Shakespeare Theater's Tamburlaine has a snazzy new venue, a gravitas-heavy star and some looming special effects.

If only the play were a little more interesting.

Maybe Rorschach Theater's recent sexy treatment of Tamburlaine scribe Christopher Marlowe has heightened our expectations — how could a figure with such a dashing, myth-heavy past produce such a lumbering, monotonous work? Unfortunately, even the author's more lyrical moments can't hold our attention for this three hour-plus extravaganza.

It's not that nothing happens in Tamburlaine. Battles are waged, women are nearly raped, a mother kills her child and God himself is arguably to blame for the death of a major character. It's just hard to get up the motivation to care as the battles wage on and the leaders get more power-hungry. Plot aside, Marlowe's words don't tend to do much to provide universal glimpses into human nature, or even reveal much about his characters' inner worlds. The work, to be blunt, is pretty boring.

That said, Shakespeare Theater does its best to ingest some life into the proceedings. Giant golden drums line the top of the stage, with drummers pounding away at key dramatic moments. Tamburlaine (Avery Brooks, this time playing second fiddle to none)'s second-act entrance on a dark, looming chariot is a breathtaking spectacle. And both lead and supporting actors all lend able turns. Brooks in particular demands respect as the towering Tamburlaine while playing up the character's feistier, maniacal moments. Floyd King is amusing as the sputtering Mycetes, King of Persia. And there are a number of natural performances from the show's crew of women, who admittedly often aren't given much more to do than die gracefully (Amy Kim Waschke is behind the play's best scene as the crafty Olympia, grieving for her dead husband).

Tamburlaine, however, is our introduction to the new Sidney Harman Hall, and Shakespeare Theater is going to be more than comfortable in this grand new space. Here's to the rest of this year's season providing them better opportunities to show it off.