Is a film set just another “venue” in which to perform Shakespeare? John Osburn has spent over twenty years studying the medium that didn’t exist when Shakespeare was writing. Filmmakers and actors from Laurence Olivier to Orson Welles to Joss Whedon have tackled the tricky business of putting the Bard on film. Can the magic of the silver screen enhance the experience of a Shakespeare play, or is something lost in translation?
How does an actor compel an audience to listen? According to actor James Newcomb, the art of creating a role demands discipline, sweat… and sometimes a good long soak in a steaming bath. Jamie reflects on his process and what Fluellen (Henry V) might teach a young actor about the care that craftsmanship demands. James Newcomb will be playing the Welsh Captain at the the Chicago Shakespeare Theater opening April 29th.
Henry IV, Parts 1 & 2; Act 2, Scene 3 Lady Percy January 20, 2014
Lost the fresh blood in your cheeks? As the better half of Shakespeare’s famously sexy couple from Henry IV, Parts 1 & 2, Kelley Curran‘s Lady Percy puts the “hot” in Hotspur. Finding strength in questions, Kelley is precise and nice (nice?) in her approach to the text. This is one interview that might make you drop an octave or two. (Kelley Curran performs Lady Percy at the Shakespeare Theater of DC starting March 25th.)
The Tempest; Act 4, 1 & Act 2, 2 Prospero & Caliban December 5, 2013
Dreams are being made at the Warehouse Theater in Greenville, SC. Robert Richmond and Richard Sheridan Willis continue their 20 year collaboration with The Tempest. Combining the roles of Caliban and Prospero as well as Ariel and Miranda, the two artists explore the psychology of Prospero in an intriguing production with flashes of Jekyll-and-Hyde, and a dangerously dark undercurrent swirling between father and daughter. Their revels are definitely not ended.
Oh for a horse with wings! Katie Hartke gets Jim and Gerritt giddy with delight as they break down Imogen’s speech from Cymbeline. Get the scoop on this “problem” play, complicated repetition and how to play high emotional moments from a master of text. This interview is beyond beyond!
The Winter’s Tale: Act 1, Scene2 Leontes August 16, 2013
Use yourself! In a very frank and candid interview, Chris Clavelli reveals how his experiences inform his roles. From forgetting your lines to losing a child, Chris takes us on a journey of artistic development. He does so with eloquence and a tart sense of humor.
The Taming of the Shrew; Act 5, Scene 2 Katherine June 12, 2013
Wake and Shake! In this spirited interview with multi-talented Gabra Zackman, we explore performing outdoors, good Petruchios and we hold a “prism of light” up to Kate’s last speech in Taming of the Shrew. There is subtext here, or is it nuance?
Women playing men playing women playing men… Lisa Wolpe, Founder and Artistic Director of the Los Angeles Women’s Shakespeare Company, talks about her life’s work. Carrying on a centuries old tradition, the LAWSC is celebrating it’s twentieth year. Delving into the “Oh that this too too solid flesh…” soliloquy, Lisa talks playing Hamlet, gender bending and what it’s like to be a “silverback.” From a woman steeped in Shakespeare comes a deft dance of thought.
An all-female, multi-cultural aesthetic offers new insight when the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble and Los Angeles Women’s Shakespeare Company co-present Hamlet in celebration of LAWSC’s 20th anniversary. Featuring a cast of 16 LAWSC favorites and talented newcomers – including producing artistic director and celebrated Shakespearean actress Lisa Wolpe in the title role – Hamlet opens for press on Aug. 30 at the Odyssey Theatre in West L.A.
Performances of Hamlet take place on Fridays and Saturdays @ 8 p.m. and Sundays @ 2 p.m.*, Aug. 30 through Oct. 27. (*On Sunday, Sept. 1 only, the performance will be @ 5 p.m. with no 2 p.m. matinee.) Additional weeknight performances are scheduled on Wednesdays @ 8 p.m. on Sept. 18, Oct. 2 and Oct. 16; and on Thursdays @ 8 p.m. on Sept. 12, Sept. 26, Oct. 10 and Oct. 24. Tickets are $30, except for the performance on Saturday, August 31 which is $45 and includes a gala reception following the performance. The Odyssey Theatre is located at 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., West Los Angeles, 90025. For reservations and information, call (310) 477-2055 or go to www.OdysseyTheatre.com.
Measure for Measure; Act 2, Scene 2 Angelo July 5, 2013
What dost thou, or what art thou, Angelo? Straight from the stages of The Stratford Festival, Tom Rooney gets to the bottom of this question in our latest interview. Explore Angelo’s past, present and future and why Tom Rooney describes him as a Man/Boy. Dive into this dense speech, from the first read to the final syllable. Oh Fie Fie Fie upon you if you miss this one from a master of Shakespeare.
As You Like It: Act 2, Scene 7 Jacques June 14, 2013
With age comes wisdom. Hudson Classical Theater Company (formerly Hudson Warehouse) Artistic Director Nicholas Martin-Smith stays in the moment while performing Jacques famous “All the World’s a Stage” speech from Act 2, Scene 7 of As You Like It. Nicholas discusses what it’s like to start a theater company, how he overcame a learning disability and why experience is a great teacher. This interview is “sans” nothing.
