This one-hour show is a true example of the need to show — not tell. There is virtually no action to move this story of a dying prince as he struggles with the love of the gorgeous foreign princess Bhanumati (Katie Eichler). It’s too bad she has nothing to do but talk, talk, talk. (Her costume is a golden affair that truly captivates her beauty, but it also limited her physical range.) There is one half-hearted attempt of a sword fight between the princess and Prince Duryodhana (Taylor Greatbatch), but it was brief and ended with her sword being slapped to the ground. The actor tried to bring some manufactured passion to his laments of love, war, honor, family and death, but the script dragged down his effort. There really is no action, no character development and no empathy for either actor. And no humor. Surely somewhere in the deep musings of Duryodhana’s life, there were some funny moments that could put his losses and challenges in perspective.Most of the cast and crew are Northern Kentucky University alumni, including director Darryl Harris, whose staging did not help this piece. There are low-level speakers (hidden by potted plants) on both side of the stage. Princess Bhanumati stood behind these speakers several times, creating a detached, wooden performance that really never took hold. There is an expansive 14-page program for Duryodhana, but it’s full of dry background text — pretty much like this show.
This article appears in Jun 1-8, 2016.
