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ENTERTAINMENT
Monday August 13, 2012 The Daily Aztec
ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE
Do you have an undying fascination with tyrannical dictators? Are you enchanted by maigcal forests? Whether you’re a fan of The Bard, or just prepping for English 533, The Old Globe is your ultimate destination for all things William Shakespeare with their summer Shakespeare Festival.
Masterful lunacy is on display in devilish ‘Richard III’ David Dixon Staff Writer
Can a three-hour epic about a narcissistic jerk make for a satisfying night of theatre? Of course it can, if the book is smart and the right performer makes the part his own. Both these qualities are evident in The Old Globe’s production of William Shakespeare’s historical play, “Richard III.” Set in modern day England, Richard, Duke of Gloucester (Jay Whittaker) is revealed as a man who embodies pure evil within
act, as it depicts Richard’s demise by the good-hearted Earl of Richmond (Dan Amboyer). He is such a likeable hero it is hard not to root for him in his attempts to defeat Richard in battle. The main reason to attend this production is because of Whittaker’s unhinged, crazy and wickedly funny portrayal of the deformed tyrant. His masterful reading of Shakespeare’s text alternates between subtle and grand, often in the same line of dialogue. As Richard, Whittaker is at his most frightening after he becomes king. Richard rules his
Modern propaganda posters flank the cast of The Old Globe’s Shakespeare Festival production of “Richard III.”
minutes after his stage entrance. Act I is about Richard’s deadly rise to power, which results in numerous murders and complicated deceptions. This makes for a more straightforward
people like a mad despot, and a late speech evokes images of dictators, such as Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini. Director Lindsay Posner keeps things lively on stage, even when the story gets extremely complex. His decision to adapt the real life 15th century events to the 21st century works very well, especially in the memorable climax during the Battle of Bosworth Field. With so much going on in this
particular scene, Posner stages an ending with one of the more action packed finales the Shakespeare Festival has produced in recent years. From a directorial standpoint, this is “Richard III” at its best. The only flaws in this otherwise terrific interpretation are two major scenes written by Shakespeare, which go on far too long. Though Queen Margaret (Robin Moseley) is a very interesting character, there is a big moment early on where she curses Richard and some of the men working for him. This sounds blasphemous, but Shakespeare dwells too much on this and the plot momentarily sags.
Another sequence that is longer than necessary is when all the people Richard is responsible for murdering appear as ghosts. While the scene starts out being spooky, they all keep on repeating the same point: Earl is good and will live, Richard is bad and will die. The excellent news is both of the aforementioned issues only last for a few minutes. While they deserve to be trimmed, the basic foreshadowing should be kept in the future. By far the blackest of the three plays currently at the Lowell Davies Festival Theatre, “Richard III” is easy to recommend, especially to witness Whittaker’s
courtesy of henry dirocco
continued rise as a great actor. His whole commitment to showing the worst of mankind is something to behold. Tickets and information about “Richard III” can be found at theoldglobe.org.
REVIEW play: richard iii director: lindsay posner runs: June 3 - sept. 29
‘As You Like It’ is full of laughs, romance and whimsy
Dana Green (center) leads the cast of “As You Like It” as Rosalind at The Old Globe’s Shakespeare Festival.
David Dixon Staff Writer
The Old Globe’s new production of “As You Like It” at the 2012 Shakespeare Festival is a fantastic romantic comedy, which transports spectators to an enchanting winter wonderland. Director Adrian Noble makes the most of a relatively sparse set, while keeping the production of this famous story astonishingly delightful. Set in a time inspired by 1930s England, Rosalind (Dana Green) is the daughter of Duke Senior (Bob Pescovitz), a respected
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man who is banished by his evil brother, Duke Frederick (Happy Anderson). After a slapstickfilled wrestling match, Rosalind falls in love with Orlando (Dan Amboyer), the son Frederick’s enemy, Sir Rowland de Bois. Both Rosalind and Orlando get into dangerous conflicts, leading them to abandon their homes and find refuge in the magical Forest of Arden. Like his previous interpretation of “The Tempest,” Noble has created an easily accessible piece of entertainment aimed at a mass audience. Instead of an adaptation following the original show to a
tee, the humor is quite graspable, with plenty of physical jokes and nuances from the actors resulting in clear verbal wit. Another artist who plays an integral part in the majestic tone of the play is scenic designer, Ralph Funicello. There isn’t much scenery, but what Funicello achieves is spellbinding. The forest is full of artificial falling snow, which adds to the delightful mood. In Act II, a cable grid with lights hovers over the entire auditorium adding simple visual magic. Of course, what is a great Shakespeare play without a terrific ensemble? Everyone plays their part perfectly, from Amboyer’s sympathetic portrayal of Orlando to the cynical Jaques (Jacques C. Smith) who gets to say the most popular line, “All the world’s a stage.” The most memorable performances come from the two main women, Green as Rosalind and Vivia Font as Celia, Rosalind’s witty and loyal cousin. They play off each other’s wittiness to get the most laughs they possibly can. Green makes Rosalind a clever heroine whose quick thinking actually pays off. Characters like this usually find temporary solutions that bite them in the
butt, but Rosalind never runs into these types of problems because she is one of the wisest people in her world. While it is not a musical, there are four songs written by the playwright that are integrated throughout “As You Like It.” Mostly led by the character Amiens (Adam Daveline) and accompanied with original music by Shaun Davey, the upbeat folksy numbers really stand out as opposed to slowing the proceedings down. In the program, Noble says “As You Like it” is “one of [his] favorite p l a y s .” His love for
Shakespeare’s text is on full display and his unique vision results in another triumphant success for the summer festival. Tickets and information about “As You Like It” can be found at theoldglobe.org.
REVIEW play: as you like it director: adrian noble runs: June 10 - sept. 30