Shakespeare Captivates a Young Actress

It may seem presumptuous for a young actress to mount a solo program of Shakespearean soliloquies and sonnets. Usually, that kind of venture suggests a seasoned stage veteran of the vintage of, say, a Claire Bloom or a Judi Dench.

Yet there’s a lot to be said for youthful fire, especially when it is combined with solid technical expertise. Saundra Quarterman, a Juilliard-trained actress whose baby face suggests that she is barely out of her teens, displays craft aplenty in “Shak’n, Part One,” her one-woman Shakespeare show at Stages. A gifted interpreter of the Bard, Quarterman delivers a mature and graceful performance in this well-structured outing, solidly staged by Lisa Arrindell Anderson.

Frederick Wenzlaff’s simple but ingenious lighting and set, and Bryan D. Wilhite’s superb sound design, are essential components.

Quarterman wanders far afield in her eclectic sampling, sometimes pushing the limits of her youthful talents, as when she essays Lear on the heath. However, her Lear is accompanied by such convincingly crackling lightning and whooshing wind that we are moved by the dramatic whole, even while we remain skeptical of her risky choice. The fact that Quarterman can sell Lear without seeming one whit ludicrous is a testament to her acting ability.

Only occasionally does Quarterman blunder into self-indulgence, as in the subtly narcissistic slide show that opens the show. However, such missteps are few among this otherwise sure-footed outing, a sweeping tribute to Shakespeare from a precocious acolyte.

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“Shak’n, Part One,” Stages, 1540 N. McCadden Place, Hollywood. Thursdays-Fridays, 8 p.m.; Saturdays, 2:30 and 8 p.m. Ends March 2. $20. (323) 465-1010. Running time: 2 hours, 15 minutes.

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F. Kathleen Foley