“To be, or not to be, that is the question.” These iconic lines from the classic Shakespeare play are going to echo through the Michigan Theater as it shows the National Theatre 2015 broadcast of Hamlet. Catch the stunning Benedict Cumberbatch as the title prince struggling to keep his sanity while protecting his country. The production plays on Sunday, January 27 at 7pm, and tickets can be bought at the League Ticket Office for $12 with a student ID.
Tag: Shakespeare
PREVIEW: Rude Mechanicals’ “Othello”
Come see U-M’s student-run Rude Mechanicals theatre group as they revive one of Shakespeare’s most classic tragedies, Othello. The eponymous character is a highly esteemed general in Venice. Iago is his trusty (or not so trusty) sidekick. But when Othello promotes another soldier to serve as his personal lieutenant, Iago is shrouded with jealousy, and begins a deadly plot of revenge.
What: Rude Mechanicals Presents: Othello
When: November 7-8 at 7 pm, November 9 at 2 pm
Where: Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre in the Michigan League
How Much?: $5 for students, $8 for adults
While you wait for the show to begin, check out this intimate and intense monologue (and almost hilarious) clip from the 1995 film “Othello”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fItEfJhf0oc. Because who else could play any Shakespearean character other than Gilderoy Lockhart?
Beware of the green eyed monster, my friends.
PREVIEW: Twelfth Night
Do you remember in the 2006 Amanda Bynes movie, “She’s the Man,” Channing Tatum went off on a glorious inspirational speech that went like this : “Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them.” He was actually directly quoting a line from Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night,” which the plot of “She’s the Man” was based on!
The original love triangle comedy will be performed by the Ann Arbor Civic Theatre, a community group that has stolen local hearts with past productions, like Shrek and Les Miserables. I’m very much looking forward to see if the troupe modernizes the Shakespearean classic or keeps it in its traditional form.
What: Ann Arbor Civic Theatre’s “Twelfth Night”
When: 10/30 -11/2 (8 pm Thursday-Saturday, 2 pm Sunday)
Where: Arthur Miller Theatre on North Campus
How Much?: Free with a Passport to the Arts; $11 at the door.
If you like to read up on Shakespearean plays before you go (which can be very helpful sometimes), I recommend a quick summary skim on Sparknotes. Or, better yet, just grab some friends and host a pre-play screening of “She’s the Man”!
REVIEW: Romeo and Juliet
In their new studio production, the Department of Musical Theatre presents William Shakespeare’s most well known tragedy Romeo and Juliet. Set in Verona, the play follows Romeo and Juliet, two young lovers from feuding families. Through a serious of rash actions and unfortunate misunderstandings, the lovers’ lives come to a tragic end, which ultimately reconciles the two families.
Performed in the intimate Arthur Miller Theatre with a minimal set, almost no props, and very basic costumes, this was an interesting production that seemed to want to focus on the raw emotion and drama in the play. The simplicity of the production worked well in that in allowed the audience to engage with the language of the play and the portrayals of the characters. However, it also caused some aspects of the performance to feel out of place, and sometimes a bit awkward, such as the use of physical swords in the final scenes since swords were not otherwise used in the production.
Another interesting aspect of the production was the casting choices. This production had actors playing roles of the opposite gender, with females playing the traditionally male roles of Mercutio, Benvolio, and the Friar, as well as a male playing the role of Juliet’s nurse. While this was sometimes confusing, especially at the beginning, it ultimately worked well, and brought out aspects of the characters that may not always be seen. In addition, the use of the cast within the production was also an interesting choice. While it is normal to have parts doubled, this production used the entire cast as the chorus. While it was nice that everyone was included, having all of the actors run on stage in the dark and crouch under a bright light while speaking in monotone unison was ultimately off-putting.
Although most of the cast performed well, one of the best aspects of the performance was Cameron Jones’ exuberant and sassy, but always caring, portrayal of Juliet’s nurse. Although not one of the lead roles, Jones shined in every scene he was in, captured the audience’s attention and affection, and brought humor and lightness to an otherwise emotionally tense and tragic play. As he strutted across the stage in his long black dress and apron wittily addressing other characters, he fully engaged the audience who laughed, smiled, and applauded all of his scenes.
Overall, this was a somewhat unusual production that had some great moments. While there was some awkwardness, the minimalistic set and costumes highlighted the emotions in the play and allowed the focus to be more on the actors and the scenes they were creating.
PREVIEW: Romeo and Juliet
WHO: The Department of Musical Theatre
WHAT: William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
WHERE: Arthur Miller Theatre
WHEN: February 20-23
COST: $10 for students
Shakespeare’s most famous tragedy tells the story of Romeo and Juliet, a couple of young star-crossed lovers from feuding families. As they try to be together, a series of unfortunate events and misunderstandings ultimately lead to their deaths.
REVIEW: Coriolanus
Seeing Coriolanus at the Michigan Theater was definitely a good decision. The acting was spectacular, of course. A cast of greats including Tom Hiddleston and Mark Gatiss left the little Donmar Warehouse with queues of people camping out overnight to buy tickets to the show. The audience in the screening of this production probably mirrored the Donmar’s usual audience for the show: half an older crowd who enjoy Shakespeare, and the other half a crowd of young women who enjoy Tom Hiddleston (I would like to include myself in both of these categories). Hiddleston’s portrayal of Caius Martius Coriolanus left nothing to be desired as his acting ran the spectrum of emotions: a ruthless soldier who would like nothing more than to add one more man’s blood to his sword, to a son pleading for comfort and compassion from his mother. He carried the show, and wasn’t afraid to get dirty.
The Donmar is a great example of the kinds of theaters in which I prefer to see Shakespeare performed. It is a thrust stage (the audience sits on three sides), and a small space with limited seating. Shakespeare, to me, is best seen and understood in an intimate setting, and I believe this held true for Coriolanus. For most people the language takes a little getting used to, but this was achieved quickly with a close-up view of the actors. The smaller stage is also able to take more risks. The set was minimal: the concrete brick wall of the theater painted red and black and littered with graffiti, a ladder permanently fixed on the stage reaching higher than the audience could see, chairs for the actors to sit in while not in the scene, and a red square painted freshly on the stage floor during every performance.
Red was the color of the show. It first appears as it’s being painted on the stage, and next when Martius returns from slaughtering hoards of Rome’s enemies. He’s covered in blood to the point of excess in my eyes, and to the point that he can barely speak or see because so much fake blood has been poured on his head and is dripping in Tom Hiddleston’s eyes. Naturally, to get that blood off of him, water falls from the ceiling onto the stage in a stream steady enough to clean him up so that his face is visible.
This is the kind of risk a smaller theater can take that will pay off, and it is executed brilliantly. It has a strong impact, but also doesn’t require a big scene change to accomplish. Sure, the stage gets wet, but they can get some actors with squeegee-like mops to clean it off while another scene is taking place. The stage floor became a set piece in this production, constantly being redecorated with different red objects from flower petals to blood.
I was very unfamiliar with the story of the play upon arrival but the minimal set, the careful portrayals from the actors, and the close proximity of the action allowed me to come away from Coriolanus quite moved. It was an excellent production, and I’m glad that National Theatre Live was able to provide me and many others the opportunity to see it.
