Theater Review: A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Theatricum Botanicum

Yesterday, Lisa and I checked out this summer’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Theatricum Botanicum. This is the stage company who produced the Coriolanus I saw last week.

And what we have here is a study in contrasts… Where Coriolanus–a tragedy–was heavy, Midsummer was light. Intense vs fun.

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Theater Review: Henry IV by Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles

Lisa and I headed down to Los Angeles to catch Henry IV, presented by the Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles in the Japanese Garden at the Veterans Administration complex in Westwood.

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Theater Review: Coriolanus by Theatricum Botanicum

Last Saturday afternoon, I went into the hills of Topanga (midway between Malibu and the San Fernando Valley in lovely southern California) to Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum to catch their production of Coriolanus.

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Summer’s here and the time is right for Shakespeare (in the streets?)

I love summer. Shakespeare blooms all over town (state, country, world).

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Podcast 165: Interview Special — Melissa Chalsma and David Melville of Independent Shakespeare Company

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This week’s podcast ends an exceedingly long drought, but your patience is rewarded with a jumbo econo-sized interview with Melissa Chalsma and David Melville, the Artistic and Managing Directors, respectively, of Los Angeles’ Independent Shakespeare Company. We talk a bit about the upcoming season which will include A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Titus Andronicus.

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Media (not)Thursday: Macbeth by NTLive

Last week, I saw the cinema broadcast of the National Theatre (England) Live’s Macbeth directed by Rufus Norris, and starring Rory Kinnear and Anne-Marie Duff.

Some impressions…

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Media Thursday: “The Madhouse” by Toil and Trouble Burlesque

It’s Thursday, and time for a little Shakespeare-related media review. And night before last, I caught the latest burlesque revue by Toil and Trouble Burlesque, “The Madhouse.”

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Media Thursday: plays, plays, and more plays…

As I noted yesterday, crazy week. So for today’s Media Thursday, here are some recommendations for local SoCal/Ventura County theatrical entertainment…

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As Shakespeare said, “WTF?”

OK, I had every intention going into the weekend to see Macbeth in Ojai–and then to review it as part of this week’s Media Thursday. Alas, the best-laid schemes of mice and men… Macbeth was only available for a matinee, and given I was kicking off my “Shakespeare for Actors” course (teaching, not taking) on Saturday, that made the Scottish play a virtual non-starter. But I was itching to catch some local theater, and so Saturday night, I ventured off to Camarillo Skyway Playhouse (where I had left just 7 hours earlier after the end of said Shakespeare class) to catch the opening weekend of Sylvia by A.R. Gurney.

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