SHAKESPEARE'S R&J -- Off-Ramp Theatre

produced by: The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

script: Joe Calarco (adapted from the play by William Shakespeare)

director: Paul Mason Barnes

cast: Daniel Zaitchik, Bobby Steggert, Chris Landis, Bob Braswell

scenic designer: Scott Neale

lighting designer: Mark Wilson

costume designer: Garth Dunbar

sound designer: Tori Meyer

vocal coach & combat director: Bruce Longworth

stage manager: Kathryn Ballard

Four boys from a private school escape to the attic each night to revel in the words of Shakespeare, acting out the roles (and living the lives) from Romeo and Juliet.

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This was a really nice production. The acting was terrific, the setting beautiful. I didn't get entirely wrapped up in the characters, however. By the time I understood who they all were, I was beyond caring about any of them. Did they all know that the two were lovers? Did it only come out through the course of their reading R&J?

I don't think that the adaptation was as tight as it could have been, and perhaps the direction could have made it a bit more clear.

I felt that the lighting was not helping the story at all. It seemed to change for no reason. If we're going to have lighting changes for the imaginary world the boys are living in, then it should be made clear that the lighting is for the play world. But when it resembles the real world outside the attic, then I simply got confused as to where we were supposed to be. The very fact that I felt the need to mention the lighting signifies that it did NOT do it's job well.

An interesting production. I was not familiar with this adaptation. Tight acting really made me stay focused on it.

2006 LIT MOON WORLD SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL -- Santa Barbara, CA

I wanted to take a moment to look at the festival as a whole. In addition to the six plays I saw, and the one rehearsal, I attended an art gallery which displayed sketches for theatre scene and costume design, puppets, set models, and other theatre related items.

I attended a lecture “Continental Shifts: Shakespeare in Central and Eastern Europe” moderated by Professor Simon Williams, Chair of the UCSB Department of Dramatic Art and featuring Dennis Kennedy, Samuel Beckett Chair of Theatre at Trinity College, Dublin.

Easily, my favorite production was the Polish Othello, followed by the Bulgarian Puppet Theatre's production of As You Like It, and very closely followed by the Bulgarian Romeo and Juliet.

Strangely, and somewhat sadly, the English language productions this week were the weakest. UCSB's Timon of Athens was a good show, but lacked the spark that the European productions had. The Canadian Juliet and Romeo was unique, but lacked spark and purpose. It had some great mask work and interesting uses for its set, but never followed through on any of it.

My good friend's production of King Richard II was interesting, with some great looking tableau's, but his deconstruction of language didn't work well at all in the vast space of the cathedral. It seemed out of control and never brought the audience in to the show the way it intended.

However, based on the rehearsal I saw, I had high hopes for the production of The Tempest. It might easily have stood next to the European productions in terms of story-telling and mood and effect.

I was very glad I was able to get to this festival, and it makes me yearn to attend some of the European theatre festivals.

It is obvious that great theatre work is being done, but not necessarily here in the States. Why?

A large part of it, I think is that the European theatres are largely state funded. (In conversation with the good people of the Bulgarian Puppet theatre, I learned that the Bulgarian state pays all the salaries and that they are only required to pay for everything else through ticket prices (a very reasonable solution, I think). Whereas in the U.S., theatres are forced to play to a lower common denominator in order to ensure that tickets will be sold so that there is enough revenue to continue a season.

I applaud John Blondell and the Lit Moon Theatre Company for this venture and for bringing these wonderful European theatre companies to the U.S. I hope that the trend continues and that I can attend more great festivals like this one.

ROMEO AND JULIET -- Bulgarian National Theatre "Ivan Vazov," Sofia, Bulgaria

script: William Shakespeare
director, production adaptation, musical setting: Lilia Abadjieva
cast: Vladimir Karamazov, Silvester Silvestrov, Vasil Ryahov, Yulian Vergov, Zakhary Baharoff, Kalojan Lenkov
set and costume design: Vassil Abadjiev
titles: Ivan Abadjiev
stage technicians: Stiliyan Penev Penev, Slavchco Dimitrov
sound technician: Valentina Matteeva

Shakespeare's tragedy of young lovers from rival families, as told by a cast of men, in Bulgarian. In the rain.

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This production seemed to create the most interest among the people of Santa Barbara, CA and the 750 seat theatre was sold out for every performance.

It was a remarkable work, a lot of fun, and I am very grateful for the inclusion of credit for an "adaptation." Like many of the works I saw this week, few were Shakespeare's play, but rather adaptations of Shakespeare's play.

This one managed to hold quite well to the story, but there was a fair amount of extra material here.

There was incredible energy with this cast, and from the opening sequence of carefully choreographed movements to a techno-fusion score, this show grabbed our attention at a high level, and never let us down. The sense of humor among the tragedy was brought out at every opportunity, and yet we somehow never lost the sense of the drama.

As the death scene approached, I wondered where they would go with it ... how could they top the energy of what they'd already been doing.

And then it rained.

And rained.

And rained.

It rained on the indoor stage, and must have rained for nearly fifteen minutes. The entire death scene took place in a downpour, creating the absolute perfect mood for this tragedy. But, in keeping with the rest of the production, even the death scene took on comic overtones as Romeo and Juliet took turns dying ... repeatedly. Rolling around and splashing in the pool of water that was being formed.

And the ending, which in Shakespeare leads one to believe that some goodness might come from this tragedy, was an incredibly high energy dance among all six men, in the rain, with strobe lighting effect, to loud, techno-pop-fusion music. It seemed to be the only way to top what they had already done, and it worked perfectly.

In the lobby after the show I heard someone exclaim, "They captured the mood of the show perfectly. It's the first time I ever felt anyone got it just right."

Well... I don't necessarily agree that it's the only time anyone got it "just right," but I do think that this production conveyed the mood of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet quite well, and that perhaps that was their intention. This production seemed to be a paraphrasing, capturing essence and mood extremely well.

English subtitles were displayed above the performance, but again, I found I didn't need them much (occassionally I read them in the scenes that were unique to this production).

The high energy performance from this cast was a perfect way for me to end my visit to the festival.

I would definitely recommend this production to anyone who has the opportunity of seeing it.

THE TEMPEST -- Lit Moon Theatre Company

script: William Shakespeare
director: John Blondell
cast: Stanley Hoffman, Peter john Duda, Victoria Finlayson, Kate Louise Paulsen
original music: James Connolly
scenography: Milon Kalis
costumes and masks: Lesley Finlayson
lighting design: Jonathan Hicks

Shakespeare's magical tale of enchantment and romance.

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It is unfair of me to review this show as I didn't actually get to see a performance, but instead was invited to attend a rehearsal, and even at that, it was more of a spacing rehearsal for the company's first time in the theatre, rather than a run-through rehearsal.

However, what I saw, I enjoyed immensely. It was much more attainable than the company's production of King Richard the Second, which I saw a few nights earlier. I think, in part, that the smaller container of space that they inhabit in the theatre, as opposed to the great openess of a cathedral style church, works in their favor. This company needs containment to remind them of their purpose. More space and they lose control.

The setting, stalks of bamboo hung from the grid above, work perfectly to convey the sense of remote island, and their movement flow nicely with the actors working in and around them.

I really liked what I managed to see, and only wish that I could have stayed long enough to attend an actual performance.

AS YOU LIKE IT -- State Puppet Theatre, Bourgas, Bulgaria

script: William Shakespeare
director: Hristina Arsenova
cast: Iroslav Petkov, Nedilina Mladenova
scenography and puppet design: Emeliana Panayotova Andonova-Toteva
lighting design: Nikolay Koychev Kyuchukov
sound design: Svetlin Ivanov Petkov

WORLD PREMIERE

Shakespeare's frolicsome romantic comedy, as told by puppets. In Bulgarian.

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This was a whole hell of a lot of fun!

First, I was very surprised at the nature of the puppeteer/puppet aspect of the performance. I was expecting strictly a puppet performance, with puppeteer visible. But in fact, the two puppeteers were also characters in the play, as well as controling certain puppets and even, at times, being extensions of the puppets.

The puppets were not marionettes, nor were they traditional hand puppets, but some kind of unique mix. Control was made mostly by grasping the back of the head of the puppet, but at times they stood rigid, alone, and often they were moved about in a very flowing manner. I'm certain that there was something used to keep them straight, but I never saw what it was or how/when it was attached.

The puppets and scenography were brilliant in design! Emeliana managed to pack the entire set into a rough-shaped ball about the size of a laundry basket, which opened and became a myriad of different things.

The work of the actor/puppeteers was great. Iroslav Petkov was immediately loveable and a perfect comic foil (imagine Steve Martin in his prime, working with puppets). Nedilina was no less talented, but was definitely overshadowed by Iroslav's comic manic-ness (mania?).

English subtitles were projected on a screen above the performers, but I found that I didn't pay much attention to it. In part, I know the script well enough that I didn't need to see it, word for word, and also, like the Polish Othello, they managed to tell the story clearly enough that one didn't need to understand every word.

I had the good fortune to spend some extra time with this company -- drinks with the director and scenographer the evening of their arrival, and dinner and drinks after the first performance. They were incredibly charming and unpretentious. I was surprised to learn that the performers were required to study acting before they could study puppeteering. I shouldn't have been surprised, judging by the show, but I don't think that the same holds true here in the West.

A total delight and a highly recommended show.

KING RICHARD II -- Lit Moon Theatre Company and Westmont College, Santa Barbara

script: William Shakespeare
director: John Blondell
cast: Heather Bancroft, Michael Conrad, Sumner LeVeque, Nolan Hamlin, Carlo Moss, Mitchell Thomas, Victoria Finlayson, Zak Landrum, Kate Louise Paulsen, Casey Caldwell, Stanley Hoffman, Amber Angelo, Erin Brehm, Peter John Duda
original music: James Connolly
costumes, masks, and scenography (Acts 1 & 3): Lesley Finlayson
costumes and scenography (Acts 2 &4): Yevgenia Nayberg
lighting design: Jonathan Hicks
assistant director: Rose Elfman
stage manager: Suzanne Galletly
stage technician: Christianna Stuart

Shakespeare's political tragedy about the death of kings.

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Staged in a grand, classical Episcopalian church, the opening tableau for this piece, complete with incredibly beautiful masks, was incredibly beautiful. (See first photo in this blog.)

And then the show began.

Oh this piece was dreadful. I hate to say it, as the director is a very good friend, but it was agony to sit through this.

Although spoken in English, I never understood a moment (except for the challenge between John of Gaunt and Bollingbrook -- and that went on way too long) of this piece (unlike Othello, which was performed in a language I didn't know, but a piece in which I understood every moment).

Having the audience move to different locations for the different acts was a nice touch and helped to give this work a unique flavor, but rather than including us in the piece, as I believe it was intended to do, I believe it actually distanced me. Because there was action going on all around me, I couldn't take it all in, and therefore I was left to choose where my attention would go, which made me an observer, rather than a participant. Being an observer at a play is fine (it's expected!), but when the action places the observer in the middle, the expectation is that the audience becomes a part of the action. And that never really occurred.

I don't really remember where, or when I heard the comment (it may not have even been directed toward this production) but someone said, "It was obvious that the actors were having some 'moments' that were very special and important to them, but they never let us in on them." And that is exactly what I felt about this show. There was lots of something special going on, but it was intensely personal to the performers.

There was too too much shouting. Mitchell Thomas as King Richard seemed to shout constantly. It never seemed to make him powerful, angry, strong, or anything other than an actor who can't find any other way to convey an emotion. I actually sat watching, tuning out the words because of the shouting, and thought, "The Europeans would never resort to this. Their character's strength and madness come from the inside, not worn on their sleeve this way."

And strangely enough, one of the things that irked me th most was the only touch of humor that found its way in to the show. The Dutchess of York actually shrieked the line: "What ho, my liege! For God's sake, let me in" in a most annoying, and totally out of character fashion (it was the only time they did something of the sort) and the following line from King Henry was, "What shrill-voic'd suppliant makes this eager cry?" It felt as though it were done just for the laugh (which it got) and was incredibly out of place.

Stanley Hoffman as the Duke of York was the only performer who managed to find a character and convey it to the audience without any momentous internalizing or vehement shouting. He simply was, living in his own moments, which is what helped me find him.

Sadly, a show that obviously meant something to those involved, but the audience was never let in on it.

JULIET & ROMEO -- Canis Tempus, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

script: William Shakespeare
director: Andrew Culk
cast: Julie Lowe, Andrew Culk
costumes and sets: Sirius Morillo
lighting design: Alex Geng
sound design: Peter Alec Fedun
mask design: Lesley Finlayson
fencing masks: Valerie Viertel
stage manager: Jim Melvyn

Shakespeare's tragedy of young lovers from rival families, told in gender twisting fashion.

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This was a very interesting production, and more along the lines of what I was expecting to see at this festival (Lit Moon World Shakespeare Festival).

Sparse, with two persons performing all the roles (all those that weren't cut in this one hour production), and with two folding ladders for all the scenery, this show managed to remain faithful to the language, but I'm not sure how true it was to the intentions of the story.

I never did decide why the genders were switched. Why was Andrew playing most of the female roles, and Julie playing the majority of the men's parts?

The actions were interesting, and the use of the ladders was good, but not complete. Each time they started something new, I felt that they never quite finished it.

The story lacked the passion between Romeo and Juliet that is so necessary for making the tragedy work. Was this a result of the gender switching? Can a thirtysomething male possibly portray a teenage girl in love?

I got nothing from this show (I saw it twice -- in part because I could, and in part because I was so incredibly exhausted the first night that I wanted to give it a better chance and see it with fresh eyes). I didn't come away with anything new or even with a different perspective on the story. There were some nice "looks" to it, but not enough to make it worth the effort.

A disappointment.

OTHELLO -- Teatr Modjeska, Legnica, Poland

script: William Shakespeare
adaptation: Krzystof Kopka
director: Jacek Glomb
cast: Przemyslaw Bluszcz, Rafal Cieluch, Pawel Palcat, Bogdan Grzeszcak, Aleksandra Motorniuk, Tadeusz Ratuszniak, Pawel Wolak, Malgorzata Urbanska, Magda Skiba, Ewa Galusinska, Katarzyna Dworak, Justyna Pawlicka, Anita Poddebniak, Lech Wolczyk
scenography: Malgorzata Bulanda
stage movement: Leszek Bzdyl
music: Kormorany
lighting design: Wladyslaz Sajda
sound technician: Andrzej Janiga
director's assistant: Olga Nowakowska

spoken in Polish

Shakespeare's tale of a strong and honorable leader, betrayed by his own men and tricked into believing the worst about his own wife.

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Wow.

This production took my breath away. I've seen it twice now and come away from it with such powerful emotions and the feeling that I've just seen some of the best theatre I may ever see.

Spoken almost entirely in Polish, I didn't understand any of the words, and yet in this play, I knew absolutely everything that was happening. Perhaps that's a good indicator of a truly well done play?

Although based on Shakespeare's Othello, we never forget that this production has someone credited with the "adaptation." This Othello is the captain of a ship, and the entire play is staged aboard its cramped quarters. With some variation from Shakespeare's story, this works quite well, and the set is brilliant with its simplicity and the remarkable blend of realism and experimental qualities.

The lighting is bare and sets a bleak tone for this voyage. Well crafted and executed.

The sound is performed live and is (pardon the pun) instrumental for invoking the mood throughout the play.

Costumes are brilliant -- nothing stands out as being inappropriate and everyone on stage seemed quite comfortable and natural with what they were wearing.

The performances.... Here, above all, they shine. To the smallest detail, these fine actors brought us aboard their ship and did not let us go until the voyage was over. Whether it was the constant, slight rocking they did, reminding us of the roll of a ship's deck, or their climbing in the riggings and hoisting sails, or the shedding of clothes and dragging themselves about as the ship floundered and they began to lose hope and respect, this cast held us enchanted throughout the journey.

It is hard for me to describe just what they did that made this so special, because each time I try to say what they did that was so wonderful, I realize that this is the goal for every actor, in every play, and it sounds rather corny.

This cast never broke character. there were no sly winks amongst themselves. They never seemed to be putting on a show or just saying their lines. I lived and breathed every moment with every character. Even those in the smaller roles I watched more closely the second time, and they each went about their business as if this ship and it's voyage were real.

Przemyslaw Bluszcz as Othello was perfect. Small in stature, he had a commanding presence every time he entered the stage. I think that the entire audience would have done whatever he told the to do, simply by the power of his presence. The ship lived and died by him, and so this tragedy rests solely on his shoulders.

I can't recommend this play highly enough. I would see it again without hesitation, and I most certainly would like to see anything at all by this remarkable company.

TIMON OF ATHENS --Theatre Artists Group and USCB Dept. of Dramatic Art & Dance

script: William Shakespeare
director: Risa Brainin
cast: Irwin Appel, Mike Zlotnick, Collin Tongue, Justin Gillman, Aja Naomi King, Jeff Mills, Zachary Appel, Richard Klautsch, Alexa Kahn, Martha Mintz, Ty Uranga-Foster, Ryan Lockwood, Shannon Sullivan, Shaun Hart, Amy Gumenick
scenic design: Tal Sanders
costume design: Dianne Holly
lighting design: Vickie Scott
composer/sound design: Brad Carroll
choreography: Christopher Pilafian
stage manager: Wendy Jones

Shakespeare's story of a philanthropist who believes the best in everyone, until his fortune runs out and he seeks a little help from his friends.

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This is not one of Shakespeare's finest stories -- there are problems throughout the plot, and underused characters (what is the purpose of Apemantus' character?), but it is always nice to see a good production of a Shakespeare play that is not generally so well known.

I have had the opportunity to see this play before (Broadway, with Brian Bedford in the lead role) and in many respects, this production was much better.

Director Brainin did a superb job of making this script accessible. It was quite easy to follow what was going on, and the hip, techno-style movements in the beginning did a nice job of setting the time and location for us. Some of her decisions seemed questionable, though ... why the obvious, stereo-typed salon scene? It felt very out of place with the rest of the scenes.

Most of the cast, as college students, did a fine job. Richard Klautsch,a guest artist, as Apemantus, was quite superb with what little he had to play with. Irwin Appel (also a guest artist), in the title role, seemed to be playing for a television camera -- he looked good, and he sounded good, but I never felt anything from him.

For the most part, the set worked well, though some of the shorter scenes seemed to require the most work in set change.

Costuming was wonderful.

This was the first play I managed to see as part of the Lit Moon World Theatre Festival. I thought it came across as a good college production (which, for the most part, is what it was), but hoped for much more from some of the other shows during the week.