Trifecta

Three Shakespeare plays over three nights, Thursday through Saturday.  One was free, one pay-what-you-want, and one was the opposite of free.  Each has something unique to offer to this summer's Shakespeare season (made a little extra juicy by this year's commemoration of the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death.)

Troilus and Cressida from the Public/NYSF at the Delacorte; As You Like It from The Cradle Theatre in Prospect Park; The Merchant of Venice, which is the contribution to the Lincoln Center Festival from Shakespeare's Globe.

As I've said before (and will say again), I'm an actor, not a critic; no desire to pick these shows apart.  Dan Sullivan (whom I've known for a while) takes a really good swing at the very tricky pitch that is Troilus.  The curveballs of love and politics, the high heat of war, the secret signals that hold together the batteries of diplomacy and military intelligence.  Homeric Greece and Troy find their way to an Orwellian present of perpetual war.

Rebecca Etzine (whose tumblr I've admired for a while, and whom I had the pleasure of meeting at the show on Friday) delivered an As You Like It that is even more distinctly of today.  A young company of young artists turned a wooded part of Prospect Park into the forest of Arden - a few extra twists of gender and sexuality, plenty of playfulness, and a healthy dose of irreverence result in a show that is compelling, contemporary, and - most importantly - alive.  They're moving camp to Ft. Greene this weekend; check their website.  Cory missed this one, sadly; hey, this heatwave is a real thing, and not everyone's appetite for Shakespeare is quite as bottomless as mine, especially given that on the docket for the next night was...

Last and emphatically not least, Jonathan Pryce was Shylock in what is of the most brutal, and certainly one of the best, productions of Merchant I've ever seen.  While the staging and design is firmly in 16th Century Venice, the anti-semitism conjures all-too-current outbreaks in Europe and America.  Never (in my experience) has Shylock seemed so justified, never has Jessica been so disdained (even after her 'voluntary' conversion and marriage to Lorenzo), never has Antonio been such an asshole, and NEVER has Portia been such a snotty, snobby, vindictive prig (while still managing to be the smartest person in the room).  The final, added scene of Shylock's forced baptism was bitterly piercing.

Not much visual stimulation for you today, but here are a couple shots of Shakespeare's birthplace from our trip.  [What?? A side trip to Stratford-upon-Avon when we went to London?  Hey, he'll only have a 400th Deathiversary once.]

A couple exteriors of the gables.

A shot of a little one checking out the signatures scratched into the birthroom window.

And - why not? - a couple shots from Anne Hathaway's cottage, including Rudy, Cory, and Mol checking out the epic garden.

Happy Birthday Will!

Yes, I've been a slacker blogger, but to this, attention must be paid.

And yes, I know that we're not really sure what Shakespeare's birthday was in 1564, and that the April 23 thing is probably just a too-tidy parallel to his April 23 death date in 1616.  (And I'm not even getting into the question of whether Shakespeare was really Shakespeare.)

But come on - a 450th birthday party?  It's worth a mention.

The Big Takeover

No, I'm not talking about the so-funny-I-forgot-to-laugh management transfer at BP. Nor the fact that Bernadette Peters is stepping into the role that Catherine Zeta-Jones started in the current production of A Little Night Music.

I'm talking about the punk/indie/lo-fi music magazine Jack Rabid started some 30 years ago. The anniversary got some press, and they had a concert/birthday party last weekend too.

"This was the most accidental 30-year career I’ve ever seen."

Not that I went to it or anything. My weekend was spent (quite happily, thank you very much) with Cory and my sister and my father, who were resting up (sort of) from setting up her house on Long Island. In addition to the resting, Dad and I saw Winter's Tale at the Delacorte, we went shopping for air conditioners for Lori, and we all hit Citi Field for the D-Backs Debacle (Ugh. Argh. Yikes.) Plus, you know, good ol' family time.

I also missed the Bill Schimmel Accordionarama that Carl was playing in. Sigh. You can't do it all.

Hooked on Phonics

Ok, I found this to be kind of funny, and interesting on a couple levels.

Last week we ordered breakfast from a deli down the road - got someone on the phone we hadn't spoken to before. Took a little extra time to place the order, and when the food came, we knew why. Here's what was written on the check:

Pina barh yeli sogui bret

Egg chis tos rol

Egui beiquen chis rap

The order that this reflected was:

Peanut butter and jelly on whole wheat bread

Egg and cheese on a toasted roll

Egg, bacon and cheese wrap

A couple of things worth pointing out are:

• The person on the phone appeared to be a Spanish speaker, as are most of the cooks at this place, though the owners (who usually answer the phone) are Korean
• The handwriting on the check was clear - better than mine (of course, that's not saying much). It wasn't particularly elegant, but I'm not guessing at any of the letters.
• The order came through perfectly. The food was done 100% right, and delivered on time.

To me, this is fascinating. I mean, leaving aside the fact that I couldn't begin to function taking food orders in Spanish (much less Korean) I think that this shows the organic side of language in a way we sometimes forget about. Having just finished a Shakespeare play, I may be more attuned to this than usual - there was almost no standardized spelling and vocabulary in Shakespeare's time; in fact we owe a lot of our 'proper' English spelling to Shakespeare, for better or for worse. (Is 'Achilles' really better than the closer-to-the-Greek 'Akhilleus'? You tell me.)

Seems to me that it also points out the, um, challenges of spelling and pronunciation in English. This is nothing new to anyone, but take a quick look at these words:

through
though
thought
rough
trough
plough

I dare you to come up with a quick answer to the question of how 'ough' is to be pronounced.

Even though you may have to google a couple words, I bet you understand that I can go to the bodega with my bff in k-town and get an empanada, some kim chee and a 40. And when my cholo texts me something that makes me rotflmao, I'm reminded that language really is a living thing.

In other, much sadder news, Don LaFontaine has shuffled off this mortal coil at the age of 68. Or as he might have put it: "In a world with the heroes of all time, Don LaFontaine announces coming attractions to the angels."

11th, 12th and 13th Night

We've had two rainouts, so while our first performance on Governor's Island would have been our 13th show, now it'll be our 11th. This is the final weekend to see Twelfth Night - and the only chance to see it in the new setting: hope you can make it on the 11th, 12th or 13th night!

Well, actually they will be in the afternoon - family friendly matinees down south of Manhattan, a short ferry ride from a building right next to the Staten Island Ferry Pier. You'll know you're there when you see the blue flags.

Got some more shots from the show. May entice you to show up, or just be a record of what you're missing.
There's music...



Dancing...


Romance...

Yoga...


Violence...



Intrigue...




Just Plain Craziness...



Seemingly random amalgams of characters...


And of course, Twins Love...


How could you resist? It's guaranteed to be the most fun you've ever had with your clothes on*. Friday, Saturday and Sunday (August 29-31) at 2 p.m. on Governor's Island. Bring a blanket or a beach towel. Check out the Olafur Eliasson Waterfalls while you're there.

*Not a Guarantee

Rehearsals, etc.

The opening of Twelfth Night fast approacheth. We had some weather-related frustrations this weekend, but also got in some good cuts. If you're in town, hope you can make it. Here's the postcard:

One thing that the postcard doesn't mention for some reason is that we also have a weekend's worth of matinees at Governor's Island: August 29-31 at 2 p.m. Another thing not noted on the card is that it's probably a good idea for you to bring a cushion or a pillow, because those concrete steps are pretty unforgiving.

Here are some shots from a rehearsal (no costumes involved) and a couple candids:


RJ having a moment.

Action shot of Annie, Raushauna and Sean

Richard being pensive.

Loren relaxing between scenes.

Justin taking care of business with David.

This is kind of 'Shakespeare for People Who Don't Like Shakespeare': plenty of broad jokes and wacky costumes. And Led Zeppelin. Lots and lots of Led Zeppelin. Hopefully, people who do like Shakespeare will enjoy it too...