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The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 12.2909  Friday, 28 December 2001

[1]     From:   Mari Bonomi <mbonomi@snet.net>
        Date:   Thursday, 27 Dec 2001 10:34:40 -0500
        Subj:   Re: Trends in Postmodern Shakespearean Performance

[2]     From:   David Bishop <dvbishop@mindspring.com>
        Date:   Thursday, 27 Dec 2001 15:29:43 -0500
        Subj:   Re: Trends in Postmodern Shakespearean Performance

[3]      From:  Jane Drake Brody <JBrody845@aol.com>
        Date:   Friday, 28 Dec 2001 10:04:25 EST
        Subj:   Trends in Postmodern Shakespearean Performance

[1]-----------------------------------------------------------------
From:           Mari Bonomi <mbonomi@snet.net>
Date:           Thursday, 27 Dec 2001 10:34:40 -0500
Subject:        Re: Trends in Postmodern Shakespearean Performance--Iago in
the A.R.T.'s Othello

To paraphrase a former president, There you go again, Charles...

PLEASE keep your homophobia OFF the pages of SHAKSPER postings.  They
become increasingly nauseating.

Mari Bonomi

[2]-------------------------------------------------------------
From:           David Bishop <dvbishop@mindspring.com>
Date:           Thursday, 27 Dec 2001 15:29:43 -0500
Subject:        Re: Trends in Postmodern Shakespearean Performance--Iago in
the A.R.T.'s Othello

I’m grateful for Charles Weinstein’s excellent review of Othello, for
its sharp analysis of a particular production and performance, and for
connecting the problems to recent trends in performance and criticism.

Though I live near the ART I haven’t seen Othello and don’t intend to
pay money for nothing. Last spring I saw half of Derrah’s Richard II.
Others did not even wait until intermission to escape from that
disaster. I thought, the ART has finally hit bottom--it can’t get any
lower than this. Then a few days later I heard that the director of that
production had been appointed the new director of the ART. The worst is
not, so long as we can say “this is the worst.”

A note elsewhere on the list connects to this thread. The ART’s
treatment of Shakespeare grows from a Beckettian root whose main
critical voice may be--may have been--Jan Kott. Alfred Harbage wrote a
review of Kott’s “Shakespeare Our Contemporary”, titled “Shakespeare
Without Words.” The ART style has been so distrustful of the words that
its productions have become noisy, distracting fashion shows, filled
with mugging slapstick but, except for the odd good actor, failing to
find much meaning and power in the mere words Shakespeare wrote.

Once in a while something good does happen. Last spring a small South
African troupe did a wonderful 12th Night at the Loeb experimental
theater.  And elsewhere, three weeks ago the B.U. theater school put on,
for three nights, one of the best Tempests I’ve seen--directed by a
visitor from California, Lisa Wolpe. So there’s hope.

Best wishes,
David Bishop

[3]-------------------------------------------------------------
From:           Jane Drake Brody <JBrody845@aol.com>
Date:           Friday, 28 Dec 2001 10:04:25 EST
Subject:        Trends in Postmodern Shakespearean Performance--Iago in the
A.R.T.'s Othello

While Mr Derrah’s performance sounds horrible, it is not entirely his
fault.  The performance has to have been approved, abetted and even
possibly praised by the director.  The actor himself cannot be entirely
aware of the effect of his performance on the viewer, he relies on the
director for feedback.  Many actors try and many actors fail.  It is not
a sin to accept a role and try it.  The sin is in the director who
doesn’t dismiss the actor or help the actor in such a situation.  So,
give the guy a break.

And, for God’s sake, let’s not cast people whose physicality goes
against the audience’s prejudices, let’s continue type-casting in all
its creativity!  And let’s continue the absurd notion that there are
comic actors and dramatic actors.

Jane Drake Brody

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Hardy M. Cook, editor@ws.bowiestate.edu
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