It was the best of times, it was the worst of times . . .
Non-Union productions - closed
by Louis Lopardi
The York Company did the unthinkable: presenting three big-cast plays in back to back repertory during a three week run, and making solid theatre experiences of them. We were given a rather modern take on Hamlet, which nonetheless included much seldom heard material from the First Folio edition. While it shouldn't have been anyone's first Hamlet, it was definitely one to hold its own against any contemporary version. Director Stephen Brown showed us the dangers in letting characterizations and stereotypes calcify, without giving us a lecture. As demonstrated often on the New York stage, we once again learned from this master of the "act ending."
A very exotic turn on Macbeth by Director Andrew Cucci, this production worked at fever pitch to call attention to its own modernity, including gratuitous - if skillfully executed - nudity for the Macbeths.
Richard "Of York" was actually a confluence of Henry the Sixth Part Three and Richard the Third. It was a little like sitting through the entire War of the Roses in one afternoon. But this was more than clever dramaturgy. Mr. Duerr, Artistic Director of the York company, managed to nicely integrate the two plays into a chronicle of Richard's rise to prominence in the York constellation, and his descent into the obsession with power. Here too, this was not for novices; but for anyone familiar with at least Richard III it was a fun psycho-history lesson.
Dana Sterling configured a lighting design that adapted nicely to three very different productions. In a nutshell, brilliance and blood characterized the Hamlet, which was loaded with dangerous-to-light mirrors on stage. An evocation of disco lighting fit this take on Macbeth. And moody, evocative raked lighting dominated this Richard of memorable stage pictures. I'm a sucker for cross-lighting through mist - even so, this was solid, classical lighting design which innovated in making even general fill-lighting interesting with its creative use of reflected light.
The one lapse of technical judgement was in the use of strobes in Macbeth and Richard (noisy ones, foolishly placed on a stage acting like a sounding board). It was neither wisely thought out nor well executed. We as audience "imagined" that it worked - because we know the effect from other venues. But it really didn't. I suspect the directors were to blame.
Obviously, given the repertory, Fight Direction was critical. Fight Choreographer Dan Zisson provided excellent work in all three shows - never self conscious, minimal silliness, and attentive to pacing and not just violence. Doubtless, Marc Silberschatz assisted with the almost unceasing swordplay in the Hamlet.
There was a little too much illustrating (of offstage action) in both the Hamlet and Macbeth; despite growing up in this multitasking age of ours, it was distracting. But see the full reviews for details: