Jamie Lyons, co-founder of The Collected Works and so much more (see his bio), has some stunning photos and text from site specific performances he has been involved in. Many of these performances involve surviving fragments of ancient Greek plays by Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides. Definitely worth checking out. Related posts I’ve made to the […]
Tag: Plays
On Amazon Prime I stumbled across a couple of films based on Bohumil Hrabal’s writings that are available for free to Prime members. First was The Snowdrop Festival, directed by Jiří Menzel. As I mentioned in the post, it’s a quirky, fun movie with a strong undertow of poignancy. Menzel doesn’t capture the full complexity […]
National Theatre Live has been making some of their broadcasts available on their YouTube channel. This week’s offering is Antony and Cleopatra, directed by Simon Godwin, starring Ralph Fiennes and Sophie Okonedo in the title roles. The recording can be played for free until 7pm UK time on Thursday 14 May 2020. This is one […]
Once again, many thanks to Terry Teachout for directing me to American Shakespeare Center’s online productions. From his wsj.com article: To date I’ve watched “Much Ado About Nothing” and both installments of “Henry IV, ” all of which are part of ASC’s “Actors’ Renaissance” series, which takes Elizabethan-style authenticity a radical step further. These productions, […]
Many thanks once again for Terry Teachout’s post on Houston Alley Theatre’s production of 1984, available online through April 12. More information can be found at their website [Note: link no longer available], and the playbill can be found on issuu. I’ve found Terry’s blog extremely informational and enjoyable. His posts in the last few […]
Many thanks to Terry Teachout for the article on Syracuse Stage’s video production of the stage play Amadeus by Peter Shaffer. As Teachout notes, Syracuse Stage’s revival of Peter Shaffer’s “Amadeus,” directed by Robert Hupp, is a thrilling staging of one of the best English-language plays of the 20th century, and it comes across online […]
If you have wanted to see the National Theatre Live’s 2015 version of Hamlet and haven’t had a chance yet, check the Fathom Events site [note: link has been removed] to see if there will be a screening near you on July 8th. The time I saw it, the audience had a nice mix of ages […]
We had a busy weekend, but the highlight for me was seeing “One Man Romeo and Juliet” by Shelby Bond. He has performed it at many spots around the world, and hopefully you’ll get a chance to see it live. There is a lot of audience participation, and despite the title the kids had a […]
Later this month (at least in some locations) you can choose the form of madness you wish to see: On Thursday, September 27, 2018 in select theaters is King Lear with Ian McKellen. The blurb at National Theatre Live: Broadcast live from London’s West End, see Ian McKellen’s ‘extraordinarily moving portrayal’ (Independent) of King Lear […]
In looking up something this morning I ran across the September 9, 1979 New York Times article Anthony Hopkins: ‘Acting Is Like Being in a Public Confessional’, which had been behind a paywall when I was watching and researching the actor starring in Jean-Paul Sartre’s play Kean. I had posted a ‘bleg’ for a copy […]
I finally got to see this version of Hamlet, the 2015 filming of National Theatre Live‘s production starring Benedict Cumberbatch in the title role. I had intended to see it twice before, but I had been unable to attend either time (even after buying tickets to one of them). I had a strong sense of […]
Passing along the info, for those that might be interested… I really enjoyed PBS’ airing of The Hollow Crown series last year (Richard II, Henry IV Part I and Part II and Henry V), and I’m looking forward to their The Hollow Crown: The War of the Roses series airing now. This season’s lineup includes […]
Last night I went to see the movie version of Romeo and Juliet presented by the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company. It was a little eerie being one of only four people in a sizable movie theater watching this marvelous production, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Richard Madden was solid as Romeo, showing progress from self-absorbed […]
While I’m posting on things happening in San Francisco this week, I don’t want to forget to mention “Archive Live by The Collected Works.” The Collected Works is one of my favorite theater groups (better described as collaborative artists) in the San Francisco Bay area, and I’ve mentioned them before after seeing “Princess Ivona” by […]
Four years ago, Amateur Reader hosted an Anything Ubu readalong, focusing on Alfred Jarry’s plays. I just discovered that the UK theatre company Cheek by Jowl will be livestreaming a performance of Ubu Roi Sunday, 11am PDT. Click here to watch the performance. There’s a handy countdown clock so you know exactly when it will […]
Details on the screening Written up at midnight after seeing the Stratford Festival’s screening of King John, while a few thoughts I actually had during the viewing are with me. Forgive the hasty nature of this post. Philip Faulconbridge, the Bastard, is a marvelous character, and not just in the sense he’s a “type” that […]
I have been looking forward to the upcoming Stratford Festival screening of King John for several reasons, but especially since I’ve only seen it once. The play can be described as erratic, but there are some wonderful moments in it. The selection of incidents Shakespeare includes in the play brings home the parallels between the […]
The Collected Works posted a link earlier today to a YouTube video of Leonard Nimoy as Roger in the 1963 movie version of Jean Genet’s The Balcony. I have not watched the movie, but I was happy to watch these short clips. It highlights the absurdity of the play while providing Nimoy a great role. […]
This was the first screening of the Stratford Festival HD: From Stage to Screen Series that is now underway. They intend to offer 38 of Shakespeare’s plays…similar to that of the BBC’s Shakespeare project from 1978-1985 plus Two Noble Kinsmen. If last night’s show is any indication of the quality of the series, I am […]
Well, despite the press release over two months ago this was news to me: Three of Shakespeare’s great dramas about the burdens, madness and romance of ruling, all performed by one of the world’s premier repertory theater companies – The Stratford Festival in Ontario Canada – come to select U.S. cinemas courtesy of Fathom Events […]