In the intimate atmosphere of the Bartell Theatre, audience members got up close and personal with Shakespeare’s most beloved scenes for the Madison Shakespeare Company’s (MSC) “A Valentine’s Affair 2025.”
Fast-paced scene changes, plain-language summaries of the Bard’s more complicated texts and audience participation allowed for even the least seasoned viewer to follow the show.
University of Wisconsin-Madison alumni Malcolm McCanles and Megan Tennessen made their MSC debut in the show, and both said they valued the freedom of its variety of scenes. Tennessen, who plays the Jailer’s daughter in “Two Noble Kinsmen” among other roles, told The Daily Cardinal the show requires “versatility” as an actor.
“The ability to improvise, play and create unique characters for both the individual scenes and ‘Sonnets from a Hat’ are important skills for this production,” Tennessen said. “It also allows for a lot of fun.”
In scenes from “Two Noble Kinsmen,” performers Malcolm McCanles (Arcite) and Mitch Taylor (Palamon) showed love can be freeing. While imprisoned, Arcite and Palamon catch sight of the beautiful Emilia (Paige Abbatacola), remarking that they now see their imprisonment as a barrier keeping them from her. On the other side of the bars, the Jailer’s daughter (Megan Tennessen) falls head over heels for Palamon, freeing him from his cell out of her passions. The men may be the titular Kinsmen, but Tennessen’s frantic, borderline deranged portrayal of the unrequited love of the Jailer’s daughter shines at the forefront of the scenes.
“I get to truly let go and play, exploring a role that can be exhausting in the best way,” Tennessen told the Cardinal. “There is this wonderful spiral that you see from the Jailer's daughter that has required a lot of crafting both physically and emotionally which has been so rewarding.”
Love, the scenes argue, can free you from your shackles and strip you of your wits. The hilarious physicality of McCanles and Taylor — in combination with the raucous passions of Tennessen — emphasized that love can lead you to act in ways you never thought possible.
While aspects of the Bard’s work hold outdated misogyny, “A Valentine’s Affair 2025” focuses on strong women holding power, guiding loved ones and fighting for the love they want.
In “Antony and Cleopatra,” Deanna Martinez glows as a Queen who holds not only emotional, but diplomatic power through her love. The scenes do not shy away from her sexuality.
“All those things you'd think of doing once, it’s just a regular week for her,” said performer Paige Abbatacola about Cleopatra.
The royal love of Cleopatra and the passionate lust of the Jailer’s daughter argue that women love just as boldly as men. In the scene “Women Beware Women” by Thomas Middleton, bold Bianca and jilted husband Leantio have a spat after the former moves in with a Duke. The stubborn passions and jealousies of Abbatacola’s character show the fierceness of love, with women striking out to act on their desires.
But the performance did not shy away from the dark sides of love. In “Measure for Measure,” performer Malcolm McCanles played Antonio, a corrupt ruler who falls for the sister of a man he sets to kill, Isabella (Laura Kochanowski). The scene depicts the worst result of a royal attempt at “Undercover Boss,” where Antonio sets out to use the freedom of Isabella’s brother in exchange for her love. At her resistance and threats to tell the truth to others, McCanles’ haunting character replies, “Say what you can, my false o’erweighs your true.”
“I am a sucker for villains, and one of the scenes we perform features one of his evilest,” McCanles told the Cardinal on playing roles like Antonio. “I love digging into hard roles like this to find the humanity and deliver a believable performance.”
“A Valentine’s Affair 2025” concluded with raucous applause by performers and audiences alike. Love comes in many forms — unrequited, at-first-sight, familial, sexual and corrupt. Regardless of form, MSC was able to teach its audience a little something about love, and pancakes, this Valentine’s Day weekend.
MSC’s upcoming performances include “Henry V” (May 2 to 11) and “The Comedy of Errors” (July 18 to 27).
