August 19, 2010
shake it shake it shake it speare
Angeleno/as, you MUST avail yourselves of ISC's Much Ado before it vanishes from sight forever. You have until the 29th. It's being performed on an eensy little set at the old Griffith Park Zoo, right next to where they used to keep the zoo bears in caves (seriously):
My awesome friend and mentor Ron Bashford is directing, and the show is a beautiful little gem. Even if Much Ado isn't your favorite, this version is more than worth seeing just for David Melville's unique and singularly captivating take on Benedick. But don't take my word for it -- LAT, holla!
Sometimes the best things in life really are free. Case in point: the Independent Shakespeare Company's thoroughly charming revival of "Much Ado About Nothing." Literally a romp in the park, this breeziest of Shakespearean comedies continues the ISC's signature mix of fully professional performances and unstuffy irreverence, presented at no charge as part of the company's mission to bring appreciation of classical theater to a broader public.That last bit is so, so cool for a scansion nerd like me, and sadly rare in modern productions.
[...]
The company employs a distinctive style of diction that preserves line endings in the verse, bucking the trend toward more prosaic delivery that glides over the breaks to bridge overlapping thoughts. Surprisingly, in the hands of capable actors this actually makes the meaning more comprehensible -- who'd have guessed that Shakespeare knew what he was doing?
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