Men in tights, and more

Although Elizabethan theatre is popularly seen as dry or dull, Shakespeare’s contemporary Frances Beaumont’s plays never fail to turn such a paradigm on its head. “Knight of the Burning Pestle” is no exception, and the Idaho State University’s School of Performing Arts 400th anniversary production is a renaissance comedy romp.
The play opened with two 7:30 p.m. performances in the Rogers Black Box Theatre on Friday, Feb. 8, and Saturday, Feb. 9. Performances will also be held Thursday, Feb. 14; Friday, Feb. 15; and Saturday, Feb. 16, all at 7:30 p.m. in the Rogers Black Box Theatre. Tickets are $7 with Bengal ID.
Beaumont wrote the play regarding the growing middle class and the demands it made on playwrights. This leads to “Knight” having a unique setup with the citizen and his wife playing the role of the overly-involved audience to the play within a play.
Even when the inner play begins to seem tragic, the citizen’s wife’s loud sighs call for satirical laughter. The interference of the “audience” brings increasing frustration to the “actors,” causing further comedic conflict. Exaggeration of cliché theatrical themes and physical humor makes “Knight” an entertaining farcically-influenced comedy.
The Black Box Theatre is well-suited to the presentation of “Knight of the Burning Pestle” with its multiple focal points. Keep in mind that “pestle” was a euphemism when the play was written.