Author: csatter

REVIEW: Royal Shakespeare Company: Richard II

csatter
David Tennant as Richard II   (photo courtesy of The Daily Mail)

 

In his first production as artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, director Gregory Doran presented a expertly crafted and wonderfully mesmerizing production of Richard II. Set in its own time period, this production details the downfall of King Richard II, a vain and somewhat villainous king who bases his power on divine right. Through the use of a simple stage design, lighting, and beautifully sung music, this production felt as if it were in a church, which heightened the religious undertones of the play. King Richard’s assumed god-like authority was further highlighted through the costuming choices, most notably his long mane of hair, white or light colored flowing robes, and the ever present cross around his neck.

The simplicity of the stage design and prop choices allowed the audience to focus on what was really important in the production–Shakespeare’s diction and the spectacular acting of the ensemble. David Tennant’s portrayal of Richard plays up Richard’s powerful and vain nature with a gold manicure and a sense of haughtiness. The real strength of Tennant’s performance, however, is the emotion he pulls out of the character. In one of his best moments on stage, Tennant forces everyone to sit on the ground with him and, as he pulls his knees to his chest and rocks with grief, tell the sad stories of the deaths of kings. Showing Richard’s vulnerability in the moment he realizes his power as king is gone allows Tennant to succeed in attracting the audience’s sympathy for a king who throughout the play is seen as wasteful and abusive of his power.

Although Tennant drew a lot of the attention, in no way was this production a solo act. With Nigel Lindsay’s portrayal of Bolingbroke as an intense and powerful man who is not afraid to mock and scorn Richard’s theatricality, Oliver Ford Davies’s emotional and somewhat comedic portrayal of the Duke of York, a man torn between two loyalties, and Michael Pennington’s portrayal of John of Gaunt as a dying man enraged with Richard’s actions, the entire ensemble worked together to create a production that was nothing short of fantastic.

There will be another broadcast of the play December 11th at 7pm at the Michigan Theater. I highly recommend it to anyone with any interest in Shakespeare.

REVIEW: The Comedy of Errors

csatter

Set during Mardi Gras in the 1960s, the School of Music, Theatre, & Dance presents an interestingly humorous production of William Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors. Like so many of Shakespeare’s comedies, The Comedy of Errors is full of mistaken identity, entertaining situations, and nearly tragic events. As a father faces death for arriving in Ephesus to search for his twin sons (both named Antipholus), both of the twins and their twin servants (both named Dromio) unwittingly wreak havoc as they are constantly mistaken for each other.

Full of the slapstick and running gags, this production’s strength was the physical and nonverbal humor. From a martini glass that keeps getting bigger to a duke constantly finding new ways to stay hidden, the best moment was the over the top chase sequence in which a sequence of characters bike by on progressively smaller bikes. At the center of the slapstick humor were the two Dromios (Ben Blackman, Elliot Cruz) who where frequently being hit with bright yellow hats and rubber fish, punched in the stomach, and kicked in the butt. Although that took up a lot of their time on stage, Blackman and Cruz played up the humor with witty lines, dancing, and rapping, which were playful and entertaining.

While this production was appropriately comical and well acted, it had some struggles with the verbal humor. Since this is thought to be Shakespeare’s first comedy, his hallmark wordplay and wit is less pronounced than in the later comedies, which is why most productions play up the physical humor. In this production, however, some of Shakespeare’s most famous lines from, interestingly enough, histories and tragedies including Macbeth, Richard III, Romeo and Juliet, and Hamlet were added in an attempt to heighten the verbal humor and wit. Although it was an interesting idea, for the most part it fell flat and made the play feel less like Shakespeare and more like an awkward tribute.

Overall, this production was unique and entertaining. The Mardi Gras setting worked well and the cast gave admirable performances. Although the additions to the play sometimes felt awkward and out of the place, when the existing humor was played up, the production was wonderfully engaging.

 

 

PREVIEW: Royal Shakespeare Company: Richard II

csatter
David Tennant in Richard II

WHO: Royal Shakespeare Company featuring David Tennant

WHAT: Willam Shakespeare’s Richard II

WHERE: The Michigan Theater

WHEN: Sunday 12/8 at 7pm, Wednesday 12/11 at 7pm

COST: $12 for students, tickets available online or at the Michigan League Box Office

David Tennant (of Doctor Who fame) returns to the stage in the title role in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of Richard II. This is a cinema broadcast from the RSC stage in England where the production is currently running. Given Tennant’s quality acting and his previous success with Shakespeare, this is sure to be a fantastic production.

For more information, visit this website

PREVIEW: The Comedy of Errors

csatter

 

WHO: School of Music, Theatre & Dance, Department of Theatre and Drama

WHAT: The Comedy of Errors

WHERE: Power Center for the Performing Arts

WHEN: December 5-8

COST: $10 for students,  tickets available online or at the Michigan League Box Office

When two sets of long lost and similarly named twins unwittingly arrive in the same town, mistaken identity and increasingly humorous situations ensue. This updated production of William Shakespeare’s first comedy is set in New Orleans during Mardi Gras and promises to be a wild and funny adventure.

For more information, visit their website

REVIEW: Halloween Concert

csatter

As the orchestra marched into Hill Auditorium while playing March of the Little Goblins, I found myself surrounded by zombies, Pokémon characters, the cast of Alice in Wonderland, Mario and his friends, and an entire viola section full of Despicable Me minions, not to mention all of the costumed audience members. After taking their seats, the orchestra proceeded to play without intermission, presenting a concert that showed off their excitement, skill, and playfulness.

The program consisted of seven classical pieces, all with a bit of Halloween flair, conducted by seven different conductors dressed to match their piece. The orchestra was a combination of undergraduate student musicians from the University Symphony Orchestra and the University Philharmonia Orchestra and the conductors were masters students in the conducting program. Although in full Halloween costume, the orchestra played with the precision and enthusiasm of a professional orchestra.

While all of the pieces were played exceedingly well, especially The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, and Overture to Orpheus in the Underworld, the highlight of the concert was when the costumed bear who had previously chased one of the conductors around the auditorium looking for food took the podium to conduct a piece. Soliciting laughs and supportive cheers from the audience, the bear danced his way to the podium and excitedly picked up the baton to conduct Queen Mab Scherzo from Romeo et Juliette.

After the final piece, the orchestra delighted the audience with an encore, playing the theme from Ghostbusters. As the seven conductors danced around in blue jumpsuits and lights flashed around the auditorium, the costumed orchestra danced in their seats, and the audience clapped and danced down the aisles.

Overall, this concert was fun and exciting, and the perfect way to get ready for Halloween. The orchestra didn’t disappoint with their creative costumes, skits, and wonderfully performed pieces. Since this is an annual event, be sure to check it out next year.