The theater was tiny, the stage was modest, and the audience was small, but an electric feeling hung in the air as everyone waited in anticipation of the new production. The house lights went down, a shockingly modern post-apocalyptic sound track began, and the lights came up to reveal a startling display of interpretive dance. This began what was, unfortunately, a very confusing performance. Continue reading
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
