‘King John’ shines

REVIEW. Many of Shakespeare’s characters are blinded by power, corruption or greed. In the Actors’ Shakespeare Project’s production of “King John,” it’s the audience who’s blinded by overzealous and poorly executed lighting designs.

The rarely produced piece suffers from a convoluted plot that requires rapt attention to minimally follow. But when you also ask your audience to suffer along in silence as intermittent blasts of piercing bright light forcibly averts their attention away from the stage, what you get is an unpleasant experience no matter how good the performance might be.

“King John” seems especially well-suited for the current political climate. At its core is a war nobody seems to be winning, a weak leader, rapidly changing alliances and powerful families pulling strings from behind the scene.

Director Benjamin Evett has assembled a stellar ensemble that nicely contemporizes the piece without overtly pointing fingers. He keeps it current by dressing  characters in contemporary clothing and incorporating laptops and the ever-intrusive media into the fray.

Michael Forden Walker is perfectly impotent as King John, while Janet Morrison is wonderfully manipulative as his mother Queen Eleanor. Bill Barclay’s Bastard is a scene-stealing delight to watch and Sarah Newhouse shines as Hubert, the jailer who’s forced to discharge ridiculous, inhumane executive orders.  

Joel Colodner nicely captures the flawed King Philip of France, while Jennie Israel’s Constance teeters on the edge but masterfully avoids turning her profound, moving grief into shrill rage and insanity.

‘King John’
Through Sunday
Cathedral Church of St. Paul
138 Tremont St., Boston
MBTA: Red/Green Line to Park
$30-$42, 866-811-4111
www.actorsshakespeareproject.com