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"The Scarlet Pimpernel", as I said earlier, was my favourite play. (This may have been because we saw a matinee and therefore I was fully awake for the entire performance...). I enjoyed everything about this play- the set (which was versitile and served as the guillotine, a ship, an inn, a ball, a library, a garden, a bar, etc with pieces quickly moved on and off to change the setting); the costumes were wonderful- especially in the ball scene where all the English aristocrats were attired in ball gowns with elegant gold trimmings; the acting was magnificent- Peter Donaldson portrayed "The Scarlet Pimpernel" beautifully. The play was overall quite lighthearted, but included some scenes of suspense and tragedy, and captured some scenes of the French revolution and the terror felt there. I loved it! :)
The festival's production of "Romeo and Juliet" was set in the traditional period setting this season. The festival balcony and stage floor was painted a red shade to underscore the anger in the play. Mercutio was magnificent! Wayne Best, a native Saint Johner, played the character. The one annoying aspect of this production was that it seemed overly weepy (all Juliet seemed to do in the second act was cry and weep and cry...), and Juliet had a very modern air about her. Technically, the lighting in the production was great. The tomb was illumiated with blue light, and through the use of gobos and fog there was a neat effect making the light appear in eeire rays. It was also fun to watch this production to see Graham Abbey (Romeo) onstage. He was one of the actors who had worked closly with my class earlier that week, and it was exciting to see him center stage after working with him.
"Two Nobel Kinsmen" was done in a completely different style than the other Shakespeare production at the festival. The costumes had a very orient style. I found in this production however the set was very distracting to the action of the play. Upstage there were many "spears" of sorts standing- they were used to portray the forest and the bars of the jail. However, when they were touched or pushed they wobbled clear up the speare (and the spears were very tall... over twice the height of a person...). Therefore when the action was taking place amounst the "spears" the focus was taken from the actors to these wobbling "trees" or "jail bars". It drove me crazy at times! What I did like about the set was in the middle of the stage there was a pool of water and a lit latern in the middle of the pool. This was used various times throughout the play... for instance when the two kinsmen were fighting they shoved each others heads into the pond, or when the women were talking they dangled their legs and hands into the water. The other part to the set was a statue of the upper body of a horse coming out of the upstage area of the "pond"... it was never used... so why was it there?? I guess it was supposed to sybolize strength... but I though it just took up valuable space on the stage. The acting was good, although I came to the conclusion I don't particulary care for Michelle Giroux. I find when she speaks it is very choppy, and not smooth... she will distinctly emphasise some words and make they jump out and bang the audience over the head instead of connect the words and creat thoughts and sentences. Then again this is just my person opinion.
Finally "My Fair Lady". Wow. Wow, wow, wow. There. One word... wow. The costumes- wow (Eliza wore some of the most exquisit dresses, the ascot ladies wore the most beautiful black and white gowns... wow...); the set- wow (the entire festival stage had another floor built on top of it, with a black/white/grey checkboard pattern of sorts on top, and the balcony had two staircases some off each side, with iron railings... wow...); the dancing (espeically "get me to the church on time" where the company did some of the most amazing jumps and lifts, and the men all had incredible height on their jumps... wow); the singing (Cynthia Dale is amazing... wow); everything... wow...
posted by">Hayley @
9:39 AM
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Monday, July 22, 2002  |
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