Sex and violence at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival
I've just returned from a WONDERFUL weekend seeing two shows at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival in Montgomery - Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and The Taming of the Shrew.
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof had some wonderful performances in it. Big Daddy (played by Joe Vincent) was a revelation. He really made the most of his Act 2 lines, portraying the aging millionaire as, by turns, relieved, disgusted, and awkwardly moved. Big Mama (expertly created by Sonja Lanzener) was another stand-out. She is a regular at ASF, and she's definitely an actress to watch. Her portrayal of the Nurse last season in Romeo and Juliet was one of the most inventive I've seen. She has a wonderful way of summoning up the extremes of the human experience that I really appreciate. Incredible range. Unfortunately, the actress who played Maggie (Tanya C. Clarke) suffered from both being a Yankee and from some poor direction. (And a really bad wig. Shame on the costumer/hair and makeup person.) Her Southern accent was extremely thick, and some of the vowel sounds she used were just plain wrong. The director had instructed her to speak many of her lines while facing the audience. (There was supposed to be an invisible mirror above the vanity table, and she was apparently supposed to be looking at her husband's reflection as she spoke to him.) The only problem with that was, it bothered the hell out of me. And if you're baring your most intimate soul to your husband, trying to seduce him, etc., wouldn't you want to actually LOOK at him? I mean, she's still an attractive woman. Her face and body are some of the most persuasive tools at her disposal. Why wouldn't she turn around to her husband and show him all that he's missing?
Anyway, the show was good, regardless. The set was wonderful, with everything sloping towards a forced perspective in the back corner. And the lighting, as always with ASF, was marvelous. They have so many instruments in that theatre (this was on the Festival stage) that their capabilities are practically limitless. They made use of several really nice gobos, giving the lighting a very layered effect.
The Taming of the Shrew also evidenced some great technical prowess. The set was really versatile, showing the town square in Padua, then opening (on casters) to reveal the inside of Baptista's house, then reconfiguring to represent Petruchio's house. They also had a painted drop that they flew in to represent the countryside. And a great floor.
Kate was played by Kathleen McCall, and what a gem she was. I saw her in last season's production of MacBeth (she was a fabulous Lady MacBeth), and I was thrilled to see her in this role. She made some great choices in Kate's final speech at the wedding celebration, and her performance throughout was both solid and deilghtful. In what I thought was a slightly odd choice, Petruchio was played by Douglas Rees. Rees turned in a good performance, but he doesn't fit the type that is usually cast as Petruchio. For one thing, he was bald. I know that it's trivial for me to cite that as a stumbling block, but I've always conceived Petruchio as young and virile, and a bald man doesn't necessarily convey those characteristics. They didn't even put a wig on him. I thought that Paul Hebron was particularly good as Baptista, as well.
As far as direction, this was played more as a comedy than as a farce. While director Susan Willis acknowledges the influence of the commedia dell'arte style in her notes, she does not push the "type" of each character (the aged suitor, the shrew, the sweet young virgin) to its limit. Rather, the characters are less two-dimensional. While this directorial choice does have its advantages, the script does lose some belly laughs as a result. The friend that I attended the show with, a theatre professor, prefers the play to be performed in the strict commedia style, a la William Ball.
Both productions were enjoyable and worth seeing. They also both will continue to play during the summer. If you're interested in tickets, you can purchase them online at http://www.asf.net/.
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof had some wonderful performances in it. Big Daddy (played by Joe Vincent) was a revelation. He really made the most of his Act 2 lines, portraying the aging millionaire as, by turns, relieved, disgusted, and awkwardly moved. Big Mama (expertly created by Sonja Lanzener) was another stand-out. She is a regular at ASF, and she's definitely an actress to watch. Her portrayal of the Nurse last season in Romeo and Juliet was one of the most inventive I've seen. She has a wonderful way of summoning up the extremes of the human experience that I really appreciate. Incredible range. Unfortunately, the actress who played Maggie (Tanya C. Clarke) suffered from both being a Yankee and from some poor direction. (And a really bad wig. Shame on the costumer/hair and makeup person.) Her Southern accent was extremely thick, and some of the vowel sounds she used were just plain wrong. The director had instructed her to speak many of her lines while facing the audience. (There was supposed to be an invisible mirror above the vanity table, and she was apparently supposed to be looking at her husband's reflection as she spoke to him.) The only problem with that was, it bothered the hell out of me. And if you're baring your most intimate soul to your husband, trying to seduce him, etc., wouldn't you want to actually LOOK at him? I mean, she's still an attractive woman. Her face and body are some of the most persuasive tools at her disposal. Why wouldn't she turn around to her husband and show him all that he's missing?
Anyway, the show was good, regardless. The set was wonderful, with everything sloping towards a forced perspective in the back corner. And the lighting, as always with ASF, was marvelous. They have so many instruments in that theatre (this was on the Festival stage) that their capabilities are practically limitless. They made use of several really nice gobos, giving the lighting a very layered effect.
The Taming of the Shrew also evidenced some great technical prowess. The set was really versatile, showing the town square in Padua, then opening (on casters) to reveal the inside of Baptista's house, then reconfiguring to represent Petruchio's house. They also had a painted drop that they flew in to represent the countryside. And a great floor.
Kate was played by Kathleen McCall, and what a gem she was. I saw her in last season's production of MacBeth (she was a fabulous Lady MacBeth), and I was thrilled to see her in this role. She made some great choices in Kate's final speech at the wedding celebration, and her performance throughout was both solid and deilghtful. In what I thought was a slightly odd choice, Petruchio was played by Douglas Rees. Rees turned in a good performance, but he doesn't fit the type that is usually cast as Petruchio. For one thing, he was bald. I know that it's trivial for me to cite that as a stumbling block, but I've always conceived Petruchio as young and virile, and a bald man doesn't necessarily convey those characteristics. They didn't even put a wig on him. I thought that Paul Hebron was particularly good as Baptista, as well.
As far as direction, this was played more as a comedy than as a farce. While director Susan Willis acknowledges the influence of the commedia dell'arte style in her notes, she does not push the "type" of each character (the aged suitor, the shrew, the sweet young virgin) to its limit. Rather, the characters are less two-dimensional. While this directorial choice does have its advantages, the script does lose some belly laughs as a result. The friend that I attended the show with, a theatre professor, prefers the play to be performed in the strict commedia style, a la William Ball.
Both productions were enjoyable and worth seeing. They also both will continue to play during the summer. If you're interested in tickets, you can purchase them online at http://www.asf.net/.
Comments