William Shakespeare was dead for forty-four years before any woman was allowed to perform any role in his plays, proclaims Theatre Unbound, a Minnesota women’s theatre company that mounts live stage productions “conceived and created” exclusively by women. Since 1999 this unique company has given opportunities to 137 female directors, 435 female actors, 109 male … Continue reading
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Fluid Emotion: Essential Lear at Theatre Too
Conventional, traditional productions of William Shakespeare’s King Lear, included in the 1623 First Folio, feature a substantial cast that includes fourteen speaking characters of some primary impact, plus an assortment of officers, soldiers, attendants and messengers. In Prism Movement Theater and Theatre Three’s co-production, called Lear, running through November 19th in the intimate Theatre Too … Continue reading
From Machiavelli to Samsara: Trinity Shakespeare Festival 2017
RICHARD III The term Machiavellian gets applied to Richard III often, referencing the incarnation of the king William Shakespeare created for a British court focused on dynastic justification. It frequently inspires two kinds of portrayals of the titular character on stage. They are 1) a supremely vile psychopath who rages at the drop of a … Continue reading
TRINITY SHAKESPEARE 2017: Engaging The Bard In Texas
In its eight-year tenure, North Texas’ Trinity Shakespeare Festival has presented highly imaginative, visually splendid, superbly cast and textually sound productions of dual works in a short summer repertory season. 2017 ushers in the Festival for its 9th year (June 13 – July 2) with a unique pairing of two of the Bard’s most … Continue reading
Spongy-Grungy Macbeth at L.I.P. Service
Guest critic Anna Holloway is a professional dramaturg and reviewer based in Oklahoma City. She writes for The Oklahoman and for the NewsOK blog, as well as makes occasional guest appearances on Oklahoma Arts Scene and Hurd and OKConstage.com. Having directed Macbeth, she is always interested in seeing other approaches to the play. The genius … Continue reading
Bang the drum: Trinity Shakespeare Festival 2017 doth come!
Trinity Shakespeare Festival proudly announces its productions for Summer 2017, as it enters its 9th year of audience-pleasing excellence in performance. Richard III and Measure for Measure will run in repertory June 13-July 2, 2017 on the campus of Texas Christian University. AUDITIONS FOR TRINITY SHAKESPEARE 2017 Wednesday and Thursday January 18th and 19th Open … Continue reading
“Get Wicked” with House Party: Interview with MACBETH’s Taylor Harris
#getwicked “We have party in our name? We think theatre’s a party and we want our audiences to think so to,” chuckles House Party Theatre’s Creative Director Taylor Harris, his resonant, rich voice rumbling with glee. He’s playing the title role of the company’s inaugural production of a sweet little play by William Shakespeare, Macbeth, … Continue reading
Trinity Shakespeare’s “Dream” Director: Stephen Brown-Fried
I am honored to announce that the Trinity Shakespeare Festival, for its 8th season on the Texas Christian University campus, has engaged Stephen Brown-Fried to return to direct the Bard’s beloved comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The Festival runs June 7 through 26, 2016. When asked how he feels about coming back to Fort Worth … Continue reading
Mind Full of Scorpions: Bare Bones Shakespeare’s MACBETH
Forgetting a line on stage during a performance constitutes an actor’s nightmare. Anyone who has trod the boards for any length of time has had it happen, “gone up” on lines unexpectedly. Usually, after a split second that feels eternal, the actor recovers, or another player covers for them or improvises a clue line that … Continue reading
Junior Players’ “Bollywood Spectacular”: Celebration of Love’s Mystical Power
How many hundreds, thousands, of modernizing stylistic adaptations has Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream suffered through in the name of accessibility or some director’s whim over the years? Some work well. Some bury the play. Some simply make me want to puke. With Dallas’ Junior Players’ production, billed as “A Bollywood Spectacular”, running through August … Continue reading
criticalrant.com Alexandra Bonifield 