Mary Stuart, Friedrich Schiller

This play provides a (somewhat) sympathetic presentation of the Mary Stuart (Mary Queen of Scots)--and a rather cynical exploration of England's 16th religious instabilities. Janet McTeer's portrayal of Mary was gripping. She managed to make Mary both compelling and very irritating. The rain scene in the 2nd half is particularly compelling. The downpour--and her ability to stand in the cooling, cleansing rain--is first interpreted by Mary as a kindness and relief from the misery of confinement. When, however, she realizes that the open patch will the arena for her much-sought audience with Queen Elizabeth, her ecstasy quickly turns to panic, shame, and eventually rage at how she'd been set up by her erstwhile allies.

Recommend, enthusiastically.

The Choir of Royal Holloway, University of London

What a lovely way to spend a Saturday afternoon on the New Haven green. The choir's program featured a enchanting combination of early music--William Byrd, Thomas Weelkes, Henry Purcell, and J.S. Bach--and contemporary music--Carson Cooman (American)and Rihards Dubra (Latvian)--with a few chestnuts thrown in for good measure.

Recommend.

Dido and Aeneas, Mark Morris Dance Group

Without a doubt, Dido and Aeneas is my favorite dance. I love Purcell's music--I never tire listening to it--and Morris' choreography captures its vitality. This is my third time to see the dance. The first time, in the late 90s, the dual role of Dido/Sorcesses was danced by Mark Morris. When I saw it a few years later, Amber Darragh danced the role. Tonight, it was again danced by a male, Bradon McDonald. Though neither Darragh nor McDonald combined the roles humor and tragedy as well as Morris, I'm grateful they've allowed the dance to flourish.

Earlier in the week, we attended a talk-back with Mark Morris and Joan Acocella. There I learned that Morris derived the dance's hand gestures from American Sign Language, making them a further addendum to the dance's visual language.

This was the first dance I saw at BAM Next Wave Festival. It was my introduction to modern dance post Martha Graham; I was immediately hooked. It was convinced me that life with M would be very interesting.

Highly Recommend.

Ivanov, Chekhov

A highly illuminating and imaginative production by Hungarian ensemble.

Recommend highly.

Really Real

Really bad.

Avoid.

Circus, Barabbas Theatre Company

We joined friends with children because it looked like a very family-friendly performance. It was. Circus was also one of the most erotic theatrical works I've ever seen.
Using the premise that a circus act was training a new member, the dramatic work combined narrative with acrobatics. Not, however, in the Cirque de Soleil mode.

Highly recommend.

Late: A Cowboy Song, Sarah Ruhl

Interesting, well-performed, look at homosocial love as a choice for a woman in an abusive marriage.

Recommend.

They Might Be Giants

The ultimate party on the green for all of New Haven's geek families!

Highly recommend.

Up, Pete Docter

Terrific animated film from Pixar that provides entertainment for adults and children alike. Visually compelling, strong narrative plot, and a moral lesson reflecting how the enthusiasms of youth need to be (1) tempered by the realities of adulthood AND (2) reinvigorated by the enthusiasms of the next generation.

Recommend.

Richard III: An Arab Tragedy

 Richard III is probably the best known of Shakespeare's British history plays, and its narrative of power grabs and shifting alliances certainly resonated with twentieth-century audiences, thus meriting many excellent updates to the major wars of the century.  I'm thinking, in particular, of  Richard Loncraine's 1995 film with Ian McKellan and Annette Bening.  As those wars fade into the past, it makes sense to find more contemporary updates.  

Sulayman Al Bassam's production provides a postmodern twist by translating Shakespeare's text into Arabic and setting it in an oil-rich kingdom.  This intersting and worthwhile interpretation remains faithful to the early-modern original while exploring familial, religious, and gender tensions underlying the quest for power in the Middle East. 

I had originally resisted seeing it---several recent adaptations of Shakespeare at BAM have been very disappointing--I'm glad we took time to go see this one.

Recommended.

La Cerentola, Rossini

A lovely production of an opera that was more musically interesting than I'd anticipated.

The Glass Menagerie, Tennessee Wiliams

When we entered the theatre, I had no high hopes for "another" production of The Glass Menagerie. O my goodness. What a difference a fabulous production can make! Featuring the spectacular performance by Judity Ivey (as Amanda Wingfield) and excellent performances by Patch Darragh and Keira Keely (as Tom and Laura Wingfield), this production managed to be deeply moving and funny. It made me realize what a great play Williams wrote.

Highly Reommended.