Love’s ‘Labour’ not a lost cause in Kabul
In the Christian Science Monitor, an article about theater in Afghanistan. Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost, to be precise. That troubled land wants comedies — but translated into Persian and adapted to omit mention of Russians. (“A mess of Russians left us but of late.”)
Love, however, requires no translation and “the traditional rules of Elizabethan England about love and modesty are very similar to the strict ban on affection in modern Afghanistan.” And problems with papparazzi are similar there, too, as the young star of Osama is finding out.
Roundup
The season’s major awards in New York and several other cities are compiled nicely for us in the latest issue of American Theatre magazine. Thanks, TCG! I’ve seen so very few, alas. Maybe three winning productions. For me, this is a list of should-have’s, not memories.
Must get more money. Must get more time. Must spend them at the theater.
August Wilson is dying
Sadly, August Wilson has only a few months to live. His attitude is interesting and commendable: “It’s not like poker, you can’t throw your hand in. I’ve lived a blessed life. I’m ready.” The announcement was made in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette — a fitting paper to tell, given the locale of his plays. Somehow, I’ve seen only one of his plays, and though disappointed a little in it, have wanted to see his earlier ones.
What can theater do?
In Saturday’s New York Times, Margo Jefferson asks the most important question of theater today, while reviewing a piece at the Fringe Festival: “What can theater do that television can’t?” We at Handcart ponder this question frequently.
The plays reviewed don’t give the best answer: “That’s the question, and the answer from Lorna Littleway, who wrote these plays, is only partly satisfying.” In her brief review, Jefferson makes a second pointed comment about theater in general: “There is some very sophisticated drama on television. But when theater imitates it, theater looks second best.” That the plays had Jefferson discussing the topic speaks well of them, even if they didn’t achieve as much as she would like.
I’m reminded very much of Scott’s initial blog entry a couple of years ago. May I recommend to all a re-reading? He says, among other things, “The theater’s unique power is to evoke — to call upon and stimulate the imagination rather than supplant it.”
Joey from the Block
Without naming names, let’s agree that Boston theater coverage is not good, with the exception of Bill Marx, one of the country’s best critics. Today he writes about Boston’s newest critic, Joey MacIntyre, a former New Kid on the Block! Marx’s reaction is tepid — saving his acerbic wit for MacIntyre’s first reviews, I suppose. Well, writing quality in Beantown won’t go down, that much we know.
Joy and fascination
I’ve enjoyed very much reading two articles about the theater. They have nothing in common beyond the joy and fascination inside me. The first is all about the way a really bad show made it to the West End. Behind the Iron Mask has been panned and heckled, but the story involves budgets, egos and the more mundane realities of needing work and needing to fill dark spaces. A great read, in the both the schadenfreude and making-of ways. We wish we could raise 500,000 pounds, dollars, or anythings.
On the truly positive side of things, the Minnesota Fringe Festival has ended well this year, and the numbers and anecdotes are all positive. They “had more sold-out performances than ever” and “the audiences were also spread out better.” We like to hear of MFF’s success.
Fringe guides
Go, see, partake in the Fringe Festival. Some help in choosing:
New York Times
Gothamist
New York Theatre Experience reviews
How to choose
Truisms that apply across fringe festivals from this feature in the Guardian about how to decide what to see: “What audiences want most on the Fringe is to see somebody before they were famous,” and “The only way of guaranteeing a good show is to go to ones that are completely sold out.” What’s happening in Edinburgh is happening in New York.
A nightmare will happen at Edinburgh
Have you ever dreamed of being onstage in a well-rehearsed performance where only you don’t know the lines? Well, this nightmare will come true at the Edinburgh Festival — on purpose.
Here’s the first guy’s experience in this strange play: “He says he felt confused at times, but didn’t feel abandoned. He blames himself and we reassure him. We say it was impossible for him to do anything wrong.”
Impossible to go wrong? Not so much of a nightmare, after all. Sign me up for the New Guy Each Night role!
We want reviews, but …
We acknowledge it unlikely that the Ridgefield Press of Connecticut will send a reviewer to any future Handcart show. If they do, however, we hope they don’t send their fictitious movie reviewer David Manning. Funny, sad and true: a fake movie reviewer was quoted in promotional material for a few (bad) movies. Shame on you, Sony.
Festivals
If you’re in Winston-Salem, NC; New York City; or Edinburgh, your immediate plans should include the local theater festival. The National Black Theatre Festival has just kicked off; FringeNYC has an opening How to Fringe night on Friday for North America’s largest multi-arts festival; and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe has “5 sleeps to go.”
A great time of year (if your location is right).
Low budget. Large aims. Old plays made new. We like!
Rogue Theater is a young theater group in Chicago. Read about their admirable current effort there, an interesting and difficult twist on the Oresteia, “moving from traditional Greek tragedy to German Expressionism to modern-day irony within the three plays.”
Like us, they’re taking a bigger plunge this time. Are they worried? “I can scrape together $600 again and we can start again if necessary. I’m guess not really worried about failing because it’s not like this is a 25-year career I’m putting on the line.”
Go Rogue!