The Good Devil (In Spite of Himself) presented by WSC Avant Bard at Gunston Arts Center

The Good Devil (In Spite of Himself)

Gunston Arts Center
2700 S. Lang Street Arlington

When a Commedia Dell'Arte troupe is bedeviled by a royal decree forbidding them from speaking onstage, the rambunctious actors stage an ingenious revolt. Taking a flying leap off historical fact, The Good Devil is a hilarious spoof on art and censorship.

Presented by WSC Avant Bard

Thru - Jul 17, 2016

Thursdays: 7:30pm

Fridays: 7:30pm

Saturdays: 2:00pm & 7:30pm

Sundays: 2:00pm

Price: $10 - $35

Box Office: 703-228-1850

wscavantbard.org/20152016-season/the-good-devil-in-spite-of-himself/

The Good Devil (In Spite of Himself) Reviews

Average Rating based on 5 reviews

Highly Recommended
Recommended
Somewhat Recommended
Not Recommended

Washington Post - Somewhat Recommended

"...The plot's mechanics get super-sticky, though, as the pompous Royal Messenger hangs around to enforce the "no dialogue" rule. The way the Spittituccis get around the law isn't very interesting - hopping off the actual stage to keep talking, or resorting to songs (strummed on guitar by McGee) that are the least polished ingredient of the show. Nor is it terribly intriguing when the Spittituccis prey on the vanity of the messenger, rendered with preening arrogance by Doug Wilder, to lure him into their show as Mephistopheles."

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- Nelson Pressley

DC Theater Arts - Highly Recommended

"...The Good Devil (In Spite of Himself) is inspired lunacy. If true to its Commedia dell'Arte roots, each performance will be a bit different with improv and even its rehearsed physicality For those attuned to Commedia dell'Arte, or want a sojourn away from today's nasty political world, there is plenty of ruckus fun and subversive slaps at authority. I was up for it. Hope you are too. You will have a very fun time in the theater."

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- David Siegel

MD Theatre Guide - Recommended

"...It's a daunting script, with so many elements that many could fall short of effectively sharing the true fun in the piece with the audience, but this was not the case with WSC Avant Bard's production of The Good Devil (In Spite of Himself). A multi-talented set of actors and just the right amount of technical elements make following this complex new play a breeze, and a really good time at that."

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- Katelyn Wattendorf

DCTheatreScene - Somewhat Recommended

"...The difficulty here is that Good Devil frequently feels like it has gone off the rails for real. There are a few clues that point to this potentiality of brokenness. Sometimes the clues are small, more annoying than scary. Pauses between changes that last far too long. A halting sense of awkwardness when a cue has been missed. Quirks of live theater that keep stagework interesting and difficult, indications of the need to tighten rather than worry. These factors make me feel bemused as an audience member, wishing for snappy, clean farce that has the speed and power that the commedia form requires."

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- Alan Katz

BroadwayWorld - Somewhat Recommended

"...The trio of actors is stronger than the material.. McGee is a keen master of many approaches; Cutcher expressive beyond the many masks she has to wear (and in jutting her neck out with one of them, quite animated). Wilder is stuck in some ways as the heavy, the also throws himself into the performance. Despite the setting, all speak in English accents because they're fun to do (but at least they address this in the script)."

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- Roger Catlin

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The Good Devil (In Spite of Himself) presented by WSC Avant Bard at Gunston Arts Center