Stratford Shakespeare Festivals 'Elektra' Proves To Be As Good Or Maybe Even Better Than Shakespeare

Saturday, September 1st marked our fifth and final trip to Stratford and its yearly Theater festival, which critics praise and town survival depends on year round tourism. Up until Saturday we thought we had seen everything there was to see: Shakespeare's famous comedy Much Ado About Nothing, historical drama Henry V, rarely put on love story Cymbeline and Thorton Wilder's fantastic comedy The Matchmaker. It seemed that after seeing such great shows nothing could be more different or top our best production list of the 2011-2012 Festival season. Our final show, Sophocles' Elektra, proved us all wrong.

Along with Shakespeare's Cymbeline, Elektra was put on in the quirky yet lovable Tom Patterson Theater known for its runway-like stage. Every production put on in the Patterson leaves me amazed and wondering how hard it must be to stage these shows in such a strange space. Nevertheless, Elektra left me with my brain full and more. The set for the show was never changed and things never moved except for the actors. The set was made up of three tables, each with a piece of a broken Greek statue. Two panels on each side of the wall were covered in markings that were unreadable and underneath them piles of full trash bags. The final part of the set lay at the edge of the stage towards the audience: a long fish tank filled with dirt. I have great appreciation for this clever yet modern twist that director Thomas Moschopoulos and Designer Ellie Papageorgakopoulou put on the  Elektra set, still keeping Greek history and culture present and the main focus of the stage. The amazing set was only the start to this truly unique production.

Elektra follows the life and events of Elektra, the sister of Orestes and daughter of Clytemestra and recently murdered father Agamemnon. We meet Elektra as she mourns the death of her father and proclaims to the world that her brother will return home to avenge his death, put in motion by their mother. We then meet The Chorus of Women, friends of Elektra who attempt to calm her fury and stop her from mourning every minute of every day. A little later in the play we meet Elektras mother Clytemestra, a smooth and careful character who does not deny her involvement in her husbands death and admits to Elektra that she is living with her new lover Aigisthos. When the party learns from an Old Man that Orestes has been killed in a chariot race, Clytemestra rejoices in this news while the others mourn. We then meet Elektra's sister Chrysothemis who has lived with their mother and new lover Aigisthos. When she learns that Orestes is dead Elektra turns to her for help in revenge. Chrysothemis accepts at first but the rejects the offer so she does not get blood on her hands and rip the family apart further. Elektra is left alone with the Chorus and greets a young stranger who has brought the urn holding her brothers remains. Elektra begins to tell this stranger about her brothers good nature and her hope that he would return to avenge their fathers death. The stranger surprises them all when he announces that HE is Orestes and faked his death to gain entrance to the household. Amazed at this news, Elektra sends him into the house to kill their mother. When Orestes returns bloody the Chorus exclaims that Agisthos is approaching the house and Orestes must hide himself and bring the body, expected to be his own. Agisthos comes in rejoicing at the news of Orestes death and tells him to uncover his body so he can see him dead with his own eyes. Orestes instead tells him to do it himself and Agisthos pulls the sheet to reveal the body of his lover Clytemestra. He quickly learns that this stranger is Orestes and he will soon die by his hand. We last see Agisthos being dragged screaming inside the house by Orestes. The Chorus quietly leaves as Elektra sits in front of her mothers bloody and mangled body, silent.   

The cast of Sophocles' drama was filled with great talent, perfection and many familiar faces. Yanna McIntosh (Elektra), Ian Lake (Orestes), E.B Smith (Pylades) and Graham Abbey (Aigisthos) played roles in Cymbeline while Laura Condlln (Chrysothemis) and Seana McKenna (Clytemestra) played roles in The Mathchmaker. If they played a good character in one they would be evil in the other, giving a much different side of their acting and themselves. From the entire cast, McIntosh, McKenna and Abbey stole the show. McIntosh's portrayl of Elektra was so different and unique, making the audience think about her as a character and what she really wants to accomplish by the end of the play. McKenna and Abbey played much smaller roles but equally stole the stage. Only on the stage once in the show McKenna and Abbey proved that they could do more than comedy or a great love story. Abbey, on stage for no more than five minutes, was beyond captivating and as he was being dragged into the house I found myself wanting him to come back and do more. To add to the cast, most parts of the show and its dialogue were sung and done in rhythm. The Chorus sang mostly and often pounded or stomped on the tables when left alone on stage or when listening to a story. Because of the vocal and involvement demanded  it could be said that The Chorus has the hardest part in the entire play. After seeing this production I now have a greater knowledge of Sophocles and a greater respect for this acting challenge.

It was bitter-sweet leaving Stratford for the season and realizing that the next time I'll go again will be over some college break. I have been incredibly lucky to see five productions this year and I cannot wait to go back next season and see more of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival.

CLIP ONE:

The cast of Elektra in rehearsal, with commentary from the artistic team on the significance of the Chorus in Greek tragedy

CLIP TWO:

General Director Antoni Cimolino, Artistic Director Des McAnuff and Director of Communications David Prosser discuss the Stratford Shakespeare Festival's 2012 production of Elektra. Athenian director Thomas Moschopoulos takes on the second part of the Oresteia story as told by Sophokles

 

Another Monday Night....

Wow, haven't done one of these in a long time....well, here goes!

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Rude :: People
2. Leather :: Jacket
3. Headquarters :: Company
4. Good guys :: Bad guys
5. Blowing :: Hard
6. Doddering :: What?
7. Instructional :: Videos
8. Standards :: High
9. Eatery :: Restaurant
10. Vampire :: Slayer

Thorton Wilder's 'The Matchmaker' Comes Hilariously Alive on the Stratford Shakespeare Festival Stage

Our theater realm expanded today at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival as we traveled back to the Festival Theater to see Thorton Wilder's The Matchmaker. Like Shakespeare's Cymbeline I had never read the play and knew nothing about it, besides the fact that it is a comedy. The Matchmaker is the second non-Shakespeare play we have now seen to date and I was glad to see it soar above all expectations and exceeded in hilarity, style, professionalism and class.

The Festival Theater is a lot like the Riverwalk Theater here in downtown Lansing. A large and somewhat square stage with audience seats on both sides and right in front, provides a unique audience experience from every angle. Like the Tom Patterson Theater, there is no bad seat in the Festival Theater as every angle is different and every actor can be heard even if their back is turned. Looking in the theater for the first time I was amazed at the beautiful set. Starting as a small house with fancy couches and chairs, moving to a train station and railway cars, to a hat shop in the middle of New York, to a fancy restaurant (that I personally would love to be taken to) and finally to an old house where the characters would meet and identify themselves again was truly amazing. I was excited to see the stage crew as an actual part of the show, moving pieces and creating a whole new scene at intermission. Like every Stratford production we've seen, the sets and stage were right up to par.

Being the first non-Shakespeare and comic play that we've seen at the festival, I was very interested in the casting. We go to the Festival so much every year now that I can hear an actors voice and recite a list of what else I've seen them in without looking at the program. Wilder's comedy was no different. Our main reason to see it was Seana McKenna, who portrayed one of Britain's most famous Kings and rulers, Richard III last season. Amazing in one of Shakespeare's least uplifting plays I was interested to see how she would handle a comedy and the role of Dolly Levi. McKenna brought great life to Dolly and made her a very funny, individual, strong, relatable and strategic character. McKenna continues to surprise and delight me with her acting ability and passion that she puts into every role. Along with McKenna I was ecstatic to see half the cast of Cymbeline up on the festival stage. Eleven of the seventeen main roles were played by Cymbeline characters and it was quite something to see them all laughing and having a good time in a comedy. Not one character was weak and got a laugh out of the audience some way or another. One of the best things about Stratford's casts is that they always look like they're enjoying what they do, both on and off the stage.

The first thing I said while leaving the theater is that my High School should see this play when taking their yearly Stratford trip. I was pleasantly intrigued and a bit stunned at the whole message of Wilder's play. Put many ways by each character, they all basically said the same thing: adventure is necessary in life but at some point everyone needs a break from adventure where they can sit at home and be peaceful. Being a recent High School graduate leaving for College in just a few short weeks, this message rang very true to me and felt like my own personal goodbye from Stratford as I leave home, leave my high school friends and head toward my future.

Like every trip to Stratford I am always leaving the theater wanting more and having great respect for the Festivals season and its actors. As we move on from The Matchmaker, I hope to still see Sophocles' Elektra and see more of Stratfords best.

CLIP ONE:

Malachi Stack (Geraint Wyn Davies) appeals to Horace Vandergelder (Tom McCamus) to hire him as an apprentice in his hay, feed and provision store.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7dfM8NTc9Q

CLIP TWO:

Dolly Levi (Seana McKenna) invents a description of a beautiful young woman to entice Horace Vandergelder (Tom McCamus) to delay his engagement to Irene Molloy (Laura Condlln).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnfoFearRiE

Cymbeline; Best Shakespeare of the 2012 Stratford Shakespeare Festival Season

A few weeks ago marked our third visit this year to the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. Leaving at the crack of dawn, we headed up to see the last of the Shakespeare plays put on this season; Cymbeline. It was just by  pictures of the cast and short synopsis in the season guide that I had first wanted to see this lesser-known Shakespeare play. I knew nothing about it and only recognized the female lead who played Maria from last years fantastic production of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. Walking into the theater I did not know what to expect, but in the end I was glad I had pressured my parents to go. Out of the three Shakespeare productions put on by the Festival this year, it was no surprise to find Cymbeline its crown jewel.

Many elements made this production memorable. Put on in the Tom Patterson Theater, one of five theaters that put on Stratfords productions each season, it can be a challenging theater when it comes to staging. With only the long runway stage, two exit/entrance aisles and two sets of stairs on the second level in the center of the audience, the actors always seem to be running around and coming from every which way. Because of its unique stage, Patterson provides audience members a unique theater experience that usually puts them right in the middle of the action. Cymbeline was no different and I found myself personally involved throughout the entire play. The cast made good use of the stairs and two aisles especially: walking within audience reach or sneaking up and reciting a line from behind another. Along with its unique stage, the sets of Cymbeline were simple yet beautiful. I was especially wowed by the green curtain that hung above the stage, at first tattered in Cymbeline's palace and later spread to become a tree as the story moved into the forest. The stage and set were only the beginning of what made Cymbeline one of the best productions this 2012 season.


The real marvel of the production was the cast. I was surprised that Cymbeline demands actors who can be evil one minute and then have a remarkable change of heart the next, providing a true acting challenge. The entire cast was flawless and couldn't have been any better. Geraint Wyn Davies (King Cymbeline), Cara Ricketts (Innogen) and Graham Abbey (Posthumus) were incredible in their staring roles and supported by an equally incredible cast. It's quite uncommon now for me to look at a program and not recognize someone that I've seen in a past Stratford play or musical. I was especially excited when John Vickery (Belarius) took the stage and spoke for the first time. I immediately recognized Vickery's voice from his breathtaking performance at Titus himself in last years production of Titus Andronicus, and I was beyond thrilled to be watching him once again. The entire cast was magnificent and made Cymbeline a true joy to watch.


Cymbeline has now been checked off our list along with all the other Shakespeare's put on this season. As we head back up to Stratford this Thursday to see Wilder's The Matchmaker and hopefully later in August to see Sophocles' Elektra, we will always be reminded of Cymbeline and amazed at what a wonderful trip to Canada it turned out to be.