“To write a cover version of a Shakespeare play is to stay true to the spirit of Shakespeare. As a dramatist he was less concerned with a fixed text that we are. He was a collaborator, an actor-playwright in a company dependent on patrons and box office sales. He knew how to riff on an idea.”
Category: theatre
The Lion King Almost Ended In Gladiatorial Pits In Las Vegas
Julie Taymor “wanted to introduce a new villain named Papa Croc who had struck a deal with Scar, the villainous lion from the original story, to buy up all the water in the land. Papa Croc then funneled this water to create a desert oasis: Las Vegas.”
Shakespeare Fest Commissions New ‘Translations’ Of The Bard – Into Contemporary English
“We can piece these meanings together, of course, by reading the play and consulting stacks of footnotes. But Shakespeare didn’t intend for us to do that. He wrote plays for performance. We’re supposed to be able to hear and understand what’s spoken on the stage, in real time.”
When Lupita Nyong’o Was Given Her Choice Of A Play To Star In, This Is The One She Chose
“A few days after arriving at the Yale School of Drama from Kenya in 2009, Lupita Nyong’o found herself understudying in a professional production of Eclipsed, Danai Gurira’s harrowing play about women in the second Liberian civil war.” So when, following her Oscar for 12 Years a Slave, the Public Theater offered her a chance to return to the stage, she had no doubt about the script she wanted.
Laurie Anderson On Bringing Guantánamo To Park Avenue
“I’ve been trying to describe an upcoming project called Habeas Corpus, and it’s much harder than I thought. There are just too many angles. ‘Why are you doing this?’ my friends keep asking. Sometimes I no longer know myself.”
How Do You Direct A Standup Gig?
“On stage there’s just a comedian and a mic. But behind the scenes, directors such as John Gordillo and Phil Nichol can make or break the show. What exactly do they do?”
Think Your Theatre Is Old? Old Vic Is About To Celebrate 250 Years
“Since it first opened, this historic playhouse has been celebrated for its remarkable design and as a place where countless artists, from Sarah Siddons and Henry Irving, to Peter O’Toole, Daniel Day Lewis and Miranda Richardson, have found their voices.”
Next Year’s Tony Awards Might Get The Boot From Radio City
MSG Entertainment said Tuesday that it will again put on a “New York Spring Spectacular” starring the leggy dancers next year, but it will run from June 15 through Aug. 7 at Radio City Music Hall, meaning it may have to boot the annual theater awards show from the iconic venue.
A $100,000 Prize For Theatre Designers – The Shortlist Is Out
Canada’s annual Siminovitch Prize is awarded to directors, playwrights and designers on a three-year cycle. This year’s finalists include Trevor Schwellnus of Toronto’s Aluna Theatre, Bretta Gerecke of Edmonton’s Catalyst Theatre, and Montreal-based designers Nancy Tobin and Anick La Bissonnière.
Play Directed By Cynthia Nixon Gets Called Off At Last Minute
“Citing serious financial trouble, the Culture Project on Tuesday abruptly canceled the premiere of a new play, backed by Rosie O’Donnell and directed by Cynthia Nixon, that was to have begun performances on Thursday.”