Performances: 10/27 thru 10/31/2009
The Company: Shakespeare's Globe
One of the roles I have performed in the theatre has been that of Technical Director, which came about as a result of traveling the path thru all aspect of production design as well as training in performance and production management. So it is that I offer a review from this perspective as a service to the persons who are mounting the production as a means of contributing to the industry that I so love to engage in.
As always, the anticipation of an evening at the theatre was a thrilling break from the day to day banalities of domestic management and attendance in the city at The Annenberg Centre brought back my days in the film Co-op that met there back in the 70's & 80's. Of course the environment was quite different then, but the prospect of seeing a production of Shakespeare's Loves Labor Lost, by a company on tour from England, only added to the anticipation.
It was ironic that last spring, when deciding which of Shakespeare's plays would be the next year's study program for the Shakespeareans of Tamanend Park, I decided to choose "Loves Labor Lost". My thinking on the matter was that nobody in the area had done this play and it did not seem to be standard fare in that regard. So I thought this would be a good piece to work on. As we proceeded to study the material, I discovered just how complex the language in "Loves Labor Lost" was and just how difficult some of that language was to comprehend. So it was very opportune that The Globs Theatre was bringing this production to our area.
Last fall we worked very hard to present the Shakespearean program "Autumn Leaves, Performance Festival" at Tamanend Park. It is admittedly the foundations for something that will grow over time, but all in all, it came off very well. Not the least of the reason was the efforts of Maret Genzlinger in producing her end of that program. So when the opportunity to attend The Globe Theatre's rendition of "Loves Labor Lost" came up, who else should I have asked to attend the performance with me?
On the way down to the theatre, Maret commented that it was exciting to think that this production was about as authentic as we were apt to see for some time, being a production of the London based company with performers who were likely steeped in the traditions of that environment. I couldn't have agreed more.
Entering the theatre we had the opportunity to discuss with a number of people what we were doing with The Shakespeareans and this only served to add to our pleasure of being there, hence when we stepped into the house, we were already quite receptive to the material.
The stage setting was basic and reflective of the layout of the Globe theatre. The balcony areas were represented on all three sides, but principally the standing area was up centre. The stage right & Left areas were configured to have scaffolding which was quite unobtrusive, yet functional. In fact, at one point in the production the stage-right scaffolding was used by Berowne as he climbed onto a tree branch. I found it quite ingenious that the scaffolding frame was essentially hidden by the design of the backdrop which represented branches and when Berowne sat on the scaffolding (at the balcony level) it appeared no different than that he was sitting in the tree. It was quite effective.
In regard to the sets- it was quite simple and effective that the predominate elements in the design were the painted drops representing trees. They were simply executed and not over bearing and had the wonderful ability to shift on a traveler onstage by the actors or a stage hand. They operated smoothly without undue difficulty to change the environment sufficiently for the scene shifts in location.
Up centre was a double door that had the look and feel of the old heavy doors of King Ferdinand's estate and quite suitably gave the impression of The princess of France being snubbed from entering. I thought it was most effective that- when the doors were smoothly and automatically openned (most likely by stage hands), the upstage area behind the doors was lit by a pool of light that highlighted the actors exit and very impressively added to the image of them dissappearing into the darkness when the stepped out of the pool when leaving the acting area. The effect was to stir the imagination as to what the court of the King might look like outside of what we were being shown.
On each side of the stage was an arched exit which added to the illusion of the estate being substantial but added no other major function in the illusion other than that. It may have been better if those side exits were hidden during the hunt scene because their presence there discouraged the thinking from imagining that the scene took place out and away from the walls of the estate.
The surface of the stage was represented as an inlaid wooden floor and it was executed quite well. I found myself examining it during the show and thinking what a nice job was done with it. It would be rather strange that such a floor was to be in the field where the princess was housed, but that would be nitpicking and the effect of the design was an excellent addition to the pre-set which the audience sees as they sit there examining the set before the show begins.
It was quite effective to have some of the performers gather in the pit area to provide environmental ambiance and have the pre-show music be performed live by a musician sitting on the edge of the stage. It served well to set the mood by the addition of the sounds and the costumes.
The opening scene was principally introduced by the business of the Ferdinand, Berowne, Longaville, & Dumaine and their unity in dress and actions conveyed that they were advancing with some common cause, which is an essential fact of the play. In my study of the text, I hadn't even gotten to the point of visualizing any of this, so I was very impressed by the implementation. I was rather disappointed that Berowne's initial delivery was somewhat impaired by a lack of clarity in his diction. I do not think that it was a terminal condition, because I adapted to his accent rather quickly and he also warmed up to virtually eliminate that problem. I have to say at this point that Trystan Gravelle as Berowne did a marvelous job at conveying the character, it was rather different than I had imagined as I studied the character, but I've only scratched the surface and he clear has invested a great deal of energy in coming to the interpretation that he offered. There were moments when I though the lines were not given their due, but I also know that if one does not keep the pace up the whole production could suffer.
It was strange that I had imagined from the text that Berownes presence was so much more than some of the other characters because of the volume of his lines (which are substantial). The direction of this play was such that all the characters were given due presence and thus it balanced out very well. I think this is due largely to the use of asides while the other characters still maintained their presence on the stage and the fact that there was virtually no lighting shifts used to highlight the asides. I'm not suggesting that such a thing should or could be used, because it would be unnatural to do so in a Shakespearean context. But I may have liked to have sensed a bit more separation in that regard.
I never finished this review, but I am posting what there is of it, since I doubt that I will finish it.
AG
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