TWITTER, RAIN, & SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK

It turns out that the best way to find out whether Shakespeare in the Park in New York is cancelled because of rain may be to check their Twitter feed. They do not seem to post the information on their web site, but did post it in a fairly timely fashion on Twitter:

TWITTER FEED
http://twitter.com/#!/PublicTheaterNY

WEB PAGE - HOME
http://www.publictheater.org/

WEB PAGE - CALENDAR FOR SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK
http://shakespeareinthepark.org/the-plays/calendar/

By the way...

They generally ("never" ?) cancel a performance because of rain before 8:00. They may even hold out for an extra half hour or so in the hope the rain will clear up. (That has actually happened to me twice in the last few years... rain stopped or delayed a performance and then clearing allowed the play to go on.)


This year they are performing ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL (a good performance I saw recently) and MEASURE FOR MEASURE.

And... Plan ahead: Coming to the Public Theater in the fall (not in the park) is Sam Waterston in KING LEAR!

CELEBRITY CHARADES AT LABYRINTH THEATER

The ultimate, entertaining, benefit party of the Theatrical Holiday Season is the LABYRINTH THEATER CELEBRITY CHARADES & DINNER.


LABYRINTH THEATER
CELEBRITY CHARADES & DINNER
MONDAY, DECEMBER 6th
ST. PAUL'S HALL
Columbus Avenue at 60th Street
New York City

6:30 PM VIP RECEPTION & DINNER
In recognition of their outstanding dedication to LAByrinth Theater Company, the 2010 Dave Hoghe Award will be presented to THE PUBLIC THEATER.

8:00 PM MAIN EVENT
Live Auction: Bid for our priceless packages, including a chance to play Charades with the stars.

Celebrity Charades: Four Celebrity teams battle for victory in a fearsome and hilarious speed charades competition.

PLAYERS INCLUDE (subject, of course, to continuing availability)

Leslie Bibb, Bobby Cannavale, Josh Charles, Erika Christensen, Billy Crudup, Rachel Dratch, Oskar Eustis, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Juliette Lewis, Jesse L. Martin, Christopher Meloni, Sam Rockwell, Cynthia Rowley, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Julia Stiles, Justin Theroux, Yul Vazquez, Kristen Wiig, David Zayas

(PLUS NEW PLAYERS THAT MAY BE ADDED AT ANY TIME... KEEP WATCH!)

LABYRINTH THEATER
CELEBRITY CHARADES & DINNER
MONDAY, DECEMBER 6th
ST. PAUL'S HALL
Columbus Avenue at 60th Street
New York City

for tickets & complete information:

http://labtheater.org/support/specialevents.html

DIANE PAULUS - IL MONDO DELLA LUNA, HAIR, A.R.T.

IL MONDO DELLA LUNA
Directed by Diane Paulus
At the American Museum of Natural History
Hayden Planetarium
(l to r): Matthew Tuell (back), Albina Shagimuratova, Marco Nistic�, Hanan Alattar
GOTHAM CHAMBER OPERAPhoto by Richard Termine

Diane Paulus has become one the most important and creative theatrical directors. Some of her methods and aesthetic are evident in her recent work.

Il Mondo Della Luna at the Hayden Planetarium of The American Museum of Natural History (ANMH) was an amazing show. The music was delightful, the staging by Diane Paulus was inspired, and the idea for using the planetarium was brilliant. Both the project creators (the Gotham Chamber Opera), and the planetarium managers need to be applauded for putting this together.

The story, in the libretto behind Il Mondo Della Luna -- a recently rediscovered, and quite charming comic opera by Haydn (no relation to the nicely coincidental "Hayden" of the planetarium) -- is, of course, silly: a young man -- an unacceptable suitor -- persuades the father of the girl he wants to marry that they have all been transported to the moon, where the "emperor" of the "moon" marries him to the girl he loves (and her sister and her maid to other suitors who had also been unacceptable to the father before).

The brilliance of the directing -- by Diane Paulus -- is that she creates a silly dramatic show in which actors, singers, and dancers play their silly parts dressed in their brilliantly silly 1930's art-deco moon space-suits with such tremendous energy, committment, detail, fun and style, that she makes the "silly"compelling, even convincing!

What can be more natural than having an opera about pretending to go to the moon staged in a space designed to provide an audience the experience of the night sky?

Recent 3-D IMAX productions like Avatar have show the emotional power of a big viewing experience. The planetarium screen is a hemisphere with perhaps 5 times the viewing area of IMAX!

Images are projected on the entire hemisphere, and with the spectacular Zeiss planetarium projector, the whole sky is recreated. Moreover, Il Mondo Della Luna goes beyond film with live actors, singers, dancers and a small, fine orchestra, all in the intimate space of the planetarium seating area, under the seemingly infinite space of the dome.

(This production uses the planetarium well, and it suggests how wonderful the planetarium could be as a site for other dramatic productions -- going beyond the already extraordinary scientific planetarium shows -- specifically written and created for the planetarium space, expanding on the resources used by Il Mondo Della Luna: Imagine fully utilizing the sky, the stars (from any perspective, any period of time), the aura of the site, the huge space over the audience, the special acoustics, together with the utmost in high quality 3-D high resolution projection over the huge dome; perhaps even using other resources of the planetarium's amazing parent museum: AMNH.)

Here, from YouTube, is a brief sample of the show:



Diane Paulus is also the director of the current revival of Hair, mounted first at The Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park, and then transferred to Broadway. It is a great production.

To get a sense of this production -- and I strongly recommend visiting the show on Broadway: it is powerful and profoundly entertaining -- here is a preview from a promotional cast appearance on the Letterman show.

In this appearance of the cast of Hair on the Letterman show, three of the factors that make Diane Paulus' work so riveting (and which also contributed to the success of Il Mondo Della Luna) are very clear: 1- the exuberance, the energy, and the emotion in the singing; 2 - the detail, consistency, and committment to every moment in the behavior -- the vivid life -- of each character; and 3 - the use of the physical space and the involvement of the audience in the space becoming a part of the experience.

Diane Paulus has been given the artistic leadership of the American Repertory Theater (A. R. T) -- a theater program affiliated with Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass.

Here's Diane Paulus -- in a video from last year -- on the plans for the "next" (now, this) season of A.R.T. The website she's referring to is the A. R. T. website:

http://www.americanrepertorytheater.org/

In the last week, there have been two articles in the New York Times on her work at A. R. T.

There was a rave review, by Ben Brantley, of three projects she has brought to A. R. T.:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/05/theater/reviews/05notebook.html?scp=3&sq=american%20repertory%20theater&st=cse

The first project is "Gatz" a "reading" -- every word! -- of The Great Gatsby (a novel written as a first-person narration by Nick Carraway). "One morning in the low-rent office of a mysterious small business, one employee finds a ragged old copy of The Great Gatsby in the clutter of his desk and starts to read it out loud. And doesn't stop." (This production, by The Elevator Repair Company, may - or may not - be coming to New York in the fall; it is scheduled for Singapore in May, however, if you happen to be there.)

The second project is a disco version of A Midsummer Night's Dream, called "The Donkey Show," directed by Diane Paulus and her husband, Randy Weiner, which ran for years in New York.

The third project, "Sleep No More," from the British troupe, Punchdrunk, is a dance and movement piece based on Macbeth, in which the audience follows the characters as they move throughout a space (in this case set in an old school in Brookline, Mass).

The second story in the NYT described some resistance to Diane Paulus' tenure at A. R. T.:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/07/theater/07paulus.html?scp=1&sq=american%20repertory%20theater&st=cse

The focus of the criticism seemed to be: Is it valuable or not to have productions that attract an audience? Oddly, there was no discussion in the article about whether or not her productions were important theater. For example. there is this quote:

'�Higher education has a significant role to play in moving a culture forward, and that role shouldn�t involve taking cues from box office sales,� said Jedediah Wheeler, the executive director for arts and cultural programming at Montclair State University in New Jersey and a respected voice in the nonprofit theater world.'

In context, this seems to have been intended as (indirect) criticism of the popularity of her shows. However, it should be noted that the same quote works in exactly the other direction: Critics seem to be taking cues about the cultural significance of theater precisely from the box office: popularity is "bad;" driving audiences away must be "good" "culture-forward" theater.

It seems to me -- actually agreeing with the quote (though not the implication of its author) -- the popularity or non-popularity of a show has nothing to do with its value. The value and quality of the show should be judged on its own merits.

I think that -- in addition to the skill of her work as a producer and director -- the aesthetic of Diane Paulus is very important and very much in the spirit of the needs of theater at this time.

In a panel discussion about Hair, several years ago, she expressed the thought that the structure of the musical "Hair" is more in tune with the spirit of the times -- interactivity, multitasking, and fragmentary story elements -- than the more traditional structure of most Broadway musicals.

Using interaction with the audience, and making use of a show's specific location, marks a revival of avant-garde theater traditions current in the 60's (eg. Dionysus in 69), and again in the 80's (Tamara and Tony 'n' Tina's Wedding).

Excellence and attention to detail are also traditions that need to be constantly renewed.

She is quoted as saying, that high art and entertainment are not mutually exclusive, and "At the core of what I�m doing is a belief in the audience, a belief that populism doesn�t mean dumbing down theater but rather giving the audience a voice and a role in experiencing theater.�

That quote, and Diane Paulus' work generally, is of particular interest to me, personally, as I've been developing a show called "How To Predict The Future -- an evening of science theater," (a project that is actually the parent of tattoowesley, this blog of "previews") the whole premise of which is "smart" theater: that (with help from detail, exuberance and interaction) entertainment and high quality content are mutually reinforcing. I believe that interesting factual content, presented with an original slant, in something like the style of a new-product-line keynote, elevated with joy, attention to detail, exuberance, connection with the space in which it's presented, and interaction with the audience becomes a sublimely entertaining theatrical event.

IL MONDO DELLA LUNA
Directed by Diane Paulus
At the American Museum of Natural History
Hayden Planetarium
(l to r): Nicholas Coppolo, Hanan AlattarGOTHAM CHAMBER OPERA
Photo by Richard Termine

OTHELLO

John Ortiz as Othello, Jessica Chastain as Desdemona, and
Philip Seymour Hoffman as Iago in OTHELLO
Photo by Armin Bardel

The LAByrinth production of Othello, (here's the text) directed by Peter Sellars, with Philip Seymour Hoffman as Iago, John Ortiz as Othello and Jessica Chastain as Desdemona, is a feast for students and directors of Shakespeare, but quite skimpy on the delivery of emotion, especially in (what is usually) the cataclysmic conclusion.

There are many strange features in this production, some of which help illuminate the richness of the play, some of which confuse the audience and dissipate the power of the story and some of which actually do both.

Peter Sellars, of course, is best known for opera productions which have a reputation for quirky originality.

The first striking feature of the production is the slow pace at which the actors speak. This allows an audience unused to Shakespearean language to understand and process far more than is ever possible when the actors (as Hamlet suggested) speak their words trippingly on the tongue. Audience members (and actors) are allowed to savor and appreciate the poetry and the words.

For audiences used to the rhythms of modern films, and more interested in the experience than the details, however, this rich but 4 hour long presentation can seem plodding and tedious.

A second feature of the production is that Desdemona's father Brabantio is cut out of the play, characters are combined, and suddenly the characters pull out cell phones and start talking to each other across the room and on microphones. This gets the play off to a shaky start (not to mention the fact that the sound system seemed to be flaky for a while the night I saw the show). People new to the play, and those who know the play by heart are equally able to be confused about who is who and why they say what they say, at the beginning. (Not surprisingly, the appearance of the cell phones provoked some not very supportive laughter from the audience.)

The play is set (mostly) in a military base in Cyprus. This provides a universal, timeless environment in which to enact the tragedy.

However, Sellars does not seem to take this setting seriously. Hoffman, with a pot belly, and casual clothes, never in uniform, is vocally a great Iago, but physically impossible to imagine as a candidate for Othello's next in command. Other characters are in and out of uniform, and the set design does not evoke a military base, except fleetingly.

In most productions, Desdemona is a problem: The relation between Othello and Desdemona (O & D) is vapid and unconvincing. Here, Desdemona is a strong, though naive character. And there is a lot of physical communication between Othello and Desdemona. They kiss a lot, and lie next to each other a lot. This is a big improvement over most productions. Yet it still seems like puppy love. Because of the open set design, the other characters can freely observe Desdemona and Othello making out on a super-modern, stylized electronic bed. But what they see and what we see is not what Iago describes to Brabantio, Desdemona's father:

IAGO: Even now, now, very now, an old black ram
Is topping your white ewe.

This -- if taken to be an accurate representation of the O & D affair -- suggests that any glimpses we see of their physical relationship should be torrid passion, not innocent necking.

(If, in Sellars version, the intention is for Iago to be misleading Brabantio about the nature of Othello's affair, and the relation between Desdemona and Othello is intended to be depicted as almost High-Schoolish, then it takes away much of the urgency of the whole play. Note -- Since Brabantio is not in this production at all, I was a little confused at the time these lines were delivered, and it is hard to remember how these lines were used in this production.)

It was Sellars intention to create an Othello for the Obama generation. Sellars seems to consider most productions of Othello as demeaning to blacks in general and Othello in particular. It seems to have been Toni Morrison who changed his mind about the play (see the video interviews -- click on see all!)

In assessing the treatment of Othello in the play, realize that here is a black man, in white Europe, hailed as a great soldier, loved by a beautiful white woman for his character, having sex with her (and possibly other women), marrying her despite some objection by her father, and commissioned for an important military expedition. This is in a play written more than 400 years ago. How many modern plays, TV shows or movies treat a black character in an interratial sexual/romantic relationship and interratial career, with such importance?

Othello, the man, the general, is not a puppet for a simple anti-black propaganda play; he should be taken seriously by the director, the audience and the world. He is a great man and a terrible killer. And his interratial marriage is at the center of the play. The play is about the reaction of all the characters to Othello, his position, and his beautiful wife.

So I think it is a mistake, even in accentuating other aspects of the play, as Sellars does brilliantly, to minimize the importance of the basic thread. The relation -- the interracial relation -- between Othello and Desdemona should not be minimized. Indeed it should be maximized to the extent of exhibiting a physically provocative -- rather than timid -- passion. (In the "pre-Obama world" a black man would not be shown coupling with a beautiful white woman. The "post-Obama world" should portray these people as they are created in the play.)

Generally speaking, the casting of a Latino as Othello, and a black man as Cassio, and a big black woman as a combination of characters, does support Sellars stated ambition of making the play more about universal issues, and less about a stupid, credulous, murderous black man than is perhaps (he believes) usually the case. Liza Col�n-Zayas as Emilia, Iago's wife, excellently carries Sellars' idea of how her character's silence is as important as Iago's deception in deluding Othello, and how her courage in revealing the deception unwinds the plot. (However, casting Philip and Liza as a couple is dubious; they are not convincing as a married couple.)

Indeed Sellars' essay and video interviews about the production are extremely interesting. He did accomplish what he set out to do. But, as so often happens, it is what he did not do and did not focus on and therefore did not do, that cause the weaknesses in the production.

It is at the end that the play has the greatest and strangest lapses:

1-- The classic line:

OTHELLO: Put out the light, and then put out the light

is not matched with any action that makes sense of the line. Othello is walking in meaningless circles around the bed.

2 -- The stylized electronic bed does not allow or evoke the emotions raised by the lines:

DESDEMONA: Prithee, tonight
Lay on my bed my wedding sheets: remember;

The wedding sheets, which should carry enormous emotional power, are missing from the bed, and can not deliver the message they should carry to Othello (and to the audience).

3 -- And finally, Ortiz simply does not produce the physical or vocal strength necessary to convey the powerful emotions that would illuminate this twisting of Othello from lover to killer and then convey the cosmic remorse that suddenly erupts when he realizes what horror he has committed; how he has been deceived, betrayed and destroyed.

So, all in all, I enjoyed this production and learned much from it, but did not exit from the theater emotionally devastated!


This is only the beginning of the "Othello Project," for Peter Sellars. According to the notes distributed at the theater, Sellars and Toni Morrison are discussing a prequel to Othello, called "Desdemona," starting from the stories that Othello told Desdemona so that she fell in love with him. And Sellars is planning to return to Othello as well as Toni Morrison's "Desdemona," in part with the idea of developing a film. This project should be exceptionally illuminating to all those who love Shakespeare.


In addition, on Sunday October 4, there will be a free panel discussion about Othello:

OTHELLO DISCUSSION EVENT
FREE OTHELLO DISCUSSION SUNDAY October 4:

"Is It Possible?": Othello in the Age of Obama

Luis Argueta, documentary filmmaker;
Mary Schmidt Campbell, Dean of Tisch School of the Arts;
Majora Carter, founder of Sustainable South Bronx; and
Carmen Pel�ez, playwright and actress.

Moderated by Dr. Avery T. Willis, who has collaborated with Peter Sellars as an assistant director and dramaturg since 2006.

OTHELLO Sunday Speakers Series

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4 3:00-4:00PM

General Admission Lobby opens at 2:15PM

NYU Skirball Center
566 LaGuardia Place & Washington Square South

Here are some interesting links:

WEB VIDEO -- James Earl Jones -- Othello's Testimony: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJybA1emr_g&feature=related




Kenneth Branagh's version:


Paul Robeson as Othello & Uta Hagen as Desdemona:

THE BACCHAE -- SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK

Jonathan Groff as Dionysus & The Chorus
in The Bacchae
Photo by Joan Marcus
There�s a terrific production of The Bacchae (????a?), by Euripides� (????p?d??), one of the greatest plays in all classic Greek theater, and indeed all theater, now at Shakespeare in the Park. Anyone with an interest in theater, Greek theater, or, generally, any theater which, remarkably, is as fresh now as if it had just been written, should see this version (playing just till Aug 30). It�s also outdoors, which is a rare connection these days with the ancient performances.

Greek gods often represented personalizations of archetypal human behavior or natural phenomena, or both. They were kind of living metaphors for strong, sometimes complex ideas.

Because the gods were archetypes, respect for the gods meant being respectful of the true nature of man and the power of nature. (Note 1 (disclaimer): This is one point of view. In one sentence. Many whole books have been written about the attitudes of Greeks to their gods.) (Note 2 (somewhat contrary view): See below: JoAnne Akalaitis, the director, takes a different point of view on the relation between the gods and men.)

Greek Gods did not exist a priori, they were created as myths, and the myths were refined by people, especially writers, and in the days of Greek theater, especially playwrights.

The story of Dionysus (aka Bacchus) and the Bacchae � the women followers of Bacchus � as described by Euripides was a combination of his invention with myths and history that were known to the Greeks. Each author that translated or adapted Euripides� text and every director that staged the play since it was written added their own creative invention.

(Note: In a story about the National Theater of Scotland�s production of The Bacchae at Lincoln Center last year, I discussed in detail some of the alternative approaches to The Bacchae.)

Euripides� version alludes to many themes associated with the myth of Bacchus:

THEME 1 -- It was a relatively new religion that swept in from the East.

This theme has echoes now in our modern world, where the western world is being tested by fervent promoters of a religion which is coming from the East.



THEME 2 -- Alcohol liberates the spirit, provides comfort � but also can provoke fighting.

This can be amplified to a basic cycle: a spirit of liberation, supported by forces of moderation; which is opposed by a repressive regime; and then there is an element which associates itself with the pacifist spirit, but which is violent.

This duality was certainly a part of the spirit of 1968-69 � the 40th anniversary of which we are celebrating now. It is epitomized by the journey from Woodstock (a festival of peace and love and mud) to Altamont (where, as described in Wikipedia, a member of the audience at a Rolling Stones Concert � one of whose anthems was �Sympathy for the Devil" -- was killed by a member of the Hell�s Angel�s). Or by the journey from the "summer of love" to the Manson murders.


Liberation:

Dionysus in 69
Directed by Brian De Palma & Richard Schechner, US, 1970;
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Richard Schechner

The liberation of the 60�s and its tie to the myth of Bacchus was expressed in the version of this play, Dionysus in 69.

(Note: For a look back, visit the contemporary impressions of Time magazine, and The New York Times -- access to NYT may require registration.)

The Tribe/Chorus
in Hair
Photo by Joan Marcus

It was also expressed (with Pot more than booze as the liberating drug of choice) by Hair.

Interestingly, a terrific production of Hair is currently playing on Broadway, where it was transferred after originating at Shakespeare in the Park last summer. Hair (especially the first act) could almost be an interpretation of the spirit of the Bacchic revelers in the present age.


Jonathan Groff as Claude
in Hair
Photo by Joan Marcus
It is also interesting � and more than a coincidence I would think � that the current version of The Bacchae, now playing in Shakespeare in the Park features Jonathan Groff as Bacchus. He also played Claude in last year�s Hair at The Park, and also is part of Ang Lee�s Taking Woodstock, about the festival.

The current version takes note of, but does not show (much less enjoy) the spirit of liberation. There is no sex, no nudity, no Bacchants in this production. (The chorus may be Bacchants in name, but they do not participate in any Bacchic revels.) The chorus, which in many productions takes the role of the liberated women, here are purely commentators (which they do in an especially rich fashion, as we comment below). The description of liberated women is � except in the scene with Cadmus & Tiresias (?e??es?a?), who are sympathetic to the revels � almost entirely in terms of how Dionysus has crazed the women, especially the daughters of Cadmus.

Note: Tiresias is the blind seer. Cadmus is the old, retired legendary king of Thebes who has given his crown to his grandson, Pentheus. His daughters are: Semele, the mother of Dionysus; Agave, the mother of Pentheus; Autonoe and Ino. Dionysus is thus the cousin of Pentheus and also a grandson of Cadmus.

Dionysus claims that his father is Zeus, and therefore he has divine lineage. His mother claimed Zeus was her lover, but neither Cadmus nor his mother�s sisters believed her. This rejection is the primary motivation behind Dionysus' return to Thebes to claim the respect he and his mother were denied. Continued disrespect is the motivation for his revenge.


Revenge / Violence:

This production stresses the theme of revenge. Dionysus comes out angry. The Chorus is fierce. Dionysus gives Pentheus a chance to respect him. When Pentheus does not, Dionysus arranges for Pentheus to be brutally murdered by his own mother.

On one level this is a counter-reaction of violence to repression. On another level, this is the representation (we alluded to before) of the aspect of drink that makes people fight.

Depending on how you view the play, this is

• An expression of the barbarism of a pagan religion,
• Or the realistic depiction of the fury that gods unleash when you do not pay them the respect they require,
• Or the metaphorical description of the consequences of ignoring the reality the god represents.
• (Or just fury -- its a god, no reason needed, see theme 4.)
  

THEME 3 � Cross dressing

In the course of his revenge Dionysus convinces Pentheus to dress as a woman so that he will not be attacked by the Bacchants.

This is a strange statement on the face of it, since earlier Euripides� has (at least according to most translations) suggested that men and women were making love among the revelries and, besides, Cadmus and Tiresias had just gone up to join the revelers. The simplest explanation is that Dionysus was lying to Pentheus.

Pentheus expresses reluctance to wear a woman�s clothes, and the reaction the play seems to be looking for is that Pentheus is humiliated by dressing as a woman.

Jonathan Groff as Dionysus
With a smear of red lipstick
in The Bacchae
Photo by Joan Marcus
Bacchus, himself, in myths is portrayed as half-man half-woman. And stage directions in many versions of the play describe Dionysus, when he comes in, as having long blond hair, kind of androgynous. In this production, Dionysus wears just a smear of lipstick.


Anne Hathaway as Viola
in Twelfth Night
Photo by Joan Marcus


Some commentators on the play treat the theme of cross dressing as the paramount theme of the play. Indeed the ads for this whole summer�s Shakespeare in the Park stress Cross Dressing: the other play this summer being Twelfth Night, in which Viola (played by Anne Hathaway) dresses as a man.

(Note: Viola dresses as a man to be safe going around in a strange country by herself (aka himself). It was, of course, convenient for Shakespeare to have women dressed as young men, since they were, in fact, being played by young men.)

Neither play seems to make too much of cross dressing in these productions. (It was a much more important part of The Scottish Theater�s version of The Bacchae.) With respect to how cross-dressing illuminates the relation between men and women, they do take almost the same view (that in the world they live in, men are more important) in very different ways (inflating women and deflating men in Shakespeare; mostly mocking women and � perhaps mockingly � almost worshipping hunting and killing as manliness in The Bacchae).

Twelfth Night notes how a woman can be just as manly as a man, when people think she�s a man. It bursts a bubble of assumed superiority for men, and elevates woman to the same level as a man.

The Bacchae, in the person of Agave, boasts how a woman can be just as strong as a man when she is crazed, while Pentheus, dressed as a woman is mocked: Men are strong, women are maddened by Dionysus; when a man is maddened, he is made to play the role of a woman and mocked; a woman can think she is as strong as a man only if she is maddened. In this view, Euripides is quite a misogynist. (Other interpretations of Euripides, stressing the androgynous nature of Dionysus, and the freedom and independence of women in the Dionysian rites, are quite different.)


THEME 4 � Human powerlessness in the face of irrational gods

I had no direct access to the creative team, but the NYT quotes JoAnne Akalaitis, the director, as saying the play is �partly about human powerlessness in the face of irrational gods�� In this interpretation, Dionysus is not even revenging himself, his fury is irrational.

(If one wishes to put this irrationality in context, it could be tied back to the idea that excessive drinking makes one irrational, and to a modern notion that the gods of Greece were pagan gods.)


THE STAGING

There is an additional element in the interpretation of a play, especially a Greek play, and that is how the play is staged.

In the story I referred to above, I discussed the staging of the play last year by The National Theater of Scotland. That staging was notable for its ability to find humor in the text, and for cross-dressing, and for its vivid effects.

The Chorus
in The Bacchae
Photo by Joan Marcus


In addition to being outdoors! (as Greek plays were originally staged), the most notable element of the staging in The Park is the magnificent score by Philip Glass, and the singing, chanting, dancing and appearance of the chorus. It is almost operatic, and is the central element for most of the play. (In the program, Eustis, the Artistic Director of The Public Theater, says the chorus was �almost really the starting point for this entire endeavor.�)

Watching The Bacchae, and listening, I thought back to the last opera I saw: Doctor Atomic, with a score by John Adams. There is something about our times that is bringing a certain musical sensibility, large in scope, concerned with real and mythical events, recent and ancient events, that remind us of the precariousness of our situation, comfortable at home, but threatened by the possibility of imminent cataclysm.

There is a similarity between our times and the times when Euripides wrote The Bacchae � Athens was in grave danger, both militarily, politically, and philosophically, with much of the danger coming from Persia and the East. The Bacchae may be 2,400 years old, but it is a modern play, and this is a timely production.

(Note: It has little to do with rest of this article, but I just wanted to note that these are extraordinary photos by Joan Marcus. These are not only great shots, but they show the extraordinary concentration and the incredible life that is going on with every one of the characters shown in the pictures. They are a great tribute both to the productions, and to the photographer.)

THE PUBLIC - SHAKESPEARE LAB IS FREE! & OTHER NEWS

The Public Theater is making a lot of important news. The last few years have been one major initiative after another. Here are some important recent events.

THE SHAKESPEARE LAB IS FREE!

The Shakespeare Lab, the theater�s professional actor development program, a six week training program that is the gold standard for American Shakepeare studies, will be tuition-free in 2009!!!

�The decision to make the program free this year builds on The Public�s long tradition of free Shakespeare in the Park and the theater�s ongoing commitment to building a community of classically trained artists.�

Shakespeare Lab 2009 will run from June 15-July 24. Participants must be completely available for this entire period, plus the entire time through August 9 when they will be preparing and touring a one hour performance of Shakespeare at venues around the city.

�Under the direction of Barry Edelstein, The Shakespeare Lab immerses a carefully-selected company of professional, mid-career actors in a six-week intensive exploring the rigors, challenges, and joys of performing Shakespeare. The Shakespeare Lab is a unique opportunity for working American actors in mid-career to hone their craft and expand their classical skills. It aims to build a strong and diverse collective of classically trained actors which will expand The Public Theater�s community of artists.�

�This is a major step for The Shakespeare Lab, and stems from the ongoing democratic nature of the Public Theater,� said Public Theater Artistic Director Oskar Eustis. �We need to make the best training available to the most diverse group of artists, regardless of their ability to pay. I am proud that in this tough economic climate we are able to make this move.�

�The Lab�s workshops in Shakespearean performance are led by some of the most respected figures in American classical theater training, including Christopher Bayes, Lisa Benevides, Barry Edelstein, Robert Perillo, J. Steven White, Grace Zandarski, Janet Zarish and others. Guest artists, including eminent members of The Public Theater community and other leading Shakespeareans, will frequently visit the Shakespeare Lab.�

�The Shakespeare Lab was founded in 1995, and in the 14 years since, numerous members of the Shakespeare Lab Company have gone on to secure roles in the Park, at The Public Theater, on and off-Broadway, and in regional theaters, in addition to work in film and television. Past Shakespeare Lab participants include Elena Shaddow, Nana Mensah and Jennifer Kidwell, who performed in The Public Theater�s workshop of The Bacchae, directed by JoAnne Akalaitis; Ryan McCarthy, who appeared in The Public�s 2007 production of King Lear with Kevin Kline; Amir Arison, who will appear in the upcoming Public Theater production of Why Torture Is Wrong, and the People Who Love Them; Julio Monge, who has appeared in many Shakespeare productions at The Public, most recently Hamlet in Central Park; and Nancy Lemenager, who recently concluded a stint as Velma in Chicago on Broadway.�

Several years ago, I spoke with Amir Arison, when he was in a production sponsored by the Sloan Foundation at the Tribeca Film Festival, and he told me how vaulable the Shakespeare Lab program had been for him.

Membership in the Shakespeare Lab Company is by audition only. Requirements and other information can be found at www.publictheater.org, and more specifically at http://www.publictheater.org/content/view/34/110/.

But that's not all! The Public Theater does not just provide free Shakespeare training for professional actors...

There are two other Shakespeare training programs this summer, this time for school children, also both free:

• Shakespeare Lab Jr., a program of free, one-week Shakespeare workshops for New York City schoolchildren http://www.publictheater.org/content/view/131/226/
• and Summer Shake-Up, a one-day celebration of Shakespeare at the Delacorte Theater for New York City schoolchildren and their families http://www.publictheater.org/content/view/144/246/

And The Public is also launching an outreach program:
http://www.publictheater.org/content/view/147/250/

EMERGING WRITER'S GROUP AT THE PUBLIC THEATER

The Public Theater is now accepting applications for the 2009 Emerging Writer's Group.

Playwrights in the Writer's Group will:

--Receive a stipend of $3,000
--Participate in a biweekly writers group led by The Public�s Literary Department
--Receive at least one reading at The Public
--Participate in master classes led by established playwrights
--Observe rehearsals for productions at The Public
--Receive an additional stipend for theater tickets to productions at other theaters
--Receive complimentary tickets to Public Theater shows, invited dress rehearsals and other special events
--Receive career development advice from mid-career and established writers
--Receive artistic and professional support from the literary department and artistic staff.

This sounds like a tremendous opportunity for new playwrights!

Applications will be accepted through August 29.

Details and application information are available at:

http://www.publictheater.org/content/view/88/155/

THE WOOSTER GROUP SHAKESPEARE

The Public Theater is currently presenting The Wooster Group Hamlet, written by Shakespeare, directed by Elizabeth Lecompte, with Domonique Bousquet, Ari Fliakos, Allesandro Magania, Daniel Petrow, Bill Raymond, Scott Shepherd, Casey Spooner, Kate Valk, and Judson Williams.

The Wooster Group is a renowned experimental ensemble, dating back to Sakonnet Point at the Performing Garage in 1975. "With their trademark use of video, sound and precise physical language, The Wooster Group takes on Shakespeare in a wildly inventive, artistic event."

Performance Schedule:
Now through Sun Dec 2 (except Nov 20-25, see below)
Tues at 7 (Tues Nov 6 at 8)
Wed-Sat at 8
Sun at 4

Week of Nov 20-25:
Tues Nov 20 at 7
Wed Nov 21 at 8
Thurs Nov 22 No Performance
Fri Nov 23 at 8
Sat Nov 24 at 8
Sun Nov 25 at 2 & 8

For tickets:

1. ONLINE: Visit PUBLICTHEATER.ORG

2. BY PHONE: Call 212-967-7555 (Mon-Sun 10am-9pm)

3. IN PERSON: Visit The Public Theater Box Office, 425 Lafayette Street
(Sun-Mon 1-6pm, Tues-Sat 1-7:30pm)

Rush Tix
There will be a limited number of $20 Rush Tix available at the box office for every downtown theater performance on sale to the general public one hour prior to curtain. There is a 2 ticket limit per person. Cash only.

Full Price Waiting List Tickets
On the day of a sold out performance, we will take a waiting list for full price tickets in person at the box office. The waiting list will be called no earlier than 1/2 hour before curtain. If you are called and not in the lobby, your name will be removed from the list. While tickets occasionally become available in this manner, we are unable to make predictions or guarantees.

Student Tickets
$25 tickets are available for advance purchase at the box office for every downtown theater performance on sale to the general public. Must have a valid student ID at the time of purchase. Limit 1 ticket per person

SHAKESPEARE TRAINING AT THE PUBLIC THEATER

For anyone interested in acting, directing or understanding Shakespeare... There is a terrific opportunity, this summer, to study at the Public Theater, one of the most important venues for continuing, modern, American productions of Shakespeare's plays. The Public (we're on a first name basis) has a program they call the Shakespeare Lab, and they are now accepting applications.

Here is a description, directly from The Public:


The highly acclaimed Shakespeare Lab actor training program is now accepting applications until April 9 for its 13-week acting intensive on May 29 - August 25, 2007.

Click here for application information.

The Application deadline has just been extended to MONDAY, APRIL 9. Scholarships are available to defray the cost of tuition.

Now entering its thirteenth year, The Public Theater Shakespeare Lab presents a unique opportunity for actors to develop their classical skills. The Lab immerses the actor in Shakespeare's plays and language under the instruction of some of the most respected teachers of classical theater in New York and the world. In previous years, faculty has included Christopher Bayes, Michael Cumpsty, John Dias, Kate Forbes, Orlando Patoboy, J. Steven White, and Janet Zarish. Guest Artists have included Liev Schreiber, Oskar Eustis, Roger Rees, Jordan Thaler, Mark Lamos, Dana Ivey, and George C. Wolfe.

During the 13-week Acting Conservatory, Lab Actors will enrich their understanding of Shakespeare and his plays through intensive study and performance; develop skills in clown, movement, voice and teaching; and forge significant relationships with fellow Lab members, teachers and members of The Public Theater's professional community of artists. Numerous graduates of the Shakespeare Lab have gone on to secure roles on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and in regional theaters, in addition to work in film and television.

The Lab provides a unique opportunity for actors to work on their craft during The Public Theater's world-renowned Shakespeare programming at The Delacorte Theater in Central Park.

For more information about the application process, click here to visit our webpage or call 212-539-8525.

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Personal note:

I have a short (about 2 min) video On The Lot of Shakespeare's Sonnet 65, together with a short intro all about me. I'd love to have you come visit and check it out!
Thanks,
Eric from tattoowesley

FRAGILE (Sonnet 65) with Intro
http://films.thelot.com/films/25479