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an e-mail I just got:
SHAKESPEARE LITERARY EVENING IN RUSSIAN WITH MUSICAL ACCOMPANIMENT
at Museum of Modern Renaissance, 115 College Ave., Somerville MA (red line Davis Square)
Saturday, April 13 at 7:00 p.m.
Dear Friends,
We invite you to a literary-musical presentation.
Author Alla Tsybulskaya will present in Russian
SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE
"Girls and Women in Shakespeare"
The musical and vocal accompaniment is by Boris Vogel
( The program includes:Collapse )
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Commonwealth Shakespeare Company's Free Shakespeare On The Common is one of Greater Boston's most beloved traditions. For their 18th annual season, Commonwealth Shakespeare Company is excited to present the comedy The Two Gentlemen of Verona July 6 - 28, 2013. Directed by the company's Artistic Director Steven Maler, The Two Gentlemen of Verona tells the tale of two friends who leave their hometown of Verona to find their happy fortunes in Milan. Instead, they find temptation, trickery, and trouble as they vie for favor with the high-society Duke... and his debutante daughter. All are drawn into a web of disguise and secrecy where the last thing anyone wants is for the truth to surface - least of all the dog. Inspired by Rat Pack-era Vegas – the glamour, the hedonism, and the morning after agonies – the production brings new meaning to the line “what happens in Milan, stays in Milan.”
The performance schedule is July 6 at 8pm; July 7 at 7pm; July 8-12 at 8pm; July 14-15 at 8:30pm; July 17 at 8:30pm; July 18 at 1pm; July 21 at 7pm; July 23-26 at 8pm; July 27 at 2pm & 8pm; and July 28 at 7pm. Free and open to the public. For reserved lawn seats and to learn more go online at www.commshakes.org. |
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Actors Shakespeare Project has a program working with teens. This weekend, those teens will be putting on a production of Henry V in Chelsea Charlestown, near Sullivan Square, free but needing reservation (directions at the link).
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Emerson Stage is doing 2 Shakespeare plays this season:The Winter's Tale
Semel Theater
February 21–24, 2013
Thursday, February 21: 8:00 pm
Friday, February 22: 8:00 pm
Saturday, February 23: 2:00 pm & 8:00 pm
Sunday, February 24: 2:00 pm
Tickets: $12 General audience, $8 Emerson Community
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Two Gentlemen of Verona
"Shakespeare’s first romantic comedy gets a treatment of music from the ‘70s in this story of love and betrayal involving best friends who fall in love with the same woman. The friends remain loyal only to their own desires, forsaking their friendship and those they love, as they let their passions guide them forward."
Cutler Majestic Theatre
April 18–20, 2013
Thursday, April 18: 8:00 pm
Friday, April 19: 8:00 pm
Saturday, April 20: 2:00 pm & 8:00 pm
Tickets: $20 General Audience, $15 Students and seniors, $10 Emerson community
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What you Will
in association with the Winthrop Playmakers
present Twelfth Night
Not your momma's Shakespeare; eight actors gambol and carouse their way through Shakespeare's comedy in a cabaret-style venue. What you Will is a group dedicated to producing high-quality, accessible, no-frills Shakespeare to Boston audiences and this, their pilot production, expresses all of these values.
March 8 and 9 at 8PM
March 10 at 3PM
Tickets are $10
For more information, check out our facebook page http://www.facebook.com/whatyouwillboston
For tickets, head on over to the venue page http://www.winthropplaymakers.com
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| » The Last Will |
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CSC and Suffolk University present the World Premiere of The Last Will.
February 13-24, 2013
The Modern Theatre at Suffolk University
The Last Will is the final installment of Suffolk University's Distinguished Scholar in Residence Robert Brustein's trilogy about the life of William Shakespeare.
The Last Will finds William Shakespeare retired at his country home on Stratford after decades of struggle and success in the city of London. In the last stages of a fatal illness, his deteriorating mind obliterates the distinction between fiction and fact, and the playwright begins acting as a character in his own plays. Richard Burbage, leader of Shakespeare's acting company, attempts to persuade him to return to London and to playwriting, as Will wrestles with his suspicions, delusions, family resentments, his longing for forgiveness, and final testaments.
Featuring:
Allyn Burrows* as William Shakespeare
Brooke Adams* as Anne Hathaway
Stacy Fisher* as Judith Shakespeare
Merritt Janson* as Susanna Shakespeare
Billy Meleady as Francis Collins
Jeremiah Kissel* as Richard Burbage
*Member of Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States
Performance dates are February 13-24, 2013. Wednesday and Thursdays at 7pm. Fridays at 8pm. Saturdays at 3pm and 8pm. Sundays at 3pm. Opening Night is Friday, February 15th (ticket holders for this evening's performance are invited to a post-show reception with the cast, staff and creative team).
Tickets, at $45 on opening and Saturday nights; $40 general; $30 seniors; and $10 students, are available by calling 1-800-440-7654. The Modern Theatre is located at 525 Washington St. in Boston's Theatre District.
For more information, visit www.commshakes.org
Jan. 15th, 2013 @ 02:03 pm
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| » Shakespeare and the Law: Richard II |
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Originally posted by  commshakes at Shakespeare and the Law: Richard IIWhen: Thursday, January 17th at 5:30pm
Where: The Modern Theatre at Suffolk University, 525 Washington Street, Boston
Registration: Please RSVP to Dottie Moore at dmoore@mccarter.com or 617.449.6617
Hosted & Moderated by:
C. Boyden Gray, Former White House Counsel to President George H. W. Bush
Directed by:
Steven Maler, Artistic Director of Commonwealth Shakespeare Company
Now in its 12th year, this performance and panel discussion features prominent judges, lawyers, and public officials in a staged reading of Shakespeare's Richard II. Following the reading, the performers will engage in a panel discussion on the legal aspects of the play, focusing on constitutional issues of federalism and separation of powers.
Participants include:
Former Federal Judge Nancy Gertner as King Richard II; Jennifer C. Braceras, Political Columnist; Federal Judge Nathanial M. Gorton; Massachusetts Appeals Court Justice Andrew R. Grainger; Michael B. Keating, Partner, Foley Hoag; Daniel J. Kelly, Partner, McCarter & English; Federal Judge F. Dennis Saylor, IV; Jay B. Stephens, General Counsel, Raytheon; Federal Judge Douglas P. Woodlock; and Federal Judge Rya W. Zobel.
Special Guest Panelists:
Rachael Vanessa Cobb, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Government, Suffolk University
David G. Tuerck, Ph.D., Chair, Economics Department and Executive Director, Beacon Hill Institute at Suffolk University
M. Edward Whelan, III, President of the Ethics and Public Policy Center; Contributor to the National Review Online's Bench Memos
Jan. 8th, 2013 @ 01:44 pm
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| » Muse on Fire, a Shakespeare Spoken word production |
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When my wife forwarded this to me, all I needed to see was the names involved: Michael Anderson and Bill Barclay.
They call it "a euphoric multi-media show", about the Music of the Spheres, and how the Elizabethan view of the universe resonates with the 21st century. Honestly, I'm not entirely sure what that means, but what I AM sure about is that Bill Barclay, Michael Anderson, and the rest of the people involved with this know Shakespeare and know how to put on entertaining shows.
It's at the Davis Square Theater, on Sunday, December 16, 2012 from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM.
They have a trailer for the show -- unfortunately for my blind friends (hi, Kestrel!), it's all text, so let me summarize:
1. It's a benefit for the ASP youth programs
2. It's got Bill Barclay, Daniel Berger-Jones, Liz Hayes, Gabriel Kuttner, Allyn Burrows, and Michael Anderson (doing his "A Bloody Deed" monologue as an opening act).
3. It has to do with music, and Elizabethan cosmology,
4. It involves music, scenes, and stories from Shakespeare
5. Tickets are $20, $10 for students.
As far as I'm concerned, point #2 is all one needs to know to know that this is going to be worthwhile.
http://musicofthespheres.eventbrite.com/#
Nov. 28th, 2012 @ 09:50 pm
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| » Titus Andronicus (HRDC) |
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(X-posted to my personal LJ and  bard_in_boston)
I've seen three productions of TItus Andronicus in my lifetime. The first was at the Atlanta Shakespeare Tavern twenty years ago. The other two were the Femina Shakespeare production at BU last fall, and the new one at the Harvard-Radcliffe Dramatic Club. Both of the college productions were much more innovative than the professional one (although the latter was perfectly well-performed), and also did not result in a disastrous first date like the AST one did*.
Titus is a tough play. At its core, this tragedy is the story of how a black man and an independent woman/single mother destroy a family of white folks (Mitt Romney thinks it's one of the Bard's histories). It's the only Shakespeare play with rape at the core of the plot, and while that event takes place off-stage, it's described in detail. And there's maiming (on-stage and off), blood, and not a whole lot of great speechifying.
But there's a lot a good production can mine. The BU one focused on the gender issues and the violence. Harvard ably mined some of the dark humor in the story (including a glorious visual pun) without underplaying the actual tragedy or pretending that almost anyone in the play is heroic. It's largely straightforward -- no cross-casting, only one dropped character (Quintus) and although the Roman soldiers use guns instead of swords (mostly), the setting still feels like ancient Rome. And it's a Rome where there are few likable people, from the "barbarians" just defeated to the general with no ability to show mercy to the brothers whose battle for control of Rome initiate everything.
One of things I particularly loved was the portrayal of one of the few exceptions, Lavinia. The other productions I've seen tended to go with the text, treating her as a naif whose sweet innocence is ruined and who loses all interest in life after being raped and maimed. Alice Abracen (all names taken from their website; hopefully, nothing is misspelled) plays Lavinia as tough in the first third, with a snide look and tone to her voice that suggests that that constant use of her as a prize for any random consul or emperor of Rome doesn't exactly thrill her. It makes her rape and maiming even more powerful, and afterwards, she conveys a sense that she wants revenge as much as her father does (and that she knows he's going to slit her throat at the end, having now satisfied the one thing that was driving her).
Early on, I was ready to declare Marcus the big flop -- Aaron Graham-Horowitz played him as foppish and weak, and while that's always a part of the character, it was so strong that it undercut Marcus's "my niece, that flies away so fast" speech, generally the best speech anyone other than Aaron gets in the play. But he redeems himself nicely later on, really playing off of Titus nicely, particularly during the "fly" scene (which was great here -- it's generally one of the best moments in any production, as it so quickly moves between being laugh-out-loud funny and heartbreaking as you realize just how much Titus has lost it).
I've never seen a bad Aaron, and Spencer Horne doesn't break that streak. There's just something about gleeful villainy that brings out good performances.
Pretty much every other performance is worthwhile, too, but Caleb Thompson's oh-so-haughty Saturninus and Sara Lytle's literally gothy take on the Goth queen Tamora make wonderful foils for the rest of the cast, and there are some nice staging moments surrounding their characters (they're generally the only two who are seen on the balcony) that establish a nice class disparity between them and the rest of Rome.
There's actual blood spurting (not at Evil Dead: The Musical levels, though), and the violent final scene is brutal; for all the humor and character bits, this is still Titus, of course.
Oh, for anyone wondering about the pun, I'll spoiler-cut it (in case anyone local is planning on seeing it this weekend):
When the messenger comes to tell Titus that Bassianus has been killed, thus revealing that Aaron lied and that Titus cut his own hand off for nothing, the general clearly snaps and calmly pulls his gun and shoots the messenger before sending Lucius off. Yeah, it's a small pun, but I enjoyed it.
Obviously, this is a college production (and it's free!), so if you see it next weekend, take that into account. There's not exactly a lot of money spent on scenery or costumes (although the '70s era punk outfits given to Demetrius and Chiron are nifty). And yes, that's an inherent problem with Titus (or Caesar, or the histories), because you'll have twenty-year-olds playing three times their age. I'm okay with that, but if you need the veneer of a "professional" stage, you probably want to look elsewhere.
*Seriously, people. I cannot stress enough how bad an idea TA is as a choice for a first date.
Sep. 27th, 2012 @ 01:48 pm
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| » As You Like it at the Winthrop Playmakers |
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Love! Fools! Bad Poetry!
"Shakespeare's comedy about kissing courtiers and country copulatives transports us all into the inspiring Forest of Arden. We follow a motley mix of wondering wanderers to find "tongues in trees" and "books in the running brooks," and through great debates concerning realism vs. romanticism, mirth vs. melancholy, and grasping gadgets vs. nurturing Nature, we are invited to weave a way toward happiness."
Directed by: Parker Reed and Steavie Hergenrader
Produced by: Brian Dion and Lauren Amaru
Performances on Oct 5, 6, 12, 13 at 8PM with matinees on Oct 7 & 14 at 3PM You can Buy Tickets Online at www.winthropplaymakers.comCast (In Order of Appearance): Orlando - Conor Moroney Adam - Henry Kettel Oliver/William - Angelo Calderone Charles the Wrestler/Sir Oliver Martext - Bill Thompson Celia - Ashley Morton Rosalind - Danielle Rosvally Touchstone Michael Lacey Le Beau - Kristie Norris Duke Frederick - Larry Palmacci Duke Senior - Brian Dion Amiens - Lauren Amaru Mariana - Carloina Lanney Corin - Christian Webster Silvius - Parker Reed Jacques - Larry Bezviner Audrey - Monika Thornhill Phebe - Steavie Hergenrader
Sep. 27th, 2012 @ 10:27 am
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