The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 16.0352  Tuesday, 22 February 2005

From:           Harvey Roy Greenberg <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date:           Monday, 21 Feb 2005 19:05:02 EST
Subject: 16.0338 CORIOLANUS
Comment:        Re: SHK 16.0338 CORIOLANUS

Not a very good CORIOLANUS I am afraid. The subsidiary roles were
exchanged between actors and actresses of very little talent. The
Coriolanus lacked majesty, Volumnia was too nice by far, and in general
no one around was big enough for their respective roles.

Design terrible gray walls which were pounded on instead of music bah

In first half, as scenes unfolded, one person or another would
black-chalk onto one of the walls something apposite "Belly" etcetera.
  For reasons best known to the director, this conceit was absent in the
second half, which was certainly as chalkworthy as the first.

I haven't seen the play done often enough, and that's a shame. There was
a wild performance at the Public years ago, directed by Steven Berkoff,
that mad fellow. Christopher Walken played the big C, and was
extraordinary. The rest of the production as I recall was not up to his
level.

Heard the Burton version on tape, still have it, he is quite wonderful
that great speech about the absolute presumptuous 'shall'.....

Harvey Roy Greenberg MD

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