Seattleplays.com review
				Playwright Ann-Marie MacDonald talks the talk, and an ArtsWest cast walks the walk in an invigorating, entertaining and – mostly – intellectually satisfying spoof on two of Shakespeare’s most famous plays. “Othello” and “Romeo and Juliet” each gets a sly, good-natured ribbing by MacDonald, who imagines a luckless, loveless, middle-aged academic who plunges into the Bard’s plays – literally.    Constance Ledbelly takes a “Twilight Zone”-ish (there’s even a Rod Serling-y narrator) trip, first to Othello’s world, then to Romeo and Juliet’s Venice. Reluctantly and clumsily, she acts on her theories, and is at first horrified, then satisfied, with the changes that happen because of her. This production works, largely because of the solid anchor dropped by Karen Nelson, who is charming and funny – in a Diane Keaton sort of way – as Constance. Mitch Diehr and Stan Shields are largely successful in playing multiple characters, doing both straight Shakespeare and MacDonald’s twisted version.      The ArtsWest show is a touch sluggish in its first act, with the action concentrated on “Othello,” but rips along wonderfully in its second, when Romeo and Juliet are comically probed. Beth Cooper is a wonderfully wacked-out Juliet, a sort of proto-Goth who is obsessed with death – and sex. One of MacDonald’s most clever scenarios imagines Romeo and Juliet, having consummated their over-blown love, quickly tiring of each other.          Director Carol Roscoe doesn’t always succeed with the physical demands of the play, but this is forgivable, as she has such a solid grip on the feel of the play; she allows some pretty big acting moments, yet keeps things solidly grounded in pseudo-reality, whereas drifting into camp would have been oh so irresistible for so many Seattle directors.       The playwright would have been wiser to focus only on Romeo and Juliet, which would have avoided some clumsy transitions; and the world of Othello isn't nearly as ripe for comic plumbing as is the universe of the star-crossed lovers. Even so, this West Seattle production is a winner, and another strong step forward for ArtsWest, trying to shed a "community theater" reputation to become a mid-theater player.
	Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet) ArtsWest 4711 California Ave. SW West Seattle closes June 12 $10-25 206-938-0339 web site