Cymbeline

[plumtreeblossom]

Last night beowabbit and I saw Cymbeline by the Actor's Shakespeare Project. In large part I enjoyed it very much. Since some of you I'm sure plan to see it, rather than give a detailed review, I'll give my report card.

Acting: A+ (stellar)
Blocking: A+ (blocking for full round, no less)
Costuming: A (for making do with limited resources)
Performance space: F

It was a lean, polished 7-actor production, stripped so far down in tech that there's nothing for me to rate in that regard. The actors were outstanding, each covering multiple roles beautifully.

Very unfortunately, the heavy sound bleed of throbbing music from The Foundry next door renders this ad hoc performance space, in my opinion, non-viable, at least for evening performances. Perhaps the group hadn't thought to visit the space in the evening before locking in their rental. I don't know, but I found it a major distraction, and for those sitting closest to The Foundry wall, it actually interfered with hearing the dialog. If you go, and I recommend you do for the fine acting, sit as far from that wall as you can.

Comments

[heliopsis.livejournal.com]

Thanks for this advice! I'm going tonight, so I'll sit far from the Foundry.

[hahathor.livejournal.com]

I agree with you on the blocking and acting, but the costuming really didn't work for me at all, in large part because those whit outfits were so incredibly unflattering (except on the guy playing Posthumus, who rocked it, but I suspect he could have rocked a gorilla suit). I think they could have done much better if they'd used a little color. I also understood the minimal set choice, but miming important props & costume pieces kind of took me out of the play.

I understand your concerns about the Foundry, but having come of age in NYC doing theater in basements in the East Village, I didn't have that much of a problem with it. It kind of reminded me of doing House of Bernarda Alba at Mary O'Malley Park, where the party boat would come cruising by every evening during the funeral scene....

YMMV of course.