Most of the Chekhov dramas I recall seeing on other stages were what I remember as ‘drawing room’ comedies where aristocratic Russians arrived in their own coaches to doff fur coats and silk wraps to deferential servants and fall into each other arms — their host presiding warmly. As I sit at my desk, my memory of the Arlekin Player’s guests is altogether different: gone are the furs and silk, the languorous embraces, the sips of champagne. Instead I’m remembering guests who relished undressing and then skinning their opposites while they clinked goblets of each other’s blood, grinning toothily. Oh, the stage directions stipulated a mansion in the countryside and woods surrounding a tranquil lake, but these directions were not interpreted literally. And who amongst those thirsty cannibals spared a glance at the lake, filled with (Ugh!) weak water, let alone wandered its … [Read more...] about THE ARLEKIN PLAYERS PLAY CHEKHOV’S THE SEAGULL
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ISANGO ENSEMBLE PLAYS MOZART’S THE MAGIC FLUTE AT EMERSON
When Mozart composed The Magic Flute in Vienna in 1791, he hoped it would become as popular as he thought it should. It did. First it conquered Vienna, then the other great cities of Europe fell to its enchanting mix of singing, dancing and fairy-tale plot. Not long ago, a grade schooler in Cape Town, South Africa, returned home after having seen a student production and vented enthusiastically to his mother that her troupe Isango Ensemble should try it on. They did. And we were lucky enough to be at its performance at Emerson’s Cutler Majestic Theatre on opening night. Isango, an all-black troupe, has inherited tribal traditions rich in dancing, singing, magic and shrewd psychology that are more than a match to communicate the nuances of “The Magic Flute,” conceived in Europe of universals that strike the heart and mind globally. The costumes are minimal, richly African, and … [Read more...] about ISANGO ENSEMBLE PLAYS MOZART’S THE MAGIC FLUTE AT EMERSON
THEATER REVIEW: THE SEVEN FINGERS PRESENT PASSENGERS AT EMERSON CUTLER
Once again, Arts Emerson has hosted “The Seven Fingers,” a perennial favorite from Canada, most recently for the United States premiere of “Passengers” at the Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre. The Seven Fingers troupe must be named for the acrobatic finesse with which they navigate the on-stage ropes, wires and poles which the contemporary circus movement summons for small stage presentations — small stage, that is, in comparison to the “death-defying” heights of the traditional ‘Big-Top” circus tents of my youth. I didn’t much miss the dizzying heights of those days, since these performers were able to demonstrate their breath-taking expertise at more accommodating distances — almost eye-level in some acts. Looking at the cover of “Passengers” program I see again but still don’t quite believe how Conor Wild uses the Chinese pole so deftly for his acrobatics — levitating and … [Read more...] about THEATER REVIEW: THE SEVEN FINGERS PRESENT PASSENGERS AT EMERSON CUTLER
THE CRUCIBLE AT CENTRAL SQUARE THEATER
After seeing Arthur Miller’s classic drama “The Crucible” at the Central Square Theater, I was hunting in my mind for an image which would summarize and elucidate its frenetic action when I found myself standing under a study, old Poplar tree in a local park. A breeze suddenly swept through the park, not only swaying the tree’s long sturdy branches, but also setting every leaf on the Poplar shifting from its light to its dark side. I remember reading once that the stem of each Poplar leaf is so peculiarly attached to the main body of the leaf as to enable this unique and striking shiver or trembling in the wind. William Bradford, fresh off the Mayflower, described Massachusetts in 1620 as “a hideous and desolate wilderness full of wild beasts and wild men.” Not a promising prospect. And yet, Bradford tackled his fears head-on. After a reportedly terrible first winter, Bradford was … [Read more...] about THE CRUCIBLE AT CENTRAL SQUARE THEATER