A little Beckett with your Euripides

Iphigenia in Aulis Classic Stage Ireland, Dublin July 2, 2011 I hadn’t planned on attending any theatre during my two days in Dublin, but I made it to Ireland earlier on Saturday than I had expected. A quick Google search revealed that Classic Stage Ireland was putting on its last night of Euripides’ Iphigenia inContinue reading “A little Beckett with your Euripides”

Merchant of Vegas

Merchant of Venice Royal Shakespeare Company June 28, 2011, 7:15pm Before the show began, the woman next to me (a British schoolteacher) leaned over and said, “We came because we heard it was controversial.” Her husband smiled dutifully. Rupert Goold’s Merchant of Venice is set in a raucous Las Vegas, complete with card tables, badContinue reading “Merchant of Vegas”

Foul or Fair

Macbeth Royal Shakespeare Company June 27, 2011, 7:15pm “Macbeth. Macbeth. Macbeth.” Imagine that you’re a soldier in the sixteenth century. You’re at the edges of a battlefield, caked in the blood of your enemies. You make your way through a abandoned, desecrated church: the stained glass windows are smashed to bits, the statues are reducedContinue reading “Foul or Fair”

Much Ado About London

Here are some quick reviews of the shows I managed to see this weekend in London. This is all composed and posted via ipad, so expect some bloopers. I’ll polish things up later. ~nrhelms Much Ado About Nothing Wyndham’s Theatre David Tennant (Benedick), Catherine Tate (Beatrice), Josie Rourke (Director) June 24, 2011, 7:30pm Madcap! SomeContinue reading “Much Ado About London”

Summer Bloggin’

Tuscaloosa is an hot, empty place in the summer: few undergraduates, no escape from the heat, and (after the Rude Mechanicals’ show in early June) no theatre on the University of Alabama’s campus.  And that means nothing to post on this lonely blog: no casting calls, no staged readings, no ShakesFilms. So, as a summerContinue reading “Summer Bloggin’”

Hearing the Human: Empathic Listening and Theater of War’s Ajax

In a recent American Repertory Theater article, Brian Doerries makes a bold claim about Theater of War, a staged reading series of Sophocles’ Ajax and Philoctetes funded in part by the Department of Defense.  Doerries writes, “People who live lives of mythological proportions, who confront the darkest aspects of our humanity and face life andContinue reading “Hearing the Human: Empathic Listening and Theater of War’s Ajax”

Mark Me

Staging Hamlet for Improbable Fictions posed a problem: how do you depict the ghost of Hamlet’s father?  Special effects often fall flat at this moment: various combinations of white sheets, eerie green lights, and zombie makeup.  And certainly, the special effects budget of an IF production totals about $0.00.  I trust our audiences to haveContinue reading “Mark Me”

The Rude Mechanicals presents Shakespeare’s Tempest

6 PERFORMANCES! Opening night is Thursday June 2! The run is Thur-Sat June 2-4 and the next week June 9-11. Music at 7pm, show at 7:30pm.  The Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=211874568843780 Free Admission. Shakespeare’s last full-length play, approx. 90-100 minutes. Bring chairs or blankets for seating, also bring bug spray. RAIN: performance will take place in theContinue reading “The Rude Mechanicals presents Shakespeare’s Tempest”

(Un)Dead Week

It’s Dead Week on UA’s campus, but that doesn’t mean that there’s nothing going on.  It just means that there could be an Elizabethan Zombiepocalypse going on and you wouldn’t know it because you’re hiding out on the fourth floor of Amelia Gayle Gorgas Library.  Which might be a good place to hide during theContinue reading “(Un)Dead Week”

Hamlet: Pics and Programs

Thanks to cast, crew, and audience for making last night’s staged reading of Hamlet a thrilling evening.  I’m posting the program notes below.  As you can see in these pics (more pics here), the cast took advantage of the whiteboard in 214 Farrah Hall to write lines, maxims, and jokes, a cloud of words andContinue reading “Hamlet: Pics and Programs”