“In 1833, when slavery was happening, this extraordinary man, who against all odds had this extraordinary and classic career, was written out of history.”Īfter numerous critically acclaimed productions in London and New York, the play has returned Aldridge to his rightful place in Shakespeare’s ever-expanding world - though that world isn’t without its detractors.Įven now, there are many who argue that Shakespeare was the pen name of someone else - though there is even disagreement about who that someone else potentially might have been. “I thought a lot of the themes in ‘Othello’ of a black man in a white society company who is highly valued, and highly skilled, and then dashed, matched in very epic, operatic terms the story of Ira Aldridge,” Chakrabarti says. “Red Velvet,” which is on stage at the Atwater Playhouse in Los Angeles through April 30, encompasses the scope of the Shakespearean world with excerpts from “Othello” and “King Lear” woven in. In her play “Red Velvet,” Lolita Chakrabarti tells the biographical story of Ira Aldridge, an early 19th century African-American actor who became a leading interpreter of Shakespearean tragedies on the European stage performing opposite white actresses. Looking back on Shakespeare’s writing has also inspired new works that stand on their own merit. “Within that general situation are different ways you can experience it, or express it, or define it. “What it gives you is the specificity of someone living out a very defined experience and making sense of it in very specific ways, and alternate ways,” Rocklin says. #WHO DID KINGSMEN WORK FOR SHAKESPEER FULL#She can be incredulous, fatalistic or full of unshakable self-confidence depending on how her line “we fail” is delivered. “Historical performances have taught us that there are really three realizations of Lady Macbeth at that moment,” says Edward Rocklin, a Cal Poly Pomona English professor and renowned authority on the teaching of Shakespeare. His wife, Lady Macbeth, goads him by calling his masculinity into question, and as he starts to waver, Macbeth asks, “If we should fail?” And at the Newport Beach Film Festival on Saturday, audiences can catch a screening of the Ben Proudfoot’s “ Rwanda & Juliet” set in the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide.Īnd no matter how many times Shakespeare’s plays are recited or quietly contemplated, they can suddenly take on a new meaning.įor example, take the moment when the character Macbeth decides not to kill the beloved king of Scotland for the crown. Baz Luhrmann set his 1996 “Romeo + Juliet” in modern-day Verona Beach. “Romeo and Juliet” alone has spun off numerous on-screen versions, from the Jerome Robbins and Robert Wise musical “West Side Story” to Franco Zeffirelli’s 1968 drama, which marked the first time on screen young actors portrayed the title characters in a faithful retelling of the play. Besides those stage performances, there are countless film adaptations from his vast array of work. “So I’m having the Chorus be a 21st century anchorwoman,” he says.ĭigital databases of recordings and film offer a look back at the past century of Shakespearean performances, including all the speaking styles actors have brought to their characters. Well, Shakespeare did the same thing with the Chorus character who interprets Henry of the 1400s, so the audience can make their opinion about what kind of a guy he is. “Because we’re in a political campaign year, I was fascinated by how our opinions of the people running for office are influenced by the media and how the media frames how we see the politician. “We don’t try to impose a particular style on the play, but we look for things in the play that can stimulate our imagination,” says Arndt, who will be directing the history play “Henry V” with a modern-day spin. In that production, the comedy about four young Athenian lovers will be set in 19th century colonial India, complete with Indian gods and goddesses, musical influences, costumes and dance. The Bard-day festivities include a candlelight reading of “Macbeth,” yoga incorporating Shakespeare quotations and a full reading of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” which will be staged this summer at the 20th Annual Kingsmen Shakespeare Festival, from June 24 through July 31. Saturday in and around Overton Hall on the campus of Cal Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks. #WHO DID KINGSMEN WORK FOR SHAKESPEER PROFESSIONAL#“The beauty about Shakespeare is that his work leaves creative possibilities open,” says Michael Arndt, creative director and cofounder of the professional Kingsmen Shakespeare Company, which will be celebrating the anniversary with a free 24-hour marathon, beginning at 4 p.m.
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