The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 17.0613 Monday, 2 July 2006
From: Stephen Rose <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date: Sunday, 2 Jul 2006 13:12:20 -0400
Subject: Lear Comes Alive in NYC
I have never been to a more compelling live Shakespeare event. The Lear
I saw last night at the off-off Broadway La MaMa was clear, accessible,
beautifully delivered and relevant. We sat on all four sides of a
spacious open area enveloped in original music and the arresting sight
of Alvin Epstein and a marvelous supporting cast bringing the great work
to life, capturing nuances without affectation and minus the driven
shaketalk I feel results from a sort of mimetic transfer from production
to production.
Whether it was this performance of not, I was struck by how clear and
understandable and unstilted this play is.
The La MaMa Lear was substantially better than the other Shakespeare
play I have seen this summer, Macbeth at Shakespeare in the Park.
I will remember the Lear. The Macbeth will fade substantially.
A bow should be made to the Actors' Shakespeare Project which is
described at http://www.actorsshakespeareproject.org/ and from which
tickets to this exceptional Lear may be purchased.
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