A Theatre-Goer's Thoughts

  Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream is many things: a comedy, a romance, a fantasy, even a revenge drama. The most often produced of Shakespeare’s plays, it has always been a fan favorite. I had my own experiences with it, once upon a time, many, many years ago, when I acted in a college production of it – as Peter Quince, the carpenter who directs “the play within the play.” I have never been a Shakespeare purist. I celebrate colorblind casting and have seen well-executed performances by women playing male characters. (Remember, all of Shakespeare’s plays were originally staged with men playing all of the roles.) I’ve seen successful productions that were set in different time periods. I remember a touring production of Much Ado About Nothing set in 1950s Cuba that I saw in Durham, NC, over 30 years ago. But this “adaptation” of Shakespeare’s play, produced by the Washington’s Folger Theatre at the National Building Museum this summer, was “impure” enough to bring out a...

Everyone brings their past experiences and prejudices to the theatre. As much as we may try to be objective about what we see, what we are seeing is art and therefore subject to the interpretation by the viewer. Saturday, August 13, I saw the matinee performance of a new musical, The Devil Wears Prada , based on the book and film and brought to the stage by Kate Wetherhead (book), Shaina Taub (lyrics), and, most notably Sir Elton John (music). Directed by Tony Award winner Anna D. Shapiro, with choreography by James Alsop and designs by Christine Jones and Brett Banakis (scenery and media), Arianne Phillips (costumes), Paule Constable (lighting), and Nevin Steinberg (sound). The Chicago run at the James M. Nederlander Theatre is a pre-Broadway tryout. In days past, the out-of-town tryout (in Philadelphia, New Haven, Boston, etc.) was an opportunity for the playmakers to test the waters away from the prying eyes of the New York critics. There are countless stories of shows having pr...

Friends have suggested that I start a blog, a place where I can share my reflections on a lifetime of theatre-going. Theatre-going and opinion-sharing are nothing new to me; some may even say that I overindulge in both.  Living in the DC area means that I have easy access to a number of outstanding professional theatres, as well as a reasonable proximity to New York and all that it offers. I am hopeful that in my retirement I can be more flexible in when and where I go.  In addition to my current experiences, I'm sure I will reminisce about past theatre-going experiences over the past 60 years or so.  This may also be a place for dialogue where we can engage in discussions about all of our theatre-going experiences.