Twelfth Night: Act 2, Scene 2

THE PLOT SO FAR: Cesario (Viola) has just left Olivia, whom he (she) was wooing on behalf of Orsino. Little does he (she) realize that his (her) proxy wooing has been more effective than he (she) thought...

Pronouns, eh?

I love the "I left no ring with her" monologue. It's funny, wistful, sad, all in one. Here's Judi Dench showing you how it's done:

Dramatis Personae | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.5, part 1 | 1.5, part 2 | 1.5, part 3 | 2.1 | 2.2

There's a new comic book available in my Shoppe! I've collected my scene-by-scene Macbeth comics, re-drawn all the artwork digitally (so it looks a lot cleaner and neater) and added exclusive commentary. Check it out today! 

REVIEW: "All My Sons" at the Stratford Festival

As I've said before, I'm pretty bad at writing reviews because (a) I tend to like everything and (b) if I don't like something, I don't want to make anyone feel bad by saying so. So it was with some trepidation that I decided to review the Stratford Festival's production of Arthur Miller's All My Sons, because I have disliked all my past encounters with Arthur Miller and didn't see how that was possibly going to change.

Before I start my review, this is what All My Sons is about:

As you can see, there's a lot of angst. I'm allergic to angst. So... how did I like it?

Seriously, this was really confusing for me because I went in 100% sure that I would enjoy the performances but hate the play... but I ended up loving EVERYTHING.

I'm not making this up, you guys. I enjoyed an Arthur Miller play. Send help. 

Twelfth Night: Act 2, Scene 1

So, we've met Viola, who is in mourning for her brother who she believes was lost at sea, and who is now masquerading as a boy who just happens to look exactly like the aforementioned brother.

Let's meet the brother!

Boy/girl twins are never identical, but DON'T LET THIS FACT DISRUPT YOUR SUSPENSION OF DISBELIEF. Just go on accepting that "Cesario" looks exactly like Sebastian. It'll make the subsequent plot hijinks much easier to digest. 

Also, someone give Antonio a hug. He needs a hug.

Dramatis Personae | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.5, part 1 | 1.5, part 2 | 1.5, part 3 | 2.1

There's a new comic book available in my Shoppe! I've collected my scene-by-scene Macbeth comics, re-drawn all the artwork digitally (so it looks a lot cleaner and neater) and added exclusive commentary. Check it out today! 

Twelfth Night: Act 1, Scene 5 (part 3)

THE PLOT SO FAR: Orisno orders his young attendant, Cesario, to go win Olivia's love for him (Orsino), but Olivia is in mourning for her dead brother and "Cesario" is actually a cross-dressing girl named Viola, who is secretly in love with Orsino.

....you know, just your typical run-of-the-mill Shakespearean love triangle.

The "wooing" scene between Cesario and Olivia is one of my favorites. It's got some great poetry (see: the famous "willow cabin" speech) but, more importantly, is just plain charming. Olivia's flustration and panic at realizing she's falling in love with this page boy is simply adorable. 

Dramatis Personae | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.5, part 1 | 1.5, part 2 | 1.5, part 3

REVIEW: "As You Like It" at the Stratford Festival

I've discovered that I'm pretty terrible at writing reviews because (a) I tend to like everything and (b) if I don't like something, I don't want to make anyone feel bad by saying so. Fortunately, I liked the Stratford Festival's latest production of As You Like It. 

In case you've never seen As You Like It before, here's what happens in it.

No, it doesn't really make a lot of sense. No, you shouldn't worry about it. Just enjoy. 

As You Like It is playing at the Stratford Festival until October 22. If you've ever wanted to be a tree in the forest of Arden, this is your big chance. 

Tweflth Night: Act 1, Scene 5 (part 1)

While Cesario (a.k.a. Viola) in changing into her travelling trousers, let's nip over to Olivia's household and meet the much-discussed countess herself! Oh, and her fool too. Because every Shakespeare comedy needs a fool, apparently.

 To be honest, I find Feste one of the most tolerable fools in Shakespeare. Most of his jokes are at least recognizably funny (that is, you recognize that they're supposed to be funny), plus he's got a core of morose cynicism that makes him a rather interesting character in his own right. 

Tune in again next week to see what happens when Cesario met Olivia! 

Dramatis Personae | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.5, part 1 

Twelfth Night: Act 1, Scene 4

Since we last saw Viola back in act 1, scene 2, she's had a haircut, found some clothes that look exactly like the clothes her drowned brother wore, adopted the name "Cesario", and has managed to inveigle her way into the inner circle of Duke Orsino. Whatever else she is, she's resourceful. 

As we move forward through Twelfth Night, here are some things to keep in mind:

  1. In Shakespeare's time, women weren't allowed to act on the stage, so all the female roles would have been played by boys. This makes everybody's total inability to realize that Cesario is actually a girl much more understandable.

  2. If you are going to see a production of Twelfth Night, please do not get hung up on how much Cesario does NOT look like a boy (unless you're seeing an all-male production). It's called "willing suspension of disbelief".

  3. Having said that, please do feel free to laugh at how totally clueless everybody is about Cesario's true gender identity. No one in Illyria is particularly sharp on the uptake.

Tune in Thursday to see what happens when "Cesario" meets Olivia!

Dramatis Personae | 1. 1 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.4