“ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL” A DELIGHT AT ROWAYTON

Katie Wieland and suitors (above) and happy crowds (below) Photos by Marven Moss

When an arrogant and petulant youth, consumed with his own noble status, refuses to take as wife the daughter of a physician because she is not his equal in class, he runs off to war and she sets out to prove herself worthy of his love. A tiny clue to the conclusion of her pursuit is revealed in Shakespeare’s pithy title of “All’s Well That Ends Well.”

Until Sunday, June 28,  Shakespeare on the Sound in Rowayton invites you to play matchmaker in this comedy of lure, lust and love. The attractive and resourceful Helena, a remarkable Katie Wieland, lives as a ward of the Countess of Rossillion (Lizbeth Mackay ) and one day, providently, cures the King of France (David Logan Rankin) of a distressing illness, one his own doctors had been powerless to treat.

As a reward, the King arranges a reality show version of “The Bachelor” and allows Helena to choose her mate. Since she has long yearned after the Countess’s son Bertram (Oliver Lehne), her selection is easy. His acquiescence, however, proves resistant. He will marry her only because the King demands it, but she can never call him husband until she secures the ring from his finger and bears him a child.

When Bertram flees Paris for a war in Italy, the indomitable Helena sets off in his wake to prove herself worthy of the match.

A little comic relief is provided by Parolles (Griffin Stanton-Ameisen), a comrade in arms with Bertram, while Diana (Reanna Roane) and her mother (Paula Galloway) conspire to help Helena achieve her desired goals.

 Artistic director Mary B. Robinson has assembled a fine cast, dressed them in costumes courtesy of Grier Coleman, with original music by Robert Maggio and a unique circular set designed by Brian Prather to make this a delightfully entertaining tale by the bard.

The cost of a season of performances is $400,000, and this is Shakespeare on the Sound's twentieth, so donations are most welcome. Suggested are $20 for adults and $10 for seniors and students, with speacial reserved parking on site $50 , by calling 203-299-1300.  As you sit on the grassy edge of the river, picnicking on blankets and lawn chairs, under a setting sun and then a starry sky, you quickly learn the beauty of Pinkney Park.   Performances are Tuesday-Sunday at 7:30 p.m. Special kiddie shows occur from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

The continent of Europe becomes the battlefield and the unlikely bedding place for an anxious and determined bride and her evasive and reluctant bridegroom.