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The Addition of Strangeness to Beauty
Aug. 15th, 2007 12:18 amI saw A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Delacorte tonight.
I'd intended to get up this morning to stand on line but slept through it. After I got off work at 7, I decided to try for the cancellation line, getting there at 7:30. It didn't look good--there were at least 50 people ahead of me--but as I stood on line, concentrating on my crossword puzzle, suddenly a male hand stuck a ticket in my face. "Here, enjoy the show." I looked at it and two thoughts went through my head: 1) I should do the right thing and ask if someone ahead of me wants it, since they were on line first, and 2) he's probably already done that, and gave it to me because it's apparent I'm alone. Then someone behind me said "Go ahead, and good for you." I said thank you to the guy and bounded off toward the theater.
It was good--worth an evening out, and I always love seeing Shakespeare at the Delacorte. But I wasn't blown away--there was a lot of additional, unnecessary business that I thought distracted from the language. For example, the First Fairy's speech was done as she climbed down a rope a la "A Call from the Vatican." As smoothly as she did it, it was still a little...busy and strained. Puck's last two addresses ("Now the hungry lion roars..." and "If we shadows have offended...") were set to music (and the guy was not a terrific singer--vibrato was very strained), and the entire company joined in the last one. I just don't think that stuff needs music, and I think having everyone join in, holding hands, sentimentalizes it. I love the mysterious, spooky, moon-washed romanticism of those last two addresses--they're so Halloweeny. Now the wasted brands do glow...
Helena was pretty good but I was a little disappointed in Hermia; she threw away a LOT of the humor. COMPLETELY swallowed the "I am amazed and know not what to say" line, it got no laughs at all. I've seen that Hermia before--she was in Absurd Person Singular which I really liked (and she was good in it) but she has some really specific vocal patterns that are a little distracting (she has this lugubrious quality to her voice). A good actress, I just don't see her as Hermia. The Oberon was quite good, as was Titania and Bottom. However I didn't care for the Puck--I couldn't figure out why he was doing anything, what motivated him, what pushed him, I didn't see that NEED, that drive in him. He kind of sauntered through his stuff.
They cut a lot as well. First Fairy's speech was chopped up, they cut Puck's spell on the mechanicals ("I follow you, I'll lead you about a round...") as well as "My fairy lord, this must be done in haste..." The loss of the latter seems in keeping with the sentimentalization--I love that speech because of all that thpoooky imagery (just like the hungry lion roars address). It also adds tension--I don't know why they took it out. Frankly I wouldn't cut anything in Midsummer--it's not that long, and it's just so perfect.
Also, they didn't really do much with the fairies' costumes. They were dressed in Edwardian wardobe just as the Athenians were, but they had on dark colors. Man, take the opportunity to go crazy with the fairies! Colors, fabrics, all sorts of possibilities...
The scenes that actually needed blocking (the big fight between the lovers, for example) were well-done, and the Theseus/Hippolyta stuff was quite funny. Also, Pyramus and Thisbe was very well-blocked, although I will say our mechanicals were funnier and cuter. Ah, even though I love to disagree, I still loved it. When Oberopn began "I know a bank" I just closed my eyes and drank it in. Man. I will never stop loving that play.
Oh, as a side note--obstacles included innumerable birds, moths and bugs, Helena's mike going out as often as not, at least ten planes and helicopters flying overhead, obscuring the sound, the rattling of various dishes and whatnot below the seats (is there a kitchen at the Delacorte?) and some people in a tower at Belvedere Castle, shining some sort of reflector into our eyes (I was sitting house left, in section O).
But you know what? It was Midsummer in New York City, for free. Outdoor theater giveth and it taketh away--and it was beautiful. Something to remember when we get frustrated with the obstacles at Clinton Cove Park.
I'd intended to get up this morning to stand on line but slept through it. After I got off work at 7, I decided to try for the cancellation line, getting there at 7:30. It didn't look good--there were at least 50 people ahead of me--but as I stood on line, concentrating on my crossword puzzle, suddenly a male hand stuck a ticket in my face. "Here, enjoy the show." I looked at it and two thoughts went through my head: 1) I should do the right thing and ask if someone ahead of me wants it, since they were on line first, and 2) he's probably already done that, and gave it to me because it's apparent I'm alone. Then someone behind me said "Go ahead, and good for you." I said thank you to the guy and bounded off toward the theater.
It was good--worth an evening out, and I always love seeing Shakespeare at the Delacorte. But I wasn't blown away--there was a lot of additional, unnecessary business that I thought distracted from the language. For example, the First Fairy's speech was done as she climbed down a rope a la "A Call from the Vatican." As smoothly as she did it, it was still a little...busy and strained. Puck's last two addresses ("Now the hungry lion roars..." and "If we shadows have offended...") were set to music (and the guy was not a terrific singer--vibrato was very strained), and the entire company joined in the last one. I just don't think that stuff needs music, and I think having everyone join in, holding hands, sentimentalizes it. I love the mysterious, spooky, moon-washed romanticism of those last two addresses--they're so Halloweeny. Now the wasted brands do glow...
Helena was pretty good but I was a little disappointed in Hermia; she threw away a LOT of the humor. COMPLETELY swallowed the "I am amazed and know not what to say" line, it got no laughs at all. I've seen that Hermia before--she was in Absurd Person Singular which I really liked (and she was good in it) but she has some really specific vocal patterns that are a little distracting (she has this lugubrious quality to her voice). A good actress, I just don't see her as Hermia. The Oberon was quite good, as was Titania and Bottom. However I didn't care for the Puck--I couldn't figure out why he was doing anything, what motivated him, what pushed him, I didn't see that NEED, that drive in him. He kind of sauntered through his stuff.
They cut a lot as well. First Fairy's speech was chopped up, they cut Puck's spell on the mechanicals ("I follow you, I'll lead you about a round...") as well as "My fairy lord, this must be done in haste..." The loss of the latter seems in keeping with the sentimentalization--I love that speech because of all that thpoooky imagery (just like the hungry lion roars address). It also adds tension--I don't know why they took it out. Frankly I wouldn't cut anything in Midsummer--it's not that long, and it's just so perfect.
Also, they didn't really do much with the fairies' costumes. They were dressed in Edwardian wardobe just as the Athenians were, but they had on dark colors. Man, take the opportunity to go crazy with the fairies! Colors, fabrics, all sorts of possibilities...
The scenes that actually needed blocking (the big fight between the lovers, for example) were well-done, and the Theseus/Hippolyta stuff was quite funny. Also, Pyramus and Thisbe was very well-blocked, although I will say our mechanicals were funnier and cuter. Ah, even though I love to disagree, I still loved it. When Oberopn began "I know a bank" I just closed my eyes and drank it in. Man. I will never stop loving that play.
Oh, as a side note--obstacles included innumerable birds, moths and bugs, Helena's mike going out as often as not, at least ten planes and helicopters flying overhead, obscuring the sound, the rattling of various dishes and whatnot below the seats (is there a kitchen at the Delacorte?) and some people in a tower at Belvedere Castle, shining some sort of reflector into our eyes (I was sitting house left, in section O).
But you know what? It was Midsummer in New York City, for free. Outdoor theater giveth and it taketh away--and it was beautiful. Something to remember when we get frustrated with the obstacles at Clinton Cove Park.
