Mary Zimmerman, one of the most creative and ambitious directors working in theater today, revisits the work that brought her to national prominence. Ms. Zimmerman's adaptation of several of the mythological tales of Ovid's Metamorphoses, famously staged in a pool of water,is a mesmerizing journey using ancient myths to examine love, loss and redemption.
Ms. Zimmerman faced a challenge adapting this work to the confines of the Fichandler theater. Collaborating with her original designers, this production fits well in the space. For the first time, Metamorphoses is staged in the round. This has the advantage of giving a multi-dimensional feel to the work, but has the disadvantage that some moments will necessarily be hidden at times from the entire audience's view. The pool for this production is the largest one ever constructed and wisely Arena Stage has provided the first two rows of seats with towels. Sitting in the splash zone you will get wet. The only jarring aspect to the staging is the need to periodically sop up the water that collects on the edge of the pool. The first time it is swept up, you think, how clever. The second time it feels not as creative, almost intrusive, however necessary for the safety of the actors.
Despite that minor complaint, Metamorphoses will immerse you into the stories written down by the Roman poet Ovid so many centuries ago. The entire ensemble, many of whom have performed Metamorphoses in previous productions. It is difficult to single out performances when the ensemble is so united. Ashleigh Lathrop easily portrays the innocence of King Midas' daughter and the depravity of the cursed Myrrha. Doug Hara is hilarious as Apollo's bitter son, Phaeton and hauntingly poignant in the wordless part of the injured Eros. They, and the rest of the ensemble, portray so many varied roles, yet make each one a vibrant individual part of the whole theatrical experience.
For a creative evening of theater that will leave you wanting to explore the rest of Ovid's massive epic compilation go to the Fichandler theater, be prepare to get wet, and immerse yourself in the storytelling gifts of director Mary Zimmerman and the cast of Metamorphoses.
Metamorphoses presented by Arena Stage in association with Lookingglass Theatre Company is being performed on the Fichandler Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater through March 17, 2013. For tickets and other performance information please visit www.arenastage.org.
Monday, February 18, 2013
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
The 2013 Oscar Nominated Short Films: Live Action
ShortsHD has made available to interested filmgoers all of the Academy Award nominated short subject films. If you live in a major city you can see the films in a movie theater during the month of February and beginning on February 19, 2013 they will be available for viewing through Itunes download and Video on Demand. Visit theoscarshorts.shorts.tv/index.php for more information.
The 2013 nominees in the category of Live Action Short film are a varied bunch. There is poignant drama, steampunk inspired science fiction, a black comedy and two films which feature young boys in war torn countries. If I were a member of the Academy this is how I would rank this year's nominees. This is my personal opinion and does not reflect who might actual win the award.
5. Death of A Shadow- France and Belgium - 20 minutes. A soldier is killed during World War I. A mysterious collector captures the shadows of those who die for display in a bizarre art gallery. The soldier will regain his shadow's freedom when he captures 1000 shadows for the collector. He is driven by his love for a woman. When he discovers that she loves another man, his jealousy clouds his decision on whom to chose for his final capture. This film contains elements of science fiction, time travel and a bit of steampunk in its design element. A compelling little story that is just outmatched by the other films in this category.
4.Curfew - United States - 19 minutes. This black comedy is definitely not for everyone. A man is in the midst of committing suicide when he receives a phone call from his estranged sister begging him to baby-sit his niece. The afternoon with the sassy young girl briefly gives him the will to live. When his sister still berates him about the mistakes of his past he returns alone to his apartment and resumes his plan to die. When the phone rings again will he ignore it and die? The scenario is distasteful and the three main characters are not very likable What redeems this film is the layers of the story. Learning what caused the estrangement and the growth of the friendship between uncle and niece save this film from being an arty mess.
3. Assad - South Africa and United States - 18 minutes. Assad is a young boy who yearns to join the older boys in his Somali village on their pirate raids. He is encouraged by an old fisherman to set his sights on being a fisherman instead. When soldiers invade the village, threaten his friends and steal the fish the old man gave Assad for his family's dinner, Assad is convinced that he is cursed. The fisherman suggests Assad go out fishing alone. What he discovers on his voyage and the prize he catches gives Assad the confidence that his curse is lifted. The entire cast, except for one, is comprised of Somali refugees and asylum seekers. This gives an authenticity to the story. The drama is lightened by the unexpected ending.
2. Buzkashi Boys - Afganistan and United States - 28 minutes. This taut drama set and filmed in Kabul is the tale of two boys. Rafi is the son of a blacksmith, Ahmad a homeless street urchin. The best friends play hooky and dream of playing the Afghan national sport - which is basically polo with a dead goat. When Rafi tells Ahmad other he will never become a Buzkashi player unless he gets a horse, the resultant challenge leads to tragedy a dose of reality. A gripping drama starring two amazing child actors.
1. Henry - Canada - 21 minutes. Henry is an elderly concert pianist dreaming of performing a duet with his violinist wife. A tale of Alzheimer's from the point-of-view of the patient, this gem of a film is poignant. It shows the ravages of the disease on the patient, his family and caregivers and illustrates the dream world of Henry' past. A beautiful gem of a film.
The 2013 nominees in the category of Live Action Short film are a varied bunch. There is poignant drama, steampunk inspired science fiction, a black comedy and two films which feature young boys in war torn countries. If I were a member of the Academy this is how I would rank this year's nominees. This is my personal opinion and does not reflect who might actual win the award.
5. Death of A Shadow- France and Belgium - 20 minutes. A soldier is killed during World War I. A mysterious collector captures the shadows of those who die for display in a bizarre art gallery. The soldier will regain his shadow's freedom when he captures 1000 shadows for the collector. He is driven by his love for a woman. When he discovers that she loves another man, his jealousy clouds his decision on whom to chose for his final capture. This film contains elements of science fiction, time travel and a bit of steampunk in its design element. A compelling little story that is just outmatched by the other films in this category.
4.Curfew - United States - 19 minutes. This black comedy is definitely not for everyone. A man is in the midst of committing suicide when he receives a phone call from his estranged sister begging him to baby-sit his niece. The afternoon with the sassy young girl briefly gives him the will to live. When his sister still berates him about the mistakes of his past he returns alone to his apartment and resumes his plan to die. When the phone rings again will he ignore it and die? The scenario is distasteful and the three main characters are not very likable What redeems this film is the layers of the story. Learning what caused the estrangement and the growth of the friendship between uncle and niece save this film from being an arty mess.
3. Assad - South Africa and United States - 18 minutes. Assad is a young boy who yearns to join the older boys in his Somali village on their pirate raids. He is encouraged by an old fisherman to set his sights on being a fisherman instead. When soldiers invade the village, threaten his friends and steal the fish the old man gave Assad for his family's dinner, Assad is convinced that he is cursed. The fisherman suggests Assad go out fishing alone. What he discovers on his voyage and the prize he catches gives Assad the confidence that his curse is lifted. The entire cast, except for one, is comprised of Somali refugees and asylum seekers. This gives an authenticity to the story. The drama is lightened by the unexpected ending.
2. Buzkashi Boys - Afganistan and United States - 28 minutes. This taut drama set and filmed in Kabul is the tale of two boys. Rafi is the son of a blacksmith, Ahmad a homeless street urchin. The best friends play hooky and dream of playing the Afghan national sport - which is basically polo with a dead goat. When Rafi tells Ahmad other he will never become a Buzkashi player unless he gets a horse, the resultant challenge leads to tragedy a dose of reality. A gripping drama starring two amazing child actors.
1. Henry - Canada - 21 minutes. Henry is an elderly concert pianist dreaming of performing a duet with his violinist wife. A tale of Alzheimer's from the point-of-view of the patient, this gem of a film is poignant. It shows the ravages of the disease on the patient, his family and caregivers and illustrates the dream world of Henry' past. A beautiful gem of a film.
Thursday, February 7, 2013
The 2013 Oscar Nominated Short Subjects: Animated
ShortsHD has made available to interested filmgoers all of the Academy Award nominated short subject films. If you live in a major city you can see the films in a movie theater during the month of February and beginning on February 19, 2013 they will be available for viewing through Itunes download and Video on Demand. Visit theoscarshorts.shorts.tv/index.php for more information.
The Animated Short Subject Nominees are always the shortest films. This year, even more so as three of the five nominees are 6 minutes long or less. The longest nominee is 16 minutes, the shortest 2 minutes. As a result, in order to pad out the running time of the films for theatrical performance three "highly commended" films are included.
Abiogenesis - New Zealand - 5 minutes - highly commended. The definition of abiogenesis is living organisms developing from inorganic material. In this film, a spaceship lands on a desolate planet and jumpstarts life before blasting off again into the stars. It is a very stylized film and the robotic creatures that sip the primordial ooze resemble a cross between a Mars rover and insects. Beautiful animation but the over-all feeling is rather cold and distant. Could have used a touch of wonderment.
The Gruffalo's Child - United Kingdom and Germany - 27 minutes - highly commended. The sequel to the Academy Award nominated film, The Gruffalo. It follows a very similar format to the original story and film. Mother squirrel tells her children a tale to explain the mysterious footprints outside their forest home. In the original story it was a mouse spinning a story of the monstrous Gruffalo who would be very angry with the predators who tried to eat the mouse. Here the Gruffalo's daughter searches the dark woods for the big, bad mouse encountering along the way many of the same predators from the original tale. The only film in this year's nominees and highly commended films that has dialogue, the Gruffalo's Child is voiced by well-known British actors. It is a sweet yet dark fable that suffers from covering a lot of the same ground as the first Gruffalo film.
Dripped - France - 9 minutes - A very inventive film about an art thief in 1950's New York City who literally consumes the art he steals transforming his body into the style of the painting he has eaten. A very clever homage to modern art you will realize the reason for the title only at the end. Really charming.
As for this year's nominees, they include two studio films from 20th Century Fox and Walt Disney Studios both of whom were widely seen in front of popular animated feature films. If I were an Academy Awards voter this is how I would rank this year's Short Films: Animated nominees. This is my opinion and does not reflect who might actually win the award.
5. Maggie Simpson in The Longest Daycare - United States - 5 minutes. We have a silent episode from the television series The Simpsons starring baby Maggie and her nemesis, Baby Gerald. This film was shown in theaters along with the animated feature Ice Age 3: Continental Drift. Spending the day at the Ayn Rand Child Care Center where she has to go through security and is classified with the paste-eating normal children, Maggie spends her day trying to save a newly hatched butterfly from Baby Gerald who delights in smashing them. Filled with the background puns familiar to long-time viewers of the television show, it is cute, disturbing and rather sweet all at the same time.
4. Fresh Guacamole - United States - 2 minutes. A very clever stop motion film that transforms ordinary objects into a bowl of guacamole. The problem is that the film is ultimately too short and one note. While it is clever to see a hand grenade sliced as an avocado, when the second and third vegetables are diced into actual dice it gets repetitive.
3. Adam and Dog - United States - 16 minutes. The longest nominee this year imagines the tale of the Garden of Eden from the point of view of the first dog. From the moment of his creation the dog delights in doing what dogs do --- yes, the first thing the first dog does is mark his territory. Becoming Adam's friend he eventually gets shut out once Eve arrives on the scene. When the fall of Man occurs, dog must decide to remain in the now dangerous garden or take his chances with Adam and Eve in their exile. This is a beautiful film with the appearance of watercolor. There is appropriate nudity in the film, but it is primarily crudely drawn so that while you see that Adam is nude it is not so anatomically correct that you dwell on it. A beautiful film.
2. Head Over Heels - United Kingdom - 11 minutes. My number two choice is so close to my number one choice that I flip/flopped between them for a long time and would still be happy if either film won. This stop motion gem tells the story of a long married couple that has literally drifted apart. She lives on the ceiling and he upon the floor. Their conflict has caused their house to tumble through the sky so that it is unclear which way is up or down. During a furious struggle over their wedding photo, the husband makes a discovery that leads him to attempt to gain his wife's attention and reconcile with her. Doing so causes the home to crash in the desert, but only one of them has their feet on the ground. How it is resolved is clever.
1. Paperman - United States - 7 minutes. The other film that was widely shown in theaters, in front of Wreck-It-Ralph, Paperman is a simple boy meets girl tale. Black and white with the appearance of 2D animation, Paperman uses a new technology that allows computer animation to preserve that hand-drawn look. The story is imaginative in its execution.
The only caution to Paperman winning the award stems from the fact that no Disney released short film, including Pixar shorts has won this category since 2001's For the Birds. There may be a feeling among the Academy members that since Pixar, and by association Disney has dominated the Animated Feature category that in the short film category they may feel the need to recognize a less well known filmmaker. We shall have to wait and see on Oscar night.
The Animated Short Subject Nominees are always the shortest films. This year, even more so as three of the five nominees are 6 minutes long or less. The longest nominee is 16 minutes, the shortest 2 minutes. As a result, in order to pad out the running time of the films for theatrical performance three "highly commended" films are included.
Abiogenesis - New Zealand - 5 minutes - highly commended. The definition of abiogenesis is living organisms developing from inorganic material. In this film, a spaceship lands on a desolate planet and jumpstarts life before blasting off again into the stars. It is a very stylized film and the robotic creatures that sip the primordial ooze resemble a cross between a Mars rover and insects. Beautiful animation but the over-all feeling is rather cold and distant. Could have used a touch of wonderment.
The Gruffalo's Child - United Kingdom and Germany - 27 minutes - highly commended. The sequel to the Academy Award nominated film, The Gruffalo. It follows a very similar format to the original story and film. Mother squirrel tells her children a tale to explain the mysterious footprints outside their forest home. In the original story it was a mouse spinning a story of the monstrous Gruffalo who would be very angry with the predators who tried to eat the mouse. Here the Gruffalo's daughter searches the dark woods for the big, bad mouse encountering along the way many of the same predators from the original tale. The only film in this year's nominees and highly commended films that has dialogue, the Gruffalo's Child is voiced by well-known British actors. It is a sweet yet dark fable that suffers from covering a lot of the same ground as the first Gruffalo film.
Dripped - France - 9 minutes - A very inventive film about an art thief in 1950's New York City who literally consumes the art he steals transforming his body into the style of the painting he has eaten. A very clever homage to modern art you will realize the reason for the title only at the end. Really charming.
As for this year's nominees, they include two studio films from 20th Century Fox and Walt Disney Studios both of whom were widely seen in front of popular animated feature films. If I were an Academy Awards voter this is how I would rank this year's Short Films: Animated nominees. This is my opinion and does not reflect who might actually win the award.
5. Maggie Simpson in The Longest Daycare - United States - 5 minutes. We have a silent episode from the television series The Simpsons starring baby Maggie and her nemesis, Baby Gerald. This film was shown in theaters along with the animated feature Ice Age 3: Continental Drift. Spending the day at the Ayn Rand Child Care Center where she has to go through security and is classified with the paste-eating normal children, Maggie spends her day trying to save a newly hatched butterfly from Baby Gerald who delights in smashing them. Filled with the background puns familiar to long-time viewers of the television show, it is cute, disturbing and rather sweet all at the same time.
4. Fresh Guacamole - United States - 2 minutes. A very clever stop motion film that transforms ordinary objects into a bowl of guacamole. The problem is that the film is ultimately too short and one note. While it is clever to see a hand grenade sliced as an avocado, when the second and third vegetables are diced into actual dice it gets repetitive.
3. Adam and Dog - United States - 16 minutes. The longest nominee this year imagines the tale of the Garden of Eden from the point of view of the first dog. From the moment of his creation the dog delights in doing what dogs do --- yes, the first thing the first dog does is mark his territory. Becoming Adam's friend he eventually gets shut out once Eve arrives on the scene. When the fall of Man occurs, dog must decide to remain in the now dangerous garden or take his chances with Adam and Eve in their exile. This is a beautiful film with the appearance of watercolor. There is appropriate nudity in the film, but it is primarily crudely drawn so that while you see that Adam is nude it is not so anatomically correct that you dwell on it. A beautiful film.
2. Head Over Heels - United Kingdom - 11 minutes. My number two choice is so close to my number one choice that I flip/flopped between them for a long time and would still be happy if either film won. This stop motion gem tells the story of a long married couple that has literally drifted apart. She lives on the ceiling and he upon the floor. Their conflict has caused their house to tumble through the sky so that it is unclear which way is up or down. During a furious struggle over their wedding photo, the husband makes a discovery that leads him to attempt to gain his wife's attention and reconcile with her. Doing so causes the home to crash in the desert, but only one of them has their feet on the ground. How it is resolved is clever.
1. Paperman - United States - 7 minutes. The other film that was widely shown in theaters, in front of Wreck-It-Ralph, Paperman is a simple boy meets girl tale. Black and white with the appearance of 2D animation, Paperman uses a new technology that allows computer animation to preserve that hand-drawn look. The story is imaginative in its execution.
The only caution to Paperman winning the award stems from the fact that no Disney released short film, including Pixar shorts has won this category since 2001's For the Birds. There may be a feeling among the Academy members that since Pixar, and by association Disney has dominated the Animated Feature category that in the short film category they may feel the need to recognize a less well known filmmaker. We shall have to wait and see on Oscar night.
The 2013 Oscar Nominated Short Subjects: Documentary
ShortsHD has made available to interested filmgoers all of the Academy Award nominated short subject films. If you live in a major city you can see the films in a movie theater during the month of February and beginning on February 19, 2013 they will be available for viewing through Itunes download and Video on Demand. Visit theoscarshorts.shorts.tv/index.php for more information.
The Documentary Short Subject nominees are all at or close to the maximum limit for length. If you see the films in a theater they very likely will be shown with a brief intermission between the third and fourth films as they were when I saw the films at the West End Cinema in Washington, D.C. If I were an Academy Award voter this is how I would rank this year's Documentary Short Subject nominees. This is my personal opinion and does not reflect who might actual win the award.
5. Redemption - United States - 35 minutes. This is a film about the people who make a living canning - collecting cans and bottles on the streets of New York City to redeem them for 5 cents each to supplement their income. The film focuses on several different people who troll various neighborhoods from the upper West Side of Manhattan to Times Square to Brooklyn. Some are homeless, some on fixed income, all find it worth their while to dig through bags of trash to earn a few dollars a day redeeming recyclables. Its an interesting film that gets a little manipulative in its choice of imagery for its ending. While it shows both affluent and tourist locations as the prime locations for canning the filmmakers chose a night shot of Wall Street with a lone figure pushing a cart filled with cans and bottles for the finale. Seemed a bit too obvious and the film would have been better if it had chosen a normal street to show that canning is universal to New York City and its boroughs without making judgment.
4. Kings Point - United States - 40 minutes. A film about the Kings Point retirement community in Florida and its residents. The focus is on five senior citizens who moved to Kings Point for various reasons decades ago. The community itself was founded in 1972. Poignantly shows that for all the social benefits marketed to seniors the reality is one of increasing isolation and loneliness as spouses die and one's health declines. Despite the friendships that exist there is a sense from the subjects of not wanting to get too close to each other. Kings Point is an emotionally engaging story.
3. Open Heart - United States - 40 minutes. This is story of 8 Rwandan children who are chosen to travel to Sudan to repair the valves in their damaged hearts. Rheumatic fever is easily treated in affluent countries, but in Africa it still leads to severe heart complications which left untreated means eventual death. The film focuses on Dr. Emmanuel Rusingiza, Rwanda's only government cardiologist and the Salam Center, a joint Italian and Sudanese hospital for cardiac surgery that is the only facility in Africa that provides its services free of charge. The problem is funding. 75% of the budget comes from the Italian charity Emergency, 25% from the Government of Sudan. Controversially the film shows Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir as he tours the facility and has a meeting with the hospital personnel who must convince him to maintain Sudan's portion of the budget. To their credit the filmmakers do point out in a caption that Al-Bashir is wanted for war crimes. Miraculously all 8 of the children survive the procedures and get to go home. The only surprising thing about the film is that there is no plea for donations in the end credits.
2. Inocente - United States - 40 minutes. A coming-of-age tale told in the words of the protagonist, Inocente is a young woman determined to be an artist despite the hardships of her life. She is 15, an undocumented immigrant and has been homeless for the past nine years. She has a difficult relationship with her mother which stems from Inocente blaming herself for the abusive behavior of her father which led to his arrest and was a factor in the family becoming homeless. Through the support of the San Diego organization ARTS (a reason to survive) she is chosen to mount an art show. The film leaves you with hope that this young woman will have a better life through her art.
1. Mondays at Racine - United States - 39 minutes. This is a film that appears to have one focus and surprisingly has a deeper and richer soul. Racine's is a salon and spa located in Long Island, New York. On the third Monday of each month, the two sisters who run the salon, Cynthia and Rachel open their services for free to women undergoing chemotherapy. What makes this film more meaningful is that the salon and what these compassionate women are providing these cancer patients is merely the catalyst for the real story, the lives of some of the women who pass through their doors. The focus is on several of the women, but delves deeper into the lives of two women, Linda Hart who has lived with cancer since 1994, and Cambria Russell whom the film follows from the time of her third chemotherapy session through surgery and into eventual remission. It is these women's lives that elevate Mondays at Racine beyond being simply a feel good film about a nice service for cancer patients.
The Documentary Short Subject nominees are all at or close to the maximum limit for length. If you see the films in a theater they very likely will be shown with a brief intermission between the third and fourth films as they were when I saw the films at the West End Cinema in Washington, D.C. If I were an Academy Award voter this is how I would rank this year's Documentary Short Subject nominees. This is my personal opinion and does not reflect who might actual win the award.
5. Redemption - United States - 35 minutes. This is a film about the people who make a living canning - collecting cans and bottles on the streets of New York City to redeem them for 5 cents each to supplement their income. The film focuses on several different people who troll various neighborhoods from the upper West Side of Manhattan to Times Square to Brooklyn. Some are homeless, some on fixed income, all find it worth their while to dig through bags of trash to earn a few dollars a day redeeming recyclables. Its an interesting film that gets a little manipulative in its choice of imagery for its ending. While it shows both affluent and tourist locations as the prime locations for canning the filmmakers chose a night shot of Wall Street with a lone figure pushing a cart filled with cans and bottles for the finale. Seemed a bit too obvious and the film would have been better if it had chosen a normal street to show that canning is universal to New York City and its boroughs without making judgment.
4. Kings Point - United States - 40 minutes. A film about the Kings Point retirement community in Florida and its residents. The focus is on five senior citizens who moved to Kings Point for various reasons decades ago. The community itself was founded in 1972. Poignantly shows that for all the social benefits marketed to seniors the reality is one of increasing isolation and loneliness as spouses die and one's health declines. Despite the friendships that exist there is a sense from the subjects of not wanting to get too close to each other. Kings Point is an emotionally engaging story.
3. Open Heart - United States - 40 minutes. This is story of 8 Rwandan children who are chosen to travel to Sudan to repair the valves in their damaged hearts. Rheumatic fever is easily treated in affluent countries, but in Africa it still leads to severe heart complications which left untreated means eventual death. The film focuses on Dr. Emmanuel Rusingiza, Rwanda's only government cardiologist and the Salam Center, a joint Italian and Sudanese hospital for cardiac surgery that is the only facility in Africa that provides its services free of charge. The problem is funding. 75% of the budget comes from the Italian charity Emergency, 25% from the Government of Sudan. Controversially the film shows Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir as he tours the facility and has a meeting with the hospital personnel who must convince him to maintain Sudan's portion of the budget. To their credit the filmmakers do point out in a caption that Al-Bashir is wanted for war crimes. Miraculously all 8 of the children survive the procedures and get to go home. The only surprising thing about the film is that there is no plea for donations in the end credits.
2. Inocente - United States - 40 minutes. A coming-of-age tale told in the words of the protagonist, Inocente is a young woman determined to be an artist despite the hardships of her life. She is 15, an undocumented immigrant and has been homeless for the past nine years. She has a difficult relationship with her mother which stems from Inocente blaming herself for the abusive behavior of her father which led to his arrest and was a factor in the family becoming homeless. Through the support of the San Diego organization ARTS (a reason to survive) she is chosen to mount an art show. The film leaves you with hope that this young woman will have a better life through her art.
1. Mondays at Racine - United States - 39 minutes. This is a film that appears to have one focus and surprisingly has a deeper and richer soul. Racine's is a salon and spa located in Long Island, New York. On the third Monday of each month, the two sisters who run the salon, Cynthia and Rachel open their services for free to women undergoing chemotherapy. What makes this film more meaningful is that the salon and what these compassionate women are providing these cancer patients is merely the catalyst for the real story, the lives of some of the women who pass through their doors. The focus is on several of the women, but delves deeper into the lives of two women, Linda Hart who has lived with cancer since 1994, and Cambria Russell whom the film follows from the time of her third chemotherapy session through surgery and into eventual remission. It is these women's lives that elevate Mondays at Racine beyond being simply a feel good film about a nice service for cancer patients.
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Disney Review: Testing Fastpass +
I take an trip to Walt Disney World every December to celebrate the end of the semester exams for my son who is a student at Florida Institute of Technology. We hang in the park for a couple of days then take the auto train from Sanford, Florida to Lorton, Virginia and from thence to home for his holiday break.
This year I received in the mail about two weeks before my scheduled departure an invitation to participate in a test of the new Fastpass + system.
I am a Disney Vacation Club member and an Annual Passholder. I do not know what triggered my being selected to take part in the test.
The first instructions were to visit a website https://fastpassplus.disney.go.com with the reservation number provided. I could select 4 experiences in the Magic Kingdom on one day and 3 experiences in Disney's Hollywood Studios for another day. If necessary I could modify the choices "at any time."
When I went to the website I was asked to sign in. If you have signed in to any Disney website it is the same account. If you have never signed in to any Disney website you will need to create an account before going any further.
On the next screen I was asked to input my resort reservation number and my birth month, day and year.
The next screen listed our names and asked if anyone in our party had a celebration.
The next screen began the process of selecting our Fastpass + experiences. First we had to choose either the Magic Kingdom or Disney's Hollywood Studios.
Then we had to select the date we wished to do those Fastpass + experiences. During the test you can only select one day per park and each park must have a different date.
One nice touch is that it lets you know if the park is having Extra Magic Hours on the date you choose.
Then we were given the list of available attractions and shows. For Disney's Hollywood Studios it was divided into choose 1 from the top list and choose 2 from the bottom list.
All of your selections are the same for all members of your party. During this part of the sign up process you cannot choose different Fastpass + experiences for different people.
Once we made our choices the next screen gave us four different itinerary options for using Fastpass + that day.
While you can change itineraries you cannot modify the time of an individual attraction within the itineraries.
Once we completed our selections for one park we were given the opportunity to make the selections for the other park.
For the Magic Kingdom we could choose a total of four experiences selecting two from each list.
Once we completed everything we received an email confirmation with a link to view and/or modify our selections. The email reminded us to bring the Fastpass + cards during the one hour window for each experience and to use it with the special Fastpass + RFID reader at the entrance.
For the initial sign up everyone in your party is signed up for the same Fastpass+ experiences. This can seem frustrating if you have someone who loves the roller coasters and other person who would rather see a show or reserve a spot for the fireworks and parades. This is where being able to modify the experiences to fit your actual needs comes in handy.
As an example, for Hollywood Studios I chose The Tower of Terror as it is one of my son's favorite atractions. You can't drag me on that attraction as I have a deathly fear of dropping sensations. Initially I planned on giving my son my Fastpass+ and letting him ride it twice. There is a problem with that as the Fastpass+ is definitely tied only to the person who is registered to use it. When you tap it at the attraction your name shows up. My son can't pass as a Diane even if he tried to explain that his parents were fans of Johnny Cash songs. However, there is an easy solution. Once you select your preferred itinerary for your Fastpass+ choices the screen will show you your schedule. On the right hand side is a "Make Changes" button. Selecting that option gives you the opportunity to change the time of the Fastpass+ for an attraction or to change the actual attraction for one or more members of your party. I was able to change my Tower of Terror to The Great Movie Ride.
Once we finished making our selections for each park we were ready to go. You should receive an email from Disney with your Fastpass+ experiences about 24 hours before the day you are using it. I say should because I did not receive an email for Disney's Hollywood Studios. Actually I did receive an email, six of them, the day after I used my Fastpass+ in that park. I did receive a correct email for the Magic Kingdom.
The reason that I received multiple emails for Disney's Hollywood Studios was probably triggered by the fact that I had to make a change in the itinerary once I arrived in the park. You may do so using one of two methods. The first utilizing the in the park WiFi and using the link in the email.
Second, if you do not have a smartphone or the wifi is not working well for you, you can also go to certain locations in each park and make changes to your Fastpass+ there.
My son was finishing his exams the morning that we were going to Disney's Hollywood Studios. Our first Fastpass+ was Star Tours from 12:05 to 1:05. He wasn't going to make it so I attempted to change the Fastpass+ to a later time. If I had received the email for my Disney's Hollywood Studios itinerary on time I could have gone to the location and changed it. What I discovered doing it through the email link was that it was it took multiple steps to keep Star Tours near the original time frame. Selecting to stay with Star Tours gave me options that were for very late in the afternoon. We could not do that as we had dining reservations in EPCOT. However, I could change the attraction and get a time period that was 5 to 15 minutes later. I chose to do that with Muppetvision 3D. Then I tried switching back to Star Tours and lo and behold I could get the time frame that I initially wanted. I had to change it three more times using that method as my son was delayed on his drive from his college. By the time he got there and tapped the Fastpass+ it recognized that he was scheduled for Star Tours, but that I was scheduled for Muppetvision 3D. The cast member kindly let me ride Star Tours.
What I suggest if you find yourself in a similar situation is to either make the changes the day before using your computer or smartphone. If you have to make a change in the park, say you discover that the attraction has a 10 minute stand-by line and you'd like to use your Fastpass+ for something else, go to the locations that can change it with the assistance of a cast member.
Using Fastpass+ is very easy. You simply touch the Fastpass+ to the glowing Mickey Head. It will light up green if it is good to go. When I had my problem at Star Tours it lit up blue. The cast member will know your name and if you have noted a celebration, so do not be surprised if you greeted by name and a "Happy Birthday" or "Congratulations."
I nice design feature is that the RFID Fastpass+ readers are themed to fit each attraction. The above is located at Toy Story Midway Mania.
Since I completed this test Disney has announced Magic+ and MagicBands which will use this RFID technology not only for Fastpass+ but as room keys, park admission and to pay for purchases if you link it to a credit card. It will use a wristband which should make it less likely to be lost while out in the parks. There are numerous websites that have the information on the MyMagic+ program. I recommend visiting insidethemagic.net, attractionsmagazine.com/blog or allears.net to learn more about the program. There are many, many more websites, but these are a few of the Disney and theme park related ones that I find particularly reliable.
Overall, I was pleased with the Fastpass+ test. There were a few glitches. I did not receive an itinerary email for Disney's Hollywood Studios until the day after I used Fastpass+ in that park. Trying to make a change in the itinerary while in the park can be difficult and I do recommend going to the location in the park with a cast member to assist you rather than trying to make a change using the email link. The biggest advantage was being able to book an extremely popular attraction like Toy Story Midway Mania without having to be at Disney's Hollywood Studios and grabbing a Fastpass as soon as the park opens. Limiting the number of Fastpass+ is a good idea. You can select a few things that you consider a must-do such as a popular attraction or reserving a spot for fireworks or a parade. Yet its still flexible enough that it doesn't force you to completely micromanage every aspect of your day in the theme park.
This year I received in the mail about two weeks before my scheduled departure an invitation to participate in a test of the new Fastpass + system.
The first instructions were to visit a website https://fastpassplus.disney.go.com with the reservation number provided. I could select 4 experiences in the Magic Kingdom on one day and 3 experiences in Disney's Hollywood Studios for another day. If necessary I could modify the choices "at any time."
When I went to the website I was asked to sign in. If you have signed in to any Disney website it is the same account. If you have never signed in to any Disney website you will need to create an account before going any further.
Then we were given the list of available attractions and shows. For Disney's Hollywood Studios it was divided into choose 1 from the top list and choose 2 from the bottom list.
Once we made our choices the next screen gave us four different itinerary options for using Fastpass + that day.
Once we completed our selections for one park we were given the opportunity to make the selections for the other park.
Once we completed everything we received an email confirmation with a link to view and/or modify our selections. The email reminded us to bring the Fastpass + cards during the one hour window for each experience and to use it with the special Fastpass + RFID reader at the entrance.
For the initial sign up everyone in your party is signed up for the same Fastpass+ experiences. This can seem frustrating if you have someone who loves the roller coasters and other person who would rather see a show or reserve a spot for the fireworks and parades. This is where being able to modify the experiences to fit your actual needs comes in handy.
Once we finished making our selections for each park we were ready to go. You should receive an email from Disney with your Fastpass+ experiences about 24 hours before the day you are using it. I say should because I did not receive an email for Disney's Hollywood Studios. Actually I did receive an email, six of them, the day after I used my Fastpass+ in that park. I did receive a correct email for the Magic Kingdom.
The reason that I received multiple emails for Disney's Hollywood Studios was probably triggered by the fact that I had to make a change in the itinerary once I arrived in the park. You may do so using one of two methods. The first utilizing the in the park WiFi and using the link in the email.
Second, if you do not have a smartphone or the wifi is not working well for you, you can also go to certain locations in each park and make changes to your Fastpass+ there.
My son was finishing his exams the morning that we were going to Disney's Hollywood Studios. Our first Fastpass+ was Star Tours from 12:05 to 1:05. He wasn't going to make it so I attempted to change the Fastpass+ to a later time. If I had received the email for my Disney's Hollywood Studios itinerary on time I could have gone to the location and changed it. What I discovered doing it through the email link was that it was it took multiple steps to keep Star Tours near the original time frame. Selecting to stay with Star Tours gave me options that were for very late in the afternoon. We could not do that as we had dining reservations in EPCOT. However, I could change the attraction and get a time period that was 5 to 15 minutes later. I chose to do that with Muppetvision 3D. Then I tried switching back to Star Tours and lo and behold I could get the time frame that I initially wanted. I had to change it three more times using that method as my son was delayed on his drive from his college. By the time he got there and tapped the Fastpass+ it recognized that he was scheduled for Star Tours, but that I was scheduled for Muppetvision 3D. The cast member kindly let me ride Star Tours.
What I suggest if you find yourself in a similar situation is to either make the changes the day before using your computer or smartphone. If you have to make a change in the park, say you discover that the attraction has a 10 minute stand-by line and you'd like to use your Fastpass+ for something else, go to the locations that can change it with the assistance of a cast member.
Using Fastpass+ is very easy. You simply touch the Fastpass+ to the glowing Mickey Head. It will light up green if it is good to go. When I had my problem at Star Tours it lit up blue. The cast member will know your name and if you have noted a celebration, so do not be surprised if you greeted by name and a "Happy Birthday" or "Congratulations."
I nice design feature is that the RFID Fastpass+ readers are themed to fit each attraction. The above is located at Toy Story Midway Mania.
Since I completed this test Disney has announced Magic+ and MagicBands which will use this RFID technology not only for Fastpass+ but as room keys, park admission and to pay for purchases if you link it to a credit card. It will use a wristband which should make it less likely to be lost while out in the parks. There are numerous websites that have the information on the MyMagic+ program. I recommend visiting insidethemagic.net, attractionsmagazine.com/blog or allears.net to learn more about the program. There are many, many more websites, but these are a few of the Disney and theme park related ones that I find particularly reliable.
Overall, I was pleased with the Fastpass+ test. There were a few glitches. I did not receive an itinerary email for Disney's Hollywood Studios until the day after I used Fastpass+ in that park. Trying to make a change in the itinerary while in the park can be difficult and I do recommend going to the location in the park with a cast member to assist you rather than trying to make a change using the email link. The biggest advantage was being able to book an extremely popular attraction like Toy Story Midway Mania without having to be at Disney's Hollywood Studios and grabbing a Fastpass as soon as the park opens. Limiting the number of Fastpass+ is a good idea. You can select a few things that you consider a must-do such as a popular attraction or reserving a spot for fireworks or a parade. Yet its still flexible enough that it doesn't force you to completely micromanage every aspect of your day in the theme park.
Sunday, January 6, 2013
The American Shakespeare Center Announces its 25th Anniversary Season
Artistic Director Jim Warren announced the 2013-2014 season of plays for the American Shakespeare Center prior to the opening night performance of the ninth Actors' Renaissance Season at the Blackfriars Playhouse in Staunton, Virginia. The upcoming season will be the 25th anniversary for the professional classical theater company that began as the touring Shenandoah Shakespeare Express in 1988. The season features eight plays by William Shakespeare including Timon of Athens, performances of which will complete the cycle of performing all of the plays of Shakespeare by the company for the very first time.
In addition to Shakespeare the season will feature Oliver Goldsmith's She Stoops to Conquer, Ben Jonson's Epicene (or, The Silent Woman), Carlo Goldoni's The Servant of Two Masters and Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher's The Maid's Tragedy. The modern rock-and-roll musical, Bob Carlton's Return to the Forbidden Planet will make its company debut next summer.
The American Shakespeare Center will also produce the 25th Anniversary World's Mine Oyster Tour which will travel the country performing three of Shakespeare's plays. The popular Holiday season offerings of Charles Dicken's A Christmas Carol, NPR's David Sedaris' The Santaland Diaries and ASC actor Ginna Hoben's The Twelve Dates of Christmas will also return to the Blackfriars Playhouse.
The 2013 Summer Season
June 21-September 1, 2013
Romeo and Juliet
Return to the Forbidden Planet by Bob Carlton
All's Well That Ends Well
The 2013 Fall Season
September 3 - December 1, 2013
She Stoops to Conquer by Oliver Goldsmith
Troilus and Cressida
Romeo and Juliet
Return to the Forbidden Planet by Bob Carlton
All's Well That Ends Well
The 2013 Holiday Season
December 3 - December 29, 2013
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, adapted for the stage by Jim Warren
The Santaland Diaries by David Sedaris, adapted for the stage by Joe Mantello
The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Ginna Hoben
Plus preview performances of the touring
Othello
The Merry Wives of Windsor
Henry IV, Part 1
The 2014 Actors' Renaissance Season
January 3 - April 6, 2014
As You Like It
The Servant of Two Masters by Carlo Goldoni
Timon of Athens
Epicene (or, the Silent Woman) by Ben Jonson
The Maid's Tragedy by Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher
The 2013-2014 25th Anniversary World's Mine Oyster Tour
mid-September to mid-November 2013 in the Middle Atlantic and New England
mid-January to early April 2014 in the South and Midwest
The 2014 Spring Season
April 9 - June 15, 2014
Othello
Henry IV, Part 1
The Merry Wives of Windsor
Pre-sale of tickets through subscription packages begins in March and single tickets go on sale on April 15, 2013. Information and tickets are available from the Blackfriars Playhouse box office by phone at 1-877-MUCH-ADO (682-4236), in person at 10 S. Market Street in downtown Staunton or online at www.AmericanShakespeareCenter.com. The ASC's 2013/2014 brochure will be available by mail and online at the website beginning in mid-March. The brochure contains descriptions of all the plays and a full calendar of performances from June 2013 through June 2014.
In addition to Shakespeare the season will feature Oliver Goldsmith's She Stoops to Conquer, Ben Jonson's Epicene (or, The Silent Woman), Carlo Goldoni's The Servant of Two Masters and Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher's The Maid's Tragedy. The modern rock-and-roll musical, Bob Carlton's Return to the Forbidden Planet will make its company debut next summer.
The American Shakespeare Center will also produce the 25th Anniversary World's Mine Oyster Tour which will travel the country performing three of Shakespeare's plays. The popular Holiday season offerings of Charles Dicken's A Christmas Carol, NPR's David Sedaris' The Santaland Diaries and ASC actor Ginna Hoben's The Twelve Dates of Christmas will also return to the Blackfriars Playhouse.
The 2013 Summer Season
June 21-September 1, 2013
Romeo and Juliet
Return to the Forbidden Planet by Bob Carlton
All's Well That Ends Well
The 2013 Fall Season
September 3 - December 1, 2013
She Stoops to Conquer by Oliver Goldsmith
Troilus and Cressida
Romeo and Juliet
Return to the Forbidden Planet by Bob Carlton
All's Well That Ends Well
The 2013 Holiday Season
December 3 - December 29, 2013
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, adapted for the stage by Jim Warren
The Santaland Diaries by David Sedaris, adapted for the stage by Joe Mantello
The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Ginna Hoben
Plus preview performances of the touring
Othello
The Merry Wives of Windsor
Henry IV, Part 1
The 2014 Actors' Renaissance Season
January 3 - April 6, 2014
As You Like It
The Servant of Two Masters by Carlo Goldoni
Timon of Athens
Epicene (or, the Silent Woman) by Ben Jonson
The Maid's Tragedy by Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher
The 2013-2014 25th Anniversary World's Mine Oyster Tour
mid-September to mid-November 2013 in the Middle Atlantic and New England
mid-January to early April 2014 in the South and Midwest
The 2014 Spring Season
April 9 - June 15, 2014
Othello
Henry IV, Part 1
The Merry Wives of Windsor
Pre-sale of tickets through subscription packages begins in March and single tickets go on sale on April 15, 2013. Information and tickets are available from the Blackfriars Playhouse box office by phone at 1-877-MUCH-ADO (682-4236), in person at 10 S. Market Street in downtown Staunton or online at www.AmericanShakespeareCenter.com. The ASC's 2013/2014 brochure will be available by mail and online at the website beginning in mid-March. The brochure contains descriptions of all the plays and a full calendar of performances from June 2013 through June 2014.
Julius Caesar at the American Shakespeare Center
Raise your hand if you studied Julius Caesar in high school.
Now, raise your hand if when you studied Julius Caesar in high school you found it mind-numbing and boring.
If ever one of William Shakespeare's plays cried out to be seen on the stage rather than read on the page it's Julius Caesar. Yes, it contains some of the most beautiful speeches that Shakespeare ever wrote. The use of rhetoric and phrasing to make political and linguistic points is masterful. On the page, Julius Caesar can feel stilted with many a Roman character, Publican and Plebeian to keep straight. The American Shakespeare Center's inaugural production of its ninth Actors' Renaissance Season proves that a dynamic and clear production that emphasizes not only the language but the heart and soul of its characters is the best way to bring Julius Caesar alive for a twenty-first century audience.
For nine seasons now, the American Shakespeare Center has presented a winter season that gives their talented acting troupe the opportunity to immerse themselves in the rehearsal conditions of William Shakespeare's time. There are no directors or designers. The actors themselves are responsible for choosing costumes and props from existing stock. The rehearsal process is reduced to a matter of days. The result is lively theater that energizes both the actors and the audience. Julius Caesar becomes a brisk two hours traffic upon the stage that uses the Renaissance staging conditions of the Blackfriar's Playhouse to create a dynamic theatrical experience.
Having the actors choose their own costumes occasionally creates a not quite cohesive stage picture. Here the audience will find a mixture of contemporary dress with a bit of togas and tunics sprinkled about. However, there are good choices of color to help the audience keep track of certain groups. Caesar, his wife and two senators are in white. Brutus, Cassius and the conspirators in black and grey. The common folk at Caesar's funeral don workman's denim blue. Mark Antony wears a military uniform that hints at the revolutionary Che Guevara, man of the common people.
Julius Caesar, drawn from Plutarch's Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans, is really the tale of three men Brutus, Cassius and Antony. Julius Caesar, the title character is a larger than life presence whose rise to dictator and subsequent assassination indelibly affects them all. Benjamin Curns commands the stage as Caesar in his brief scenes. His Caesar is the consummate politician combined with a bit of mob boss polished off with a touch of rock star for good measure. When he dies, it is not just Shakespeare's language that keeps Caesar indelibly near the center of the story, but the memory of Mr. Curns' charismatic dictator.
The true central character of the play is the noble Marcus Brutus. Rene Thornton, Jr.'s Brutus begins as a close ally of Caesar, yet he is clearly troubled by the demise of the Roman Republic. The play's emotional arc centers on Brutus as he is reluctantly persuaded to take a crucial role in Caesar's assassination. Mr. Thornton's embrace of Brutus' conflicts as he is first convinced that murdering Caesar is for Rome's greater good and then transitions to confident orator at the funeral attempting to control the reaction of the ordinary people is quite masterful. Throughout Brutus' fall from grace Mr. Thornton manages to keep Brutus a sympathetic character, truly worthy of Antony's eulogy as the noblest Roman of them all.
Not so, Sarah Fallon's Caius Cassius. Her Cassius is the driving force behind the conspiracy from the beginning of the play. By showing Cassius' troubled thoughts as Caesar solidifies his power makes Cassius somewhat sympathetic. Ms. Fallon gives Cassius a single-minded focus, the destruction of Caesar for the good of the Republic. In her capable, fiery hands Cassius never doubts that Caesar's death is the best course for Rome.
Gregory Jon Phelps is rock steady as Mark Antony. He is Caesar's lieutenant, a right hand man who uses language skillfully to manipulate the reactions of people, whether saving his own life in the wake of Caesar's assassination or convincing Brutus to let him speak at Caesar's funeral, a decision which leads to fatal consequences for the assassination conspirators. The famous "Friends, Romans, Countrymen" funeral speech can be bombastic and overblown in the wrong actor's delivery. Mr. Phelps starts small and uses pointed emphasis rather than rage to win over the Roman mob. While one might wish for a bit more of a rousing climax to Antony's oratory, Mr. Phelps creates an Antony who is seems a natural rhetorical successor to Caesar and foreshadows the historical problems that Antony's popularity would cause his fellow triumvirs, Octavius Caesar and Aemilius Lepidus.
The American Shakespeare Center's Actors' Renaissance Season is off to a very strong start with a fast-paced lively production of Julius Caesar. It is well worth making the trip to the Shenandoah Valley for terrific classical theater this winter.
William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar is being performed in repertory with William Shakespeare and John Fletcher's Henry VIII and The Two Noble Kinsmen, William Wycherley's The Country Wife and John Fletcher and Philip Massinger's The Custom of the Country through April 4, 2013. For tickets and other performance information, please visit www.americanshakespearecenter.com.
Now, raise your hand if when you studied Julius Caesar in high school you found it mind-numbing and boring.
If ever one of William Shakespeare's plays cried out to be seen on the stage rather than read on the page it's Julius Caesar. Yes, it contains some of the most beautiful speeches that Shakespeare ever wrote. The use of rhetoric and phrasing to make political and linguistic points is masterful. On the page, Julius Caesar can feel stilted with many a Roman character, Publican and Plebeian to keep straight. The American Shakespeare Center's inaugural production of its ninth Actors' Renaissance Season proves that a dynamic and clear production that emphasizes not only the language but the heart and soul of its characters is the best way to bring Julius Caesar alive for a twenty-first century audience.
For nine seasons now, the American Shakespeare Center has presented a winter season that gives their talented acting troupe the opportunity to immerse themselves in the rehearsal conditions of William Shakespeare's time. There are no directors or designers. The actors themselves are responsible for choosing costumes and props from existing stock. The rehearsal process is reduced to a matter of days. The result is lively theater that energizes both the actors and the audience. Julius Caesar becomes a brisk two hours traffic upon the stage that uses the Renaissance staging conditions of the Blackfriar's Playhouse to create a dynamic theatrical experience.
Having the actors choose their own costumes occasionally creates a not quite cohesive stage picture. Here the audience will find a mixture of contemporary dress with a bit of togas and tunics sprinkled about. However, there are good choices of color to help the audience keep track of certain groups. Caesar, his wife and two senators are in white. Brutus, Cassius and the conspirators in black and grey. The common folk at Caesar's funeral don workman's denim blue. Mark Antony wears a military uniform that hints at the revolutionary Che Guevara, man of the common people.
Julius Caesar, drawn from Plutarch's Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans, is really the tale of three men Brutus, Cassius and Antony. Julius Caesar, the title character is a larger than life presence whose rise to dictator and subsequent assassination indelibly affects them all. Benjamin Curns commands the stage as Caesar in his brief scenes. His Caesar is the consummate politician combined with a bit of mob boss polished off with a touch of rock star for good measure. When he dies, it is not just Shakespeare's language that keeps Caesar indelibly near the center of the story, but the memory of Mr. Curns' charismatic dictator.
The true central character of the play is the noble Marcus Brutus. Rene Thornton, Jr.'s Brutus begins as a close ally of Caesar, yet he is clearly troubled by the demise of the Roman Republic. The play's emotional arc centers on Brutus as he is reluctantly persuaded to take a crucial role in Caesar's assassination. Mr. Thornton's embrace of Brutus' conflicts as he is first convinced that murdering Caesar is for Rome's greater good and then transitions to confident orator at the funeral attempting to control the reaction of the ordinary people is quite masterful. Throughout Brutus' fall from grace Mr. Thornton manages to keep Brutus a sympathetic character, truly worthy of Antony's eulogy as the noblest Roman of them all.
Not so, Sarah Fallon's Caius Cassius. Her Cassius is the driving force behind the conspiracy from the beginning of the play. By showing Cassius' troubled thoughts as Caesar solidifies his power makes Cassius somewhat sympathetic. Ms. Fallon gives Cassius a single-minded focus, the destruction of Caesar for the good of the Republic. In her capable, fiery hands Cassius never doubts that Caesar's death is the best course for Rome.
Gregory Jon Phelps is rock steady as Mark Antony. He is Caesar's lieutenant, a right hand man who uses language skillfully to manipulate the reactions of people, whether saving his own life in the wake of Caesar's assassination or convincing Brutus to let him speak at Caesar's funeral, a decision which leads to fatal consequences for the assassination conspirators. The famous "Friends, Romans, Countrymen" funeral speech can be bombastic and overblown in the wrong actor's delivery. Mr. Phelps starts small and uses pointed emphasis rather than rage to win over the Roman mob. While one might wish for a bit more of a rousing climax to Antony's oratory, Mr. Phelps creates an Antony who is seems a natural rhetorical successor to Caesar and foreshadows the historical problems that Antony's popularity would cause his fellow triumvirs, Octavius Caesar and Aemilius Lepidus.
The American Shakespeare Center's Actors' Renaissance Season is off to a very strong start with a fast-paced lively production of Julius Caesar. It is well worth making the trip to the Shenandoah Valley for terrific classical theater this winter.
William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar is being performed in repertory with William Shakespeare and John Fletcher's Henry VIII and The Two Noble Kinsmen, William Wycherley's The Country Wife and John Fletcher and Philip Massinger's The Custom of the Country through April 4, 2013. For tickets and other performance information, please visit www.americanshakespearecenter.com.
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