outdoor theater
Aug. 9th, 2007 10:59 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
thoreauI went to California Shakespeare's production of Triumph of Love last night. I love live theater - even BETTER in outdoor amphitheaters. Boise had a tremendous Shakespeare theater right on the river -- this one is in Orinda, CA - literally right outside the tunnel on highway 24. Remembering my sweatshirt and cap (its a windy little space and by the end of the show - quite chilly) - - I headed in.
Screwball romantic comedies are difficult things - they either rock on - or are embarassing to watch. I've watch - and even performed - in both. Triumph is uneven - it's lead, San Jose Rep's Stacy Ross is simply brilliant. She gives a nuanced and polished performance as Princess Loenide, disguised as Phocian. A princess who fakes being a man to get into a household to be close to the man she's fallen in love with. Sort of a medieval Victor/Victoria set up. Unfortunately - the play includes a "clown" - played by Danny Scheie - whose entrances are silly, and portray the court jester as an effiminate begger with a penchant for bending over and showing his ass to people. He's apparently been in other shows - because his appearance on stage illicited an applause. He was obviously having fun - but his portrayal of a weak gay court jester became REALLY annoying. The other players were obviously shakespearian trained - and were having trouble "relaxing" into the pace and humor of a less structured piece. When you see Shakespeare you expect classic voices and meter - - but not in this setting.
Still - the play was worth seeing - and was fun. but - was uneven. But that is often the case when Shakespeare companies try stuff outside of the Bard's repetoire.
Screwball romantic comedies are difficult things - they either rock on - or are embarassing to watch. I've watch - and even performed - in both. Triumph is uneven - it's lead, San Jose Rep's Stacy Ross is simply brilliant. She gives a nuanced and polished performance as Princess Loenide, disguised as Phocian. A princess who fakes being a man to get into a household to be close to the man she's fallen in love with. Sort of a medieval Victor/Victoria set up. Unfortunately - the play includes a "clown" - played by Danny Scheie - whose entrances are silly, and portray the court jester as an effiminate begger with a penchant for bending over and showing his ass to people. He's apparently been in other shows - because his appearance on stage illicited an applause. He was obviously having fun - but his portrayal of a weak gay court jester became REALLY annoying. The other players were obviously shakespearian trained - and were having trouble "relaxing" into the pace and humor of a less structured piece. When you see Shakespeare you expect classic voices and meter - - but not in this setting.
Still - the play was worth seeing - and was fun. but - was uneven. But that is often the case when Shakespeare companies try stuff outside of the Bard's repetoire.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2007-08-09 07:31 pm (UTC)Triumph was also made into a musical which starred Betty Buckley, F. Murray Abraham, and several other people who are arguably Broadway-famous. I didn't see it, and it didn't last very long, but I did get the cast album. :-)
no subject
Date: 2007-08-09 07:41 pm (UTC)I totally *heart* F Murray Abraham