The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 16.0302  Tuesday, 15 February 2005

[1]     From:   Scott Newstok <
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        Date:   Monday, 14 Feb 2005 14:51:42 -0600
        Subj:   Re: SHK 16.0291 Measure for Measure Production

[2]     From:   David Evett <
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        Date:   Monday, 14 Feb 2005 22:23:55 -0500
        Subj:   Re: SHK 16.0291 Measure for Measure Production


[1]-----------------------------------------------------------------
From:           Scott Newstok <
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Date:           Monday, 14 Feb 2005 14:51:42 -0600
Subject: 16.0291 Measure for Measure Production
Comment:        Re: SHK 16.0291 Measure for Measure Production

The London-based company "Cheek by Jowl" (http://www.cheekbyjowl.com/)
did a sharp, starkly-staged production of the play in 1994; as with most
of their productions, this went on an ambitious world tour, with only a
few stops in the UK. If anyone would like further details, I have a copy
of the program.

Director            Declan Donnellan (co-founder of the company)
Designer           Nick Ormerod (co-founder)
The Duke          Stephen Boxer (Colbert in 2003 National's "Power")
Angelo              Adam Kotz
Isabella             Anastasia Hille (Queen in  2002 RSC Roundhouse
"Winter's Tale")

Scott Newstok

[2]-------------------------------------------------------------
From:           David Evett <
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Date:           Monday, 14 Feb 2005 22:23:55 -0500
Subject: 16.0291 Measure for Measure Production
Comment:        Re: SHK 16.0291 Measure for Measure Production

The Stratford Festival *MM* was in 1976. In keeping with the mores of
that time there was a lot of emphasis on sex. The company still enjoyed
the resource of dozens of student interns, who had a fine time
establishing the decadence of Vienna between the World Wars and
populating the prison. William Hutt was an ironic and elegant Duke; a
particularly memorable moment was his visit to the moated grange, where
he was received by Kathleen Widdoes, luscious as sherbet in a lime-green
sheath; she fixed martinis and then lay invitingly on a chaise longue
while he went to a closet to get a silk dressing gown he'd clearly worn
many times before. I trust you can conceive the effect of this on the
consideration of the meaning of "justice" that the play invites. Martha
Henry was a compellingly intense Isabella (this was still the era when
20-year-old coeds often took the most violent positions in discussing
and carrying out plans to disrupt conventional order); my recollection
is that Brian Bedford was too mannered to be a correspondingly intense
and compelling Angelo. But the production offered many pleasures.

David Evett

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