"Camelot" is a self-conscious musical, the characters constantly referring to themselves and their predicaments in the third person — take the number "I Wonder What the King is Doing Tonight," sung by none other than King Arthur (Stephen Thorne) in his introductory scene, as an example. Trinity Repertory Company's current production expands this self-consciousness into the audience, as viewers become characters and the theater becomes scenery.
For long-time fans, the ability to see and be seen by other enthusiasts while singing along to the opening number could be a bonding experience. And Lancelot's exhibitionism as he holds his arm out to the front row and instructs spectators to "touch it" could be charming and humorous.
But the actors' lack of regard for the fourth wall could also elicit self-consciousness, in the more common sense of the word, in the crowd. Indeed, being put on the spot and in the spotlight is unsettling until one realizes why: because the show is really about the audience and their similarities to King Arthur's subjects.
"We consider how the forces of barbarism and outrage, masquerading as the powers of justice, have dragged at the foundation of our civilization," Artistic Director Curt Columbus wrote in the playbill's introduction.
To illustrate the timelessness and relevance of the medieval legend, T.H. White's 1958 book "The Once and Future King" and the classic 1960 musical that made the tale accessible to theatergoers, the Trinity team embellished an otherwise medieval setting with British subway signs, nuclear warfare sound effects and intentionally anachronistic wall decorations.
As Arthur resolves in the end to never again let his round table stray from "right and honor and justice," he invites memories and premonitions of past and future powers fighting in the name of these virtues. Just as Arthur recreates the violence the Round Table knights intended to resist, modern governments and citizens live under the fanciful delusion that their wars are "to end war" (Woodrow Wilson, 1914), fulfilling a "duty to be a fighter for truth and justice" (Adolf Hitler, 1922) or inaugurating "an era of new hope" (George W. Bush, 2002).
Hence, the viewers' embarrassment: modern civilizations haven't progressed much since Arthur's time. Indeed, the world has perhaps become even more replete with idealism gone awry.
The dissonance between the ye-olde-times-inspired script and up-to-date scenery in Trinity Rep's production can get a bit confusing. Arthur's song about how it feels to be hiding out in a tree the night before his anxiety-provoking wedding, sung from the top of a bunk bed, begs the question, "Where is the aforementioned tree?"
Enter Guinevere, who ironically stumbles upon this "tree" while escaping her impending marriage to Arthur. Like any character originated by Julie Andrews, Guinevere is hard to like or relate to, especially when portrayed by Rebecca Gibel as a self-pitying bimbo with pretty voice and a naive rebellious streak.
Resisting a queen's traditional role, Guinevere yearns for "The Simple Joys of Maidenhood": knights who "let their blood be spilt for me," the chance to "be on a pedestal" and other typical maiden activities.
Perhaps 50 years ago, nostalgic older women and hopeful single ladies could relate to these fantasies, which now are painfully outdated. Even Guinevere's dream of total privacy — the freedom to do everything naked — turns into Arthur's anachronistic frat-boy fantasy. The only ambition of hers that is worth pursuing is to "be carried off" — off the stage, one can only hope.
But she and Arthur are meant for each other. He is not the most charismatic character, either, and the two share their ignorant hypotheses on the lives of ordinary folks. In an astounding feat of meta-reflection, the two puzzle over the question, "What Do the Simple Folk Do?" until they conclude that simple folk must pass their hours wondering about royalty.
If King Arthur is the typical dimwitted popular guy in high school, Lancelot (Joe Wilson Jr.) is his jock best friend, who develops a secret affair with Guinevere and launches the Round Table into war. Exchanges between Guinevere and Lancelot in which they declare their love, including the famous songs "If Ever Would I Leave You" and "I Loved You Once in Silence," prove that overexposure to love stories incites melodrama.
The highlights of the show are the cryptic Merlyn (Mauro Hantman), a fitting narrator with his captivating perspective on time and tortured relationship with a long-lost love; the comical Pellinore, portrayed by Barbara Meek as the Shakespearean fool who actually knows what is happening; and the candy-addicted sorceress Morgan Le Fay, depicted with flair by Janice Duclos.
Whether to go buy a ticket depends on one's view of the script, which Trinity Rep's production sticks to faithfully but complements with modern-day scenery and interactive staging.
Coming from somebody who has not seen other productions or the film, Trinity Rep's take on "Camelot" makes some valid observations, like the incongruity between noble ideas and ignoble actions, and is entertaining enough. But "Camelot" appeals to an older audience, and the music, romance and humor extract their joy from the nostalgia they invoke.
"Camelot" is playing at Trinity Repertory Theatre now through Oct. 10.
