Word: stoppard
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Although the notion of Hamlet as meta-drama isn't new to theater (i.e. Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead), Groundlings puts a clever and original spin on Shakespeare's nihilistic drama. Clamence indicts Roulleau for having watched a play, taken vicarious pleasure in the characters' lives, and ultimately refused to take a stake in its consequences. His trial thereby acquires a metaphorical character, addressing the purpose of theater in modern society and the nature of its relationship with its audience. In one tirade, Clamence likens Roulleau's behavior to our usual reaction to TV news...
...this whiny near-hysteria of Macbeth's conscious effort on somebody's part, then? Have we been handed somebody's idea of a deliberate re-reading of the character--a postmodern comedy, perhaps, along the lines of a Tom Stoppard play? If this is the idea, it doesn't seem to be working. The rest of the production interprets the text at face value; as a result, the bizarre behavior of Colapinto's Macbeth gradually renders its audience unsure whether any given line or scene is meant to be interpreted as straight drama or as comedy. The audience starts...
...name is Dario Fo, a 71-year-old Italian playwright who produces politically-oriented and often subversive comedy ? kind of like Samuel Beckett meets Tom Stoppard. His most popular plays include "Death of an Anarchist," "Mistero Buffo" ? which harks back to medieval mystery plays with its single performer and religious theme ? and "Elizabeth I," described as "the play Shakespeare never wrote...
...high-strung, fast-paced approach presents a contrast to the rest of production, which is hindered by its pacing. The action and the dialogue are sometimes slow, making the play less powerful and often weakening the comedy. In scenes where the pacing is quicker and more appropriate for Stoppard's insightful repartees, like the game of "questions" played by Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, the play becomes more vibrant and engaging. But most of the time, the production relies on long dramatic pauses that leave the audience wondering what overwhelming thoughts have paralyzed the characters. Similarly, the amount of time the player...
Overall, however, the bulk of Stoppard's genius comes through. The two sensitive main performers overcome moments of slowness in their presentation by simply persisting in their pitiful, confusing quest. This production of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead has a firm grasp on Stoppard's humor and his upside-down view of the situation, making for a worthy evening of entertainment. But the directors needed to sustain a more frenzied, fast-paced atmosphere to make this jaunty and subversive play the thought-provoking pleasure that it should...