timon of Athens that money can’t buy you (or me) love. “No, no, no.” Timon’s only true friend is Flavius who tries, unsuccessfully, to warn Timon of his forthcoming bankruptcy.

It’s a difficult play as director Meg Roe points out repeatedly in the program notes. Even with a huge part of the plot expunged (the whole plan to sack Athens and all who live there, for example), it’s difficult to get a handle on Timon. Is he – or in this production (90 minutes, no intermission) – she really generous and kind or is she just trying to buy friends? Does she love throwing big parties or does she love showing off her extravagant lifestyle and her elegant clothes (by the incomparable Mara Gottler) and her high-end brand-name shoes?

It’s possible that switching the gender of Timon from male to female further compounds our confusion. Who amongst us isn’t turned off – even a little – by a gorgeous woman, elegantly coifed and expensively dressed throwing around money and lavishing diamond bracelets on her friends? Perhaps we excuse it in men but criticize it in women?

Timon comes to a bad end when, broke, she goes to those same friends for loans and, one by one, is turned down. She leaves town, goes into the woods – from which we all know enlightenment comes – lives off roots and, spoiler alert, curls up and dies. But not before finding a load of gold. Wheeler’s, “Ha, you gods! Why this?” is perfectly timed and simply hilarious.

If the plot is a bit crazy and the monologues long (monolongs?), Colleen Wheeler is in her element as Timon. Rumour has it that Wheeler has been working out for about a month and she is going to need it. She completely rips apart Drew Facey’s very upscale set design – probably a penthouse condo in False Creek – and then scrambles up and over beams into the dirt below. It’s a whoo-hoo moment – well, longer than a moment – that made me want to stand up and holler, “You go, girl.”

But if there’s a heartbeat in this production, it comes from Moya O’Connell as Flavius, Timon’s advisor and one who really loves her. O’Connell appears truly moved by Timon’s demise and while we may not have a grip on Timon, we know real friendship when we see it. A pity that Timon doesn’t realize it in time to avoid disaster.

The original, which may or may not have been written completely by Shakespeare or perhaps not written by Shakespeare at all, has all – but two –  male characters. This production has all –  but two –  women. Quelemia Sparrow is Ventidius who begs a loan from Timon but refuses to reciprocate when Timon needs it. Sparrow is that gushing friend that hangs about Timon like a spaniel. Patti Allan’s Sempronius is arch, bitchy and a real snake in the grass. Strangest of all is Apemantus, played by Marci T. House. The character is a misanthropic philosopher and no friend of Timon yet attends the lavish parties while criticizing Timon and her fawning friends. When Timon finally sees her friends for the parasites they are, Apemantus and Timon should become friends but they argue, exchange insults and unaccountably go their separate ways.

This production opens with a cocktail party at Timon’s and although we know conversations overlap and you can’t get in on all of them at the same time, it’s a frustrating opening with cool, jazzy piano stylings a little too loud and the various conversations impossible to follow.

But the production is handsome, Timon’s friendship with Flavius is touching and Wheeler is astounding as she tears the place apart. When Wheeler lets ‘er rip, you know it’s been ripped!