Heartwarming Midsummer Night’s Dream (As You Like It)

As part of the World Shakespeare Festival, the RSC has commissioned a Russian production from the Chekhov International Festival entitled Midsummer Night’s Dream (As You Like It) to perform for one week only in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. The title is a bit deceptive, neither following the narratives of Midsummer or As You Like It. Instead, the story revolves around a play within a play—The Mechanicals staging Pyramus and Thisbe.  "As You Like It" does not refer to Shakespeare's comedy, but the willingness of the audience to indulge themselves in the play - "We hope you like it..."

The production is touching, charming, and enjoyable. There is very little dialog to contend which, hardly any of which is Shakespeare save for a sonnet or two.

To begin, a slew of actors appeared loading the set, complete with a grandiose plastic tree and working water fountain. Hijinks insure as the actors attempt to hall the set pieces through the audience, slapping ticket-holders with branches and spouting water all the way.

A well-dressed “audience” enters and are taken to their seats on either side of the stage, interjecting with rude , though comical, commentary. An actor informs the audience that the play is under-rehearsed, though we will probably not know the difference since we have nothing to compare it to. Indeed, much of the comedy resided in the play going slightly wrong at times – yet everything about this play is exactly right. The ensemble of actors are funny and talented, joking around with deadpan faces and preforming acrobatics. The play comments on itself by including the audience in the jest. Dmitry Krymov (director) delivers it all –What could be better than two giant puppets and a dancing dog?

Read more reviews at:
Year of Shakespeare
The Stage

Brace Yourself for Troilus and Cressida

Last night’s RSC performance of Troilus and Cressida left me feeling bewildered, confused, and slightly foolish. The prospect of New York’s Wooster Group coming together with the RSC seemed exciting. The experimental project, directed by Elizabeth LeCompte (of NY) and Mark Ravenhill (of the RSC), brought Rupert Goold’s original conception to fruition. Yet, somehow I wonder if this is the sort of theatre even the controversial Goold would stand behind.

The production highlights the juxtaposition of Greek and Trojan cultures, bring the Trojans to life as war torn Native Americans.  The Wooster group attempted to theatrically embody the ritualized and stereotyped Native American culture. While I do not agree with all of their choices (I will explain this later) I do want to bring attention to some of the critical receptions of the play - some of which have  bashed The Wooster Group for all of the wrong reasons.

Michael Billington of The Gaurdian wrote:

“Many past productions have highlighted the differences between the chivalric Trojans and the pragmatic Greeks. That is pushed to the limit here with LeCompte's actors all wired for sound, presenting the Trojans as beseiged Native Americans. Politically, there is something questionable about modern white Americans appropriating past tribal customs; and, however authentic the war cries and dances, the actors can't help resembling extras in a Bob Hope western.”

I would just like to say to Mr. Billington that this is exactly the point.  What audiences are failing to recognize is that The Wooster Group was less authentic in their interpretation of Native Americans and more stereotypical of the Hollywood ideal.  This was expressed with the multiple television screens which showed clips of Native American films throughout the performance which the actors mimicked. As for the decision to provide the actors with microphones, we only can speculate. Perhaps the Wooster group, as Billington suggests, were unable to successfully fill the theatre with their voices and therefore were placed on microphones to project their voices. However, there was quite a bit of live music during their section, which would have been virtually impossible to project over; and furthermore, the moments that were occupied by silence and the lone actor were all the more eerie because of the echoing effect – reminiscent of the echo across the empty plain.  But maybe that is too generous.

What I did have a major problem with was the performances of the Troilus and Cressida – both being far too concerned with their exact replication of the video replay on the television screens then with the text itself. Scott Shepherd (Troilus) and Marin Ireland (Cressida) both gave a flat performance, devoid of meaning. Most importantly they forgot to tell the story! I complete agree with Billington that “this production… is that it does nothing to enhance our understanding of the play.”

On the flip side, if you can call it that, the Greeks show stronger stamina in camouflage as modern day soldiers. They certainly appear the stronger actors, not reliant on microphones and elaborate stylization.  Joe Dixon comes to the stage with the right amount of flare and energy, presenting the opposite of our imaginings of the heroic Achiles. Zubin Varla delivers Thersites's narrative commentary in a wheelchair and dressed as a transvestite. Of these, only Scott Handy as Ulysses delivers an intelligent performance representative of the RSC. This is yet another example of the RSC trying to push the boundaries, but falling short.

The major problem of the play was its lack of reliability – an alienation effect that was probably semi-intentional. Nearly half of the audience walked out during the performance. This was a failure on the audience’s part to accept art, in a crowd heavily reliant on “traditional” and “authentic” Shakespeare. However, there was also a failure on this productions ability to effectively tell the story – an element fundamental to the enjoyment of a performance. My recomendation is to embrace experimental theatre, however hard it may seem.

Read more at The Gaurdian and The Telegraph.

RSC's Much Ado About Nothing

The RSC's production of Much Ado About Nothing is certainly eye-catching, transforming the Courtyard Theatre into a modern Indian marketplace. Tom Piper’s stunning set evokes the heat and exotic culture of India. Conceptually director Iqbal Khan has all of the ingredients for success, however this production falls short with a less than likable Benedict and boring Beatrice.

Meera Syal, an experienced and well-beloved TV and film actress, lacks the stage presence and confidence needed to deliver a convincing Beatrice. Shakespeare's wit falls flat when Syal delivers her commentary on Benedict: "he wears his faith but as / the fashion of his hat; it ever changes with the / next block."  Paul Bhattacharjee’s Benedick gains speed in the second half, becoming a dopey love-struck puppy, but proves unlikable in the beginning. His stoic appearance suggests the absence of a capacity to love, not the occasion for it. A bright star in the production was Anjana Vasan, whose plays several small roles but commands attention, full of vibrant energy.

Though still in previews, these actors have a lot of hard work ahead of them to illuminate and clarify the text and their character's relationship. The visual flash can only disguise so much of their weakness.

AYLI Review!

Sandy Holt from The Stratford Herald sang praises for our production of As You Like It at the Shakespeare Institute.  Naming it our "best performance to date."

I got a small mention in the article concerning my performance as Rosalind, words of encouragement that I am happy to share with you today:

"Jamie Sowers provided a convincing Rosalind who worked well with a strongly cast Cecilia Kendall White as Celia. These two offered the audience just the right balance of heroine, quaintness, determination and grace."

Check out the article here.

An inventive Twelfth Night!

Kate Parson's new company, Squeezed, presents a 3 person adaptation of Twelfth Night coming to a pub near you! This innovative 1 hour production is sure to please with many laughs to go around.

Armed with two large baskets, hand puppets, and kazoos, these actors know how to put on a show.  This clever production, slap-stick at times, managed to evoke the touching love story central to the plot of the play. Parsons as actor and director made use of each actor's strengths.

Laura Young plays Viola, Sabastian, Maria, and a plethora of other characters.

Jon Harvey plays Orsino and Malvolio among others.

And the lovely Kate Parsons plays Olivia and everyone in between.

Make sure you don't miss this one!

10 Day Countdown for AYLI!

Only 10 days left until As You Like It opens, and the butterflies are fluttering. I am so excited for the opportunity to portray one of Shakespeare’s greatest heroines. We are working through the second half of the show in rehearsal today, putting the finishing touches on before run-throughs begin. The adrenaline is already kicking in. I know this one will be one to remember.

To all of my L.A. and state side friends, I wish you could be here with me, but I feel your positive energy all the way across the pond. Thank you for your love and support.

Love's Cure Performance

After standing in as Clara in the final dress rehearsal of Love's Cure, I was excited to see the show from the audience tonight in the Shakespeare Institute Hall.

This morning the play took its final shape, complete with set, costumes, and enthusiastic performances. The last staged performance of Love’s Cure, or The Martial Maid, was an extraordinary 400 years ago. This morning José Pérez Díez treated us to the staged reading of the play as part of his thesis project. Directed by Robert Ball, and written by John Fletcher (an apprentice and collaborator of William Shakespeare), this play was sure to please at the onset. None-the-less, Love's Cure delivered many delightful surprises along the way, including men in drag, sword fighting, and comical disguises.

The play takes place in the Spanish city of Seville and concerns a feud between two aristocratic houses, Don Pedro de Vitelli and Don Ferdinando de Alvarez.  The family of Alvarez proves the most "dysfunctional" as his daughter, Clara, has been raised as a boy and his son, Lucio, has been raised as a girl. When the two siblings are united early in the play, they must cast off their upbringing and return to their proper gender roles. To complicate matters further, Clara instantly falls in love with Vitelli. Love triangles and mistaken identities are abound in this play, full of gender dysphoria.

Robert Ball has cleverly staged this production with original practices in mind, employing an all male cast, live music, classical costumes, and a three entrance set.

Through my brief involvement with the production I have fallen in love with this gem of a play. Congratulations to all on a job well done.