Henry VIII: All Is True

Another enjoyable evening of Shakespeare, courtesy of the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company (and its Production Sponsor, Charles Parsons); this time Opening Night of the seldom-staged Henry VII: All Is True by William Shakespeare (with some alleged involvement of John Fletcher; collaboration and/or revision). This is the play that literally brought down the house, as the Globe Theater was destroyed by fire during an early performance. According to Wikipedia:

On 29 June 1613 the Globe Theatre went up in flames during a performance of Henry the Eighth. A theatrical cannon, set off during the performance, misfired, igniting the wooden beams and thatching. According to one of the few surviving documents of the event, no one was hurt except a man whose burning breeches were put out with a bottle of ale. It was rebuilt in the following year.

Fortunately, no such misfortune befell the CSC's production of the play. :) And what a production it was! Strong acting, choreography, set design. And the costumes! If this production doesn't sweep the awards for which it is eligible, well then, they ought to not bother having them.

I was especially impressed with the scene where the Surveyor is relating to the King something the Duke of Buckingham had said, and the actor playing Buckingham appears in the front row aisle with a spotlight, performing the same lines in synch with the Surveyor. A very cinematic technique, done without audio editing equipment that a movie maker would use, and it came off quite well, in live theater. You really need to see this show!! It runs through February 5, and tickets, I understand, are still available.

Photography is not allowed during performances, of course, but I was able to take some pictures during the pre-show reception, hosted by the ever gracious Charles Parsons, as well as after the performance. You can see these pics by clicking here, or on the images.

A Midsummer Night's Dream for an autumn evening

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A lovely September night for a Shakespeare in the Park performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream at Burnet Woods in Clifton, near the UC campus. The rain fortunately held off until well after the show ended, so the show went off without a hitch. Afterwards, it was off to the Clifton Skyline Chili at Ludlow and Clifton with friends Nancy, Charles and Dick, as well as Luigina and Rob.

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And a great show it was. Burnet Woods, in my opinion, provides the perfect setting for a play set largely in a forest, the cast was energetic (not to mention hilarious; you really get an idea of where Monty Python was getting a fair chunk of their material), and the costuming added the crowning touch. If the CSC ever puts on a production of Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking-Glass, Cary Davenport, pictured here playing the part of Francis Flute (who is in turn playing the part of Thisbe), has to play the part of the Red Queen. A tip of the hat to Heidi Jo Scheimer, the CSC's Resident Costume Designer, for inspired work on all the costumes (though in Cary's case, it's the beard that really completes the look, not to mention his facial expressions).

Alas, this was the final performance of MSND for the 2011 SitP season. There is a final performance of Julius Caesar next weekend, but I  don't think I'll be able to make that.

I just wish this company had been around in the early 70s when Mrs. McCann, my ninth-grade English teacher, was trying to make me read Julius Caesar. Apparently she, along with my dad, a college English professor at UC, were of the opinion that Shakespeare was writing for them (i.e., English teachers) and that these plays were meant to be read, rather than seen. I strongly disagree. Reading these plays just doesn't do it for me. To truly appreciate Shakespeare, you should see the plays performed, by a company as talented and enthusiastic as the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company.

Caesar on the River

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Went to another production of Julius Caesar, put on by the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, this time at Bellevue Beach Park. The park is right on the Ohio River, approximately across the river from Eden Park. A rousing performance as far as it went. Unfortunately, a drenching shower started shortly after intermission, forcing the players to cancel the remainder of the performance. All the players were scheduled to perform in A Man for All Seasons at CSC in downtown Cincinnati later in the evening, and hence couldn't wait out the shower. Naturally, the sun came back out shortly after that decision was made, but then again, the rain returned while we we walking back to our cars. So it was a good call, after all.

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Afterwards, we went to York St. Cafe in Newport for light dinner and dessert. A wonderful outdoor dining experience, with wonderful company, and desserts to die for!

Cry Havoc!! And Let Slip the Dogs of War!!

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Shakespeare in the Park came Sunday evening with a traditional staging of Julius Caesar (though some of the traditionally male roles were played by women, this was not the gender-reversed version of the play that the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company staged back in April). Just as the show was about to start on the lawn of the Harry Whiting Brown Community Center, a rainstorm came through sending players and audience scurrying into the nearby Scouthouse, where the play was ultimately staged. Of course, by the time the players were finished setting up inside, the storm had passed, and the skies were clearing. But the show went on inside, where, in my opinion, the audience was better able to hear the actors, without being drowned out occasionally by passing trains. :-)

All in all, a most enjoyable evening of Shakespearean theater.

Forsooth, do you grok my jive, me hearties?

All galleries of Cincinnati Shakespeare Company performances are now upgraded to the new style.

The title of this post, BTW, is an xkcd reference, for those that don't know.