SHAKESPEARE SEASON

SHAKESPEARE SEASON

SHAKESPEARE EVERYWHERE IN NYC

What's going on?
America has gone Shakespeare
Romeo and Juliet here
Rome and Juliet there
Romeo and Juliet everywhere
Just saw an old movie, Romeo and Juliet:Zefferelli
Saw Romeo and Juliet at CSC
Missed Romeo and Juliet at broadway
Romeo at CSC was miscast
Didn't have the voice or the ChARISMA
for some one to fall in love with instantly
Doesn't have the powerful emotions to act the last death scene either
Some other cast members were better such as the Frier and the father of Juliet
The nurse played spanish speaking,(Maybe they spoke Spanish in Verona those days)
Or the servants were Spanish but it didn't match the rest of the show
Juliet's mother also spoke Spanish once in a while.
I guess to understand the nurse she had to.
I find the whole scheme the Frier came up with about the sleepy potion and
faking Juliet's death and Romeo missing the letter (Ok, he could easily miss the letter
but she dying of false death and then waking up)
What was he thinking?
...............

Then saw Julius Caesar, all women cast at St Ann's Warehouse.
Very uncomfortable space, lot of security to get in, (Part of the staging)
Lot of sound effects plus camera filming the live stabbing of Caesar, not very effective.
Lively production though, women in prison acting out Julius Caesar, women had lots of energy
my favorite was Frances Barber playing Caesar and the woman playing Portia was good but the best was the actress playing Cassius, Brutus, Harriet Walters good too but Mark Anthony was disappointing,
didn't have the passion to evoke revolt.  As a whole an enjoyable show giving women actress a great chance and it was multiethnic casting which is always good and is more in England than here.
Here by the way for a change a black woman is playing Juliet on broadway which is very progressive.
Now I have to catch Richard the 111 and Mid summer nights dream....a lot of Shakespeare...
America has gone classic