Danny Gavigan as Zorro, photo by Andrew Propp

Over the past several years, the Helen Hayes Award-winning Constellation Theatre Company has deservedly earned a strong reputation through bold choices in material, inventive staging and strong performances. In times where black box theater can often be overly weighty and morose, this company isn’t afraid to add some flair, style and color. Given that context, it was both appropriate and exciting that Constellation would choose Zorro as its first world premiere production. Who wouldn’t want to spend two hours getting their buckles swashed by a caped crusader?

Unfortunately, the substance of the play didn’t live up to its potential. There is no one central flaw that leads to the disappointment, but myriad smaller problems took something away from the whole experience.

The story, set in the first half of the 19th century, begins with Don Diego de la Vega, played by Danny Gavigan, returning from his studies to his father’s hacienda in California, then a territory of Mexico. The governor has imposed harsh rules in the province, creating tension between the Governor and the region’s noblemen caballeros. Don Diego sees an injustice being done to a monk, Fray Felipe (Michael Kramer). This, in combination with other wrongs, leads Diego to adopt his masked alter ego.

And here lies my first quibble with the story. A key part of any hero plot is where the protagonist transforms from a normal person into the alter-ego, whether it be through a training montage or something more fantastic. Writers Janet Allard and Eleanor Holdridge skip over this point almost entirely. Granted, this was probably due to practical constraints, and we do learn that Don Diego studied fencing at university, but still feel short changed.

The subplot involves the pressure Diego’s father, Don Alejandro (Jim Jorgensen), puts on him to find a bride. Diego has his eye on the feisty and idealistic Lolita, played by Stephanie LaVardera. Lolita’s parents, Don Carlos Pulido (Carlos Juan Gonzalez) and Dona Catalina (Vanessa Bradchulis), are eager for the alliance to take place because of the money involved, but all of them must deal with Andres Talero’s Capitan Ramon, the Governor’s chief henchman.

In last night’s performance, the romantic subplot was far more resonant than Zorro’s exploits, and both must be in balance for an adventure tale to work. Gavigan was far more believable as the affected Diego than he was as sword wielding outlaw. The humor also worked better, with the Pulido couple providing the most effective comic relief. The action sequences further detracted from the Zorro plot because they didn’t feel natural. The choreography was still too close to the surface. The script was also schizophrenic, failing to decide on melodrama, camp or realism.

The result of all this is a play where the audience should be on the edge of its seat, waiting to cheer Zorro, but is instead left chuckling at the odd line here and there. One strong point, however, was the overall production design, which lives up to Constellation’s reputation. But the design is just icing, which no matter how sweet, cannot mask an under-baked cake.

The Constellation Theatre Company‘s production of Zorro runs through February 17, 2013 at the Source Theater, located at 1835 14th Street NW. Tickets are available here. $20-$45.