Word: clemenson
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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Leontes (Chris Clemenson) sits on this throne in the opening few scenes, his profile facing the audience, as the rest of the actors celebrate the King of Bohemia's arrival. This presentation immediately gives the audience the notion that this man must have something to hide. When Leontes finally speaks, the hidden becomes obvious--his jealousy wells to the surface. He even doubts at this point that Mamillius, his heir...
...only is Clemenson captivating to watch, but his command of Shakespeare's language is a rarity. He rules not only the language but the space around him. When he says "stars," the stars twinkle in the ceiling of the Adams House dining hall. Clemenson's acting has no gimmicks and no cliches--his performance is a tour de force of sheer talent and intelligence...
...ONLY PERFORMANCE that approaches Clemenson's is Grace Shobet's courageous Paulina, and the scenes between Shohet and Clemenson are the best in the play. Shohet outshines Kim Bendheim (Hermione), who is distractingly nervous in the opening scene but rallies to embody virtue, as Shakespeare intended. Bendheim is particularly strong in her trial scene, where Redford's blocking is also at its best--simply but effectively showing the relative virtues of the characters. Hermione stands on a small box above all her accusers; with their backs to the audience...
...difficult to present as the eye-gouging scene in King Lear. Redford stages it identically to the courtroom scene, with Hermione on a pedestal above the rest of the players. It is a beautiful idea, uniting the play--allowing the virtue of Hermione to conquer all this time around. Clemenson once again masters the complexity of his role, as he wondrously discovers that the statue is in fact his living wife...
...ACTION switched to Bohemia in the fourth act, Redford stayed behind in Sicilia. In another production an act as terrible as this would destroy the entire show. But Redford's exceptional talents shine nonetheless in the other four acts--which are gilded by the exceptional performances of Shohet and Clemenson. Shohet's performance is of a calibre rare for the Harvard stage. Clemenson's performance is a of a calibre rare for any stage...