Play 1: Faust
Produced 2007
Prague’s Petriny Park, Prague, Czech Republic
Play 2: Romeo and Juliet
Produced 2010
Bristol Old Vic Theatre, Bristol, England
http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/bristol/hi/people_and_places/arts_and_culture/newsid_8490000/8490658.stm
Play 3: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Produced 2010
Mauckingbird Theatre Company, Temple University’s Randall Theatre, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
In Shakespeare’s day, the portrayal of women and girls by men and boys was a common thought, as women were not allowed onstage. Many of today’s productions of popular plays will revert to this manner for certain productions, and the effect can be shocking. Now, however, the Mauckingbird Theatre Company takes it one step further in their rendition of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The role of Helena is played by a man, as is Demetrius, making them a ‘homosexual’ couple. However, the role of Lysander is played by a woman, as is Hermia, making them, also a ‘homosexual’ couple! Up is left and right is down in this production, and it’s sure to be a gender-bender thriller ride of laughs from beginning to end!
Play 4: Much Ado About Nothing
Produced 2006
Hibernian Hall, Dorchester
Audience participation? We’ve all heard of that, but the Actors Shakespeare Project takes it one step further – in their performances, the audience /are/ the actors. The ‘actor’s are pulled up at random from the audience, and the entirety of the playhouse is used as the stage. Talk about feeling like you’re right inside the show – in this play, you will be!
Play 5: The Tempest
Produced 2008
The Rude Mechanicals, Greenbelt, Maryland
In Shakespeare’s time, music wasn’t incorporated at all – it was deemed useless, strange, and having nothing to do with the brilliant wording of the times and the artists of plays. In modern times, most plays have included scores in their workings…and yes, even Shakespeare will have background music nowadays. However, to have an entire Shakespeare become a musical? Unheard of! But that is just what The Rude Mechanicals have done: Shakespeare’s The Tempest has become, officially, a Celtic musical!
Play 6: King Lear
Produced 2000
Portola Middle School's Little Theater, Los Angeles, California
While our assignment, I believe, was for professional theatres, this was one I simply had to include: the advanced drama class of a middle school, performing King Lear in a way that is at once adorable and very intellegent. A huge board was one of the main centerpieces, with ‘good guys’ in blue and ‘bad guys’ in red. Points were scored for ‘good’ behavior, taken down for ‘bad’ behavior…and when a character died, a round circle in black was placed over their name. Not amused enough yet? The old English verses remained…only to be interspersed with a ‘modern’ English to explain what was being said! Amused yet? I am – and I wish I’d been there to see this play.
Play 7: The Taming of the Shrew
Produced 2010
Theatre Pro Rata, the Gremlin Theatre, St. Paul, Minnessota
Production upon production of Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew have been set trying to understand the deepness of this play, the many plots and subplots that twist and turn throughout the biting dialogue. Unusual to this ability, though, is to change its setting, but combining these aspects is exactly what the Theatre Pro Rata has done. Set in 2010, and with more women supporting roles than men (unusual in and of itself, as well), this was sure to be quite the interesting show!
Play 8: A Comedy of Errors
Produced 2011
Young People’s Shakespeare, Royal Shakespeare Company, Stratford-Upon-Avon, England
As this play was performed for a younger audience, it needed to be quite the interesting experience, and let’s all face it – Shakespeare’s dialogue, while some of the most brilliant in the world, is not exactly the most ‘hip’ with the times. For a younger audience, it takes quite the jump to make it work – and Young People’s Shakespeare has done that. There is not really, it appears, anything actually /set/ in this show – a hodgepodge of humor with Shakespeare’s lines.
Play 9: Twelfth Night
Produced 2010
Lowry Theatre, London, England
Shakespeare in modern day has been done before, and is unusual, but nothing like this. The RSC’s production of Twelfth Night in this sense has been done so strangely…the stage is lined with cables, microphones, wires, synthesizers, amplifiers…all designed to distort and at once enhance the words of Shakespeare’s work.
Play 10: Henry V
Produced 2003
Royal National Theatre, Southbank, London
Several productions of plays have been set in modern day, but one thing that I haven’t seen myself is a production such as this: Henry V, set in modern day. However, not just any modern day, but the States, with Henry as a modern-day war general…constantly belittling Iraq, instead of France. War is in no way glamorous or amazing in this spectacular production.
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