Monthly Archives: May 2014

Much Ado About “Much Ado”

Our last night in London could very easily have been a very depressing and melancholy affair. Instead, our class spent the night watching Much Ado About Nothing at the Globe Theater, and we were able to end our trip on … Continue reading

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A Day at the Museum

As a class, we’ve seen some pretty impressive sights during our stay in London. Hampton Court Palace, Westminster Abbey, the Globe Theater, Big Ben, Tower of London… The list goes on and on. We have travelled across the city (and … Continue reading

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A Wicked Woman in Titus Andronicus

When I first read Titus Andronicus, I pictured Tamora as a character whose actions were somewhat justified as a result of the suffering she had endured by the hands of Titus and his fellow Romans. After her pleas of mercy … Continue reading

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“This charm dissolves aspace.” -Tempest, 5.1.64

Yesterday afternoon Annie and I went to the Warner Brothers Studio for The Making of Harry Potter Tour. Before we got to the studio, I was actually a little bit nervous that the tour would ruin the magic of Harry … Continue reading

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The Performance Review That I Didn’t Write

So, because I did two character studies for my first two performance reviews, I decided to branch out and do something different for the third. That one being posted, I wanted to point out a few things I thought about … Continue reading

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“It is a damned and bloody work; The graceless action of a heavy hand.” -King John, 4.3.57-8

The Globe’s performance of Titus Andronicus certainly opens up a lot of questions about society, especially war and violence. However, it also emphasized violence against and their reactions to this violence, which brought out important aspects of the role of … Continue reading

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Maturation instead of Manipulation

Critics remain unsure whether or not All’s Well That Ends Well can be categorized as a comedy due to the seemingly unhappy end for Bertram at the hands of the manipulative Helena. A director of this play can choose to … Continue reading

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A Case for a Minimal Lear

It is immediately apparent from the first scene of the National Theatre’s production of King Lear that the inspiration for the time period is the height of the Soviet era. There is a constant military presence: soldiers flank various scenes … Continue reading

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Just Cut the D***ed Thing Already

King Lear is a long play. Because there are 300 lines cut from the Quarto to the Folio (with only 100 of those lines replaced), we know that even Shakespeare thought King Lear was too long. The best evidence for … Continue reading

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Edmund’s Villainy in King Lear

Even during the interval of King Lear, I knew that I would be writing my performance review about Edmund. His character interested me the most; largely because the production’s interpretation of him was so different from what I’d anticipated. My expectations … Continue reading

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