“The Tempest” – Not so much a storm as a light breeze

While the Around the Globe Theatre Company’s performance of Shakespeare’s last great play stays incredibly true to the original text, the performance itself leaves something to be desired. Though it is clear that the director, Beth Bruner, has a solid understanding of the intricacies of Shakespeare’s writing (especially the stage directions cleverly written into the lines), and that all the actors have impressive command of the language, the performance sagged with a lack of energy and an incredibly slow pace. Uncut Shakespeare is an ambitious goal for any modern theatre company, and Around the Globe’s production did not move at a pace quick enough to hold the audience’s attention through the entirety. Continue reading

Gee!

Holladay Arts council is currently presenting Gee!, an original play by Beth Bruner that discusses the life and legacy of Gertrude Lawrence through the eyes of those who knew her best: her husband, Richard Aldrich (played by John Garrett); her best friend, Noel Coward (played by Stephen Williams); her friend and attorney, Fanny Holtzmann (played by Debra Fink); and her former accompanist, Joe Moon (played by Dan Christensen). And perhaps the most interesting character, G (played by Corie Sorensen), a young singer and fan of the late Gertrude Lawrence who punctuates the evening singing the songs that made Gertie famous. Continue reading

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