| Thursday, June 19, 2008 |
| "Pity" shocks and stuns |
Last night we finished the ACT season with John Ford's 17th century tragedy "'Tis Pity She's a Whore." Anyone who doubts the power of an almost 400-year-old play to shock modern audiences should take note of how many people are walking out on this production; after intermission, almost the entire row in front of us had cleared out. Yes, it's quite shocking (a synopsis of the play is available here,) but I must admit that I found it quite powerful and entertaining, despite my difficulty comprehending all of the nuances of the dialogue (the same problem I have with Shakespeare). I was fascinated by the set design -- the play takes place on a gorgeous, multi-level set consisting mainly of staircases, battery-operated candles and gigantic organ pipes, with beautiful, shimmery backdrops -- and the music, composed and performed by cellist Bonfire Madigan, who looms above the stage, clad in a white gown and angel wings.
My biggest complaints are that I'm super-tired of core company members Gregory Wallace playing the foppish comic relief character, and Rene Augesen playing the ingenue, because while they're both excellent actors, I've seen them both in these roles a kajillion times by now. Interestingly, none of the plays announced for next season seem to provide a big showcase for the core company actors; perhaps that will freshen things up.
As I do every year, it's time to rate the plays! Here are my rankings, from best to worst, though really, only the final play qualifies as a "worst." I remember liking "The Rainmaker," I just don't remember too much about it at this point.
Speed-the-Plow by David Mamet
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim; Book by Hugh Wheeler)
Curse of the Starving Class By Sam Shepard
'Tis Pity She's a Whore by John Ford
The Blood Knot by Athol Fugard
The Rainmaker by N. Richard Nash
The Government Inspector by Nikolai Gogol |
posted by 125records @ 3:11 PM  |
|
|
|
|
| About Me |
Name: Sue
Home: San Francisco Bay Area, California, United States
About Me:
See my complete profile
|
| Previous Post |
|
| Archives |
|
| Links |
|
|
| Powered by |
|
|
