Richard II
May. 1st, 2006 03:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
magidThis weekend I saw the Loeb Ex production of Shakespeare's Richard II. It was interestsing... and not so much in a good way.
Though the lines were likely fiddled with, I believe the main plot remained: a king interested in the perks and having lackeys to reward, not so much in the responsibilities, who finally annoys the nobles enough to revolt. The leader of the rebels gets himself installed as king... until he has someone kill the former king. Regicide puts him beyond the social pale (though it's left unclear whether he holds his throne or not).
A few of the actors gave good performances, notably Richard II (excellent voice, plus eyeliner-decadence) and Henry Bolingbroke (aka Henry IV). Many of the supporting cast were weak unto annoying.
The stage was set with a white backdrop that functioned variously as a backdrop, a screen for a projector, and as a (scrim?) to show shadows from behind (which seemed superfluous). There were two side panels that were merely hiding exits. The main stage space was open, barring some wooden cubes (big enough to stand on), some filled trash bags, and aluminum cans. A lot of aluminum cans, actually. In the course of the play, the cubes were moved, and the cans variously kicked, run over by a wheel chair, thrown, and poured from above. I think this was the noisiest set, ever. Unfortunately, a lot of the time there were all these sounds, dialogue was being said, so the lines were completely lost by the audience.
It felt like the director had decided zir needed a 'concept', some kind of modernization. And to a point, it worked, but it wasn't well thought out. On the plus side, I've now seen another of the historicals...
Though the lines were likely fiddled with, I believe the main plot remained: a king interested in the perks and having lackeys to reward, not so much in the responsibilities, who finally annoys the nobles enough to revolt. The leader of the rebels gets himself installed as king... until he has someone kill the former king. Regicide puts him beyond the social pale (though it's left unclear whether he holds his throne or not).
A few of the actors gave good performances, notably Richard II (excellent voice, plus eyeliner-decadence) and Henry Bolingbroke (aka Henry IV). Many of the supporting cast were weak unto annoying.
The stage was set with a white backdrop that functioned variously as a backdrop, a screen for a projector, and as a (scrim?) to show shadows from behind (which seemed superfluous). There were two side panels that were merely hiding exits. The main stage space was open, barring some wooden cubes (big enough to stand on), some filled trash bags, and aluminum cans. A lot of aluminum cans, actually. In the course of the play, the cubes were moved, and the cans variously kicked, run over by a wheel chair, thrown, and poured from above. I think this was the noisiest set, ever. Unfortunately, a lot of the time there were all these sounds, dialogue was being said, so the lines were completely lost by the audience.
It felt like the director had decided zir needed a 'concept', some kind of modernization. And to a point, it worked, but it wasn't well thought out. On the plus side, I've now seen another of the historicals...