Staging Volpone

            While reading Ben Jonson’s Voplone, I made a conscious effort to try and imagine a stage setting for the play.  The setting of any modern play is always a challenge due to time and space constraints and often time you have to rely more on imagination than anything else.  I would have two general set lay-outs, one for the houses, and one for the out side areas.  This will allow for easier changes between scenes.  For the houses, Volpone’s house would be the base.  I would have it decked out in extravagant, over the top decoration.  Gold, jewels, fine art, and beautiful furniture would cover the stage.  The second house, Corvino’s, would still be nice, yet it would lack the gaudy nature of Volpone’s.  Achieving this would simply be a matter of removing some of the decorations from Volpone’s house and rearranging the furniture.

One of the biggest challenges for modern theater is with the number of actors they can hire.  As it becomes harder and harder to make a profit on a dramatic play, the number of actors producers are willing to hire dwindles (for this reason that fact that “O, Beautiful” which is currently showing at UD is a pretty big deal as it has a cast of almost 20 people).  In order to deal with this real world concern I would have the same actor play Voltore, Corvino, and Corbaccio.

As far as costume design goes I would have each persons wardrobe represent something about the character.  Volpone, which means fox, should have furs on, along with his gaudy jewelry, some of which should be vulpine in shape.  Mosca, which means fly, should be played by a small, flitting actor with a high voice.  I would put large spectacles on him to magnify his eyes, giving him the impression of being his namesake. Voltore, Corvino, and Corbaccio are all carrion birds (vulture, crow, and raven respectively) and their dress should represent this.  Black garb, decorated with feathers and dark jewelry.

The actors I would cast would have to have physical characteristics like to the animals they are meant to represent.  Volpone should be physically fit and with vulpine features as well as facial hair that would convey a wily nature.  Mosca, as I indicated above, should be small with a high-pitched voice who moves rapidly from place to place on the stage.  Volture should be tall and thin, with a darkly haughty air about him, Corvino should be small and shrill, Corbaccio should be squat and nervous (all of which convey the nature of their namesakes).

I’m having a hard time imagining Peregrine (probably because I keep seeing a Hobbit in my head), but his name meaning traveler would indicate to me that he should have some sort of walking stick with him as a prop at all times.  However, I’m going to leave him and the Would-Be’s to you guys as sort of challenge.  Who would you have play them (description or the name of a real world actor is acceptable) and how would you dress them?