I love this passage of Venus and Adonis, especially the line "Love comforteth like sunshine after rain." Isn't that what it feels like to be in love?
Happy Valentines Day!
Showing posts with label Shakespeare. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Shakespeare. Show all posts
Sunday, February 14, 2016
Sunday, May 03, 2015
Was Shakespeare a Genre Writer?
I'm helping Such a Novel Idea celebrate their blogiversary by talking about two of my favorite things: Writing and Shakespeare! Come give me your opinion about if you think Shakespeare was a literary or genre writer, and sign up for some great giveaways, too. Today a signed copy of the Maze Runner by James Dashner is up for grabs. Look forward to seeing you there!
| From: I Can Has Cheezeburger? |
PS: There won't be a Mindfulness Monday post tomorrow. I'm behind with "getting the house ready to sell" chores, and have to focus on that today. This week I've been very aware of taking time to breathe and center though. It's been kind of a hellish week.
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Special Edition: Coriolanus and Shakespeare
This post is dedicated to my friend, Tomoenuru, who asked if I would share my experience of seeing the NT Live showing of Coriolanus. She has been in South Korea for the last several years teaching English, and will not get the chance to see the production.
Before I get started, I have to say that it's really hard to find words that can accurately describe my feelings, without using cliched words like powerful, fantastic, amazing. The play was just awesome in every sense of the word. After it was over, all I could think was "Wow."
Regarding Coriolanus
As I mentioned before, my husband teased me about going to Denver, which is several hours away, to see a recording of the play. However, the quality of the filming was excellent and after the first minutes of the play I kind of got lost into the production, and stopped noticing that it was on film. The illusion of actually being there may have taken over because the Donmar Warehouse is tiny and the stage is small so the filming was up close and personal.
The staging was bare and minimalist, and the actors stayed on the stage for much of the production, sitting on black chairs at the back of the stage. This allowed for some interesting placement of the actors in relation to each other, although I'm not sure if it was on purpose or not. Modern (and cool!) music was used during some of the scene transitions which gave me the sense of the play being current (not several hundred years old), and evoked a kind of wild, battle-ready feeling. (I know that sounds weird, but it's the best I can do. Like I said, really hard to describe my feelings.) I really liked the set up, and think Josie Rourke should get huge props for a very creative and engaging staging.
The acting was top-notch, from all actors. I enjoyed the banter between Menenius (Mark Gatiss) and the tribunes and people of Rome. The humor in the play was lost in the Ralph Fiennes version, which is too bad, because it really does make the play more enjoyable.
The range of emotion that Tom Hiddleston, as Caius Martius Coriolanus, portrayed was absolutely astounding. One of my favorite moments was early on where Martius walks forward out of the waiting area at the back of the stage (within the battle scenes, I just can't say for sure when) and the expression on his face was so menacing it honestly gave me goosebumps. Then, at the end, the tender, tragic, tear-filled scenes where he capitulates to his mother's request to spare Rome (which sentences him to death) and says good-bye to his family, is heartbreaking. I was doing all right until he said goodbye to his son, and then I had some of my own tears. In this production, Coriolanus was very human - strong, fierce, tender, broken, and then ultimately destroyed by his mother's ambitions for him and for herself. Very, very sad and it wouldn't have been nearly as evocative if Tom Hiddleston wasn't the strong, expressive actor he is.
So, I despise Volumnia (mom). I don't know why his family didn't just leave Rome when they knew he was coming to destroy it, instead of forcing him into a no-win situation. I'm guessing it has to do with his mother's ambitions. She ended up the hero, and her son ended up dead. Earlier in the play she says a line about how if Martius had died in battle that the good report would be her son. She got her wish.
Regarding Shakespeare
I recently read a discussion about if the Tom Hiddleston fans were taking away from the Shakespeare fans - as if you have to be some literary snob to enjoy Shakespeare. In my mind, Shakespeare was one of the first genre writers. He did it all - Romantic Comedy, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, and more. He wrote for and appealed to the people - all people.
The argument regarding the supremacy of literary or genre fiction continues on today. The thing is, with Shakespeare, you get the best of both. The characters are very human, their difficulties very applicable to today's struggles. Coriolanus was an astounding production, with excellent action, very human characters and strong plot.
I really feel, as did the people I went with, that we saw something that is really rare and were lucky to view. I'm sure being there would have been so much more amazing, but it was fantastic none-the-less.
Before I get started, I have to say that it's really hard to find words that can accurately describe my feelings, without using cliched words like powerful, fantastic, amazing. The play was just awesome in every sense of the word. After it was over, all I could think was "Wow."
Regarding Coriolanus
As I mentioned before, my husband teased me about going to Denver, which is several hours away, to see a recording of the play. However, the quality of the filming was excellent and after the first minutes of the play I kind of got lost into the production, and stopped noticing that it was on film. The illusion of actually being there may have taken over because the Donmar Warehouse is tiny and the stage is small so the filming was up close and personal.
The staging was bare and minimalist, and the actors stayed on the stage for much of the production, sitting on black chairs at the back of the stage. This allowed for some interesting placement of the actors in relation to each other, although I'm not sure if it was on purpose or not. Modern (and cool!) music was used during some of the scene transitions which gave me the sense of the play being current (not several hundred years old), and evoked a kind of wild, battle-ready feeling. (I know that sounds weird, but it's the best I can do. Like I said, really hard to describe my feelings.) I really liked the set up, and think Josie Rourke should get huge props for a very creative and engaging staging.
The acting was top-notch, from all actors. I enjoyed the banter between Menenius (Mark Gatiss) and the tribunes and people of Rome. The humor in the play was lost in the Ralph Fiennes version, which is too bad, because it really does make the play more enjoyable.
The range of emotion that Tom Hiddleston, as Caius Martius Coriolanus, portrayed was absolutely astounding. One of my favorite moments was early on where Martius walks forward out of the waiting area at the back of the stage (within the battle scenes, I just can't say for sure when) and the expression on his face was so menacing it honestly gave me goosebumps. Then, at the end, the tender, tragic, tear-filled scenes where he capitulates to his mother's request to spare Rome (which sentences him to death) and says good-bye to his family, is heartbreaking. I was doing all right until he said goodbye to his son, and then I had some of my own tears. In this production, Coriolanus was very human - strong, fierce, tender, broken, and then ultimately destroyed by his mother's ambitions for him and for herself. Very, very sad and it wouldn't have been nearly as evocative if Tom Hiddleston wasn't the strong, expressive actor he is.
So, I despise Volumnia (mom). I don't know why his family didn't just leave Rome when they knew he was coming to destroy it, instead of forcing him into a no-win situation. I'm guessing it has to do with his mother's ambitions. She ended up the hero, and her son ended up dead. Earlier in the play she says a line about how if Martius had died in battle that the good report would be her son. She got her wish.
Regarding Shakespeare
I recently read a discussion about if the Tom Hiddleston fans were taking away from the Shakespeare fans - as if you have to be some literary snob to enjoy Shakespeare. In my mind, Shakespeare was one of the first genre writers. He did it all - Romantic Comedy, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, and more. He wrote for and appealed to the people - all people.
The argument regarding the supremacy of literary or genre fiction continues on today. The thing is, with Shakespeare, you get the best of both. The characters are very human, their difficulties very applicable to today's struggles. Coriolanus was an astounding production, with excellent action, very human characters and strong plot.
I really feel, as did the people I went with, that we saw something that is really rare and were lucky to view. I'm sure being there would have been so much more amazing, but it was fantastic none-the-less.
Friday, November 29, 2013
Funny Friday Photos
Funny Friday Photos almost didn't come to fruition today! Because of my dogs (we have four), my husband took my children to his parent's house for Thanksgiving while I stayed to take care of the animals (we also have two outside cats.) I've planned since we knew I was staying home to watch Joss Whedon's Much Ado About Nothing and the Hollow Crown series while they were away. My husband doesn't care much for Shakespeare, and this way I could indulge my enjoyment of Shakespeare without causing marital strife.
I watched Much Ado on Wednesday night, then ran the Hollow Crown all day on Thanksgiving, and totally got lost in it. I do wish I'd have watched Much Ado after the Hollow Crown. The performances were amazing and moving, and I was in tears several times throughout the day. The beauty of the language, especially delivered as conversationally as it is in the series, was like writer's crack to me. But now I need some comedy! It's a good thing I'm writing a funny photo post.
Two public service announcements first, though:
1. Later today I am participating in #BookFriday on Twitter (2:00 pm EST). I will have my first "twitterview", along with a couple other authors of the scifi/fantasy genre. I don't really know what to expect, but if you are free at that time and would like to come and join me, I'd love to see you there!
2. Finding Meara is free through Saturday. If you haven't read it yet, and would like to get a copy with no risk to you, now is the time. If you feel like sharing the news, I'd be ever so grateful. :)
Below is my first effort at designing an ad. What do you think?
The eight votes from last week split into a four way tie, so we don't have a favorite this week. I guess we'll move on to the new photos!
I watched Much Ado on Wednesday night, then ran the Hollow Crown all day on Thanksgiving, and totally got lost in it. I do wish I'd have watched Much Ado after the Hollow Crown. The performances were amazing and moving, and I was in tears several times throughout the day. The beauty of the language, especially delivered as conversationally as it is in the series, was like writer's crack to me. But now I need some comedy! It's a good thing I'm writing a funny photo post.
Two public service announcements first, though:
1. Later today I am participating in #BookFriday on Twitter (2:00 pm EST). I will have my first "twitterview", along with a couple other authors of the scifi/fantasy genre. I don't really know what to expect, but if you are free at that time and would like to come and join me, I'd love to see you there!
2. Finding Meara is free through Saturday. If you haven't read it yet, and would like to get a copy with no risk to you, now is the time. If you feel like sharing the news, I'd be ever so grateful. :)
Below is my first effort at designing an ad. What do you think?
The eight votes from last week split into a four way tie, so we don't have a favorite this week. I guess we'll move on to the new photos!
| If I catch myself being cranky, I'll ask for a hug from my boys and then tell them "See, that's why I was cranky. I didn't get my daily hugs. All better now." And I usually am. Hugs make the world go round. |
| It looks like a cartoon! |
| I feel worse now that the music is so old it isn't even played on the oldies station anymore. |
| Look for the...Bear Necessities... |
| Very like our pit bull/lab mix. She licks constantly - but only on skin. |
The pun!
Have a wonderful day and weekend!
I think my favorite this week is the dog with eyebrows.
What's yours?
Photos from I Can Has Cheezeburger?
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