Stratford Festival Photo Comics (part 4)

I’m still playing catch-up, so here are some MORE Stratford Festival comics!

Here is Eduardo de Filippo’s Napoli Milionaria:

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And this one needs no introduction:

Next week I will be giving a talk at Washington College in Maryland! Here are the details:

WHO: Me!
WHAT: A talk about Good Tickle Brain, Shakespeare, humor, and the meaning of life. Possibly.
WHERE: Hynson Lounge, Hodson Hall, Washington College, 300 Washington Ave., Chestertown, MD 21620
WHEN: Wednesday, October 3, 4:30pm
WHY: Because it'll be SO MUCH FUN!

Stratford Festival Photo Comics (part 3)

I’m still recovering from my trip to the Stratford Festival (and preparing for my trip to the East Coast next week - details at the end of today’s post), so here are a few more production photo summaries from Stratford’s 2018 season!

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Rocky Horror was really hard to summarize, folks. I’m still not sure what it was about. But it was FUN.

So, next week I will be giving a talk at Washington College in Maryland! Here are the details:

WHO: Me!
WHAT: A talk about Good Tickle Brain, Shakespeare, humor, and the meaning of life. Possibly.
WHERE: Hynson Lounge, Hodson Hall, Washington College, 300 Washington Ave., Chestertown, MD 21620
WHEN: Wednesday, October 3, 4:30pm
WHY: Because it'll be SO MUCH FUN!

I will also be visiting the American Shakespeare Center for the first time later that week! I am so excited. The ASC has been on my to-visit list for YEARS now.

Anyways. That’s why I’m behind in absolutely everything right now.

Stratford Festival 2017 Photo Comics (part 3)

It's "Stay Sane September"! That means I'll be sharing some of my "greatest hits" from social media and Patreon to keep you entertained while I take the month off in order to avoid burnout, take some theatre trips, and get caught up on various tasks and projects that I have been neglecting. 

Today's installment features YET MORE photo comics cobbled together from the Stratford Festival's official production photos, starting with Guys & Dolls:

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Then The Komagata Maru Incident, based on a rather dark chapter in Canada's history:

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The ludicrously complicated and madcap The School For Scandal

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And finally, a new play by Kate Hennig, The Virgin Trial

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I missed Bakkhai. I'm very sorry about that.

Upcoming Events

September 28: Cincinnati Museum Insights Lecture

WHO: Me! Again!
WHAT: Talk followed by Q&A on the development of Good Tickle Brain and approaches to making Shakespeare accessible to new audiences. 
WHEN: Thursday, September 28, 7:30pm
WHERE: The University of Cincinnati College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning
WHY: Because they have a cool Shakespeare exhibit going on right now! 
HOW: Reserve a FREE ticket at the Cincy Museum website!

 

Stratford Festival 2017 Photo Comics (part 2)

It's "Stay Sane September"! That means I'll be sharing some of my "greatest hits" from social media and Patreon to keep you entertained while I take the month off in order to avoid burnout, take some theatre trips, and get caught up on various tasks and projects that I have been neglecting. 

Today's installment features MORE photo comics cobbled together from the Stratford Festival's official production photos, starting with HMS Pinafore:

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Next up, Twelfth Night:

 

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Then it was time for Treasure Island:

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Next up was an ultra-modern Tartuffe with an ultra-modern script by Ranjit Bolt. 

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Anyways, that's all for now! Tune in Thursday for another "Stay Sane September" installment!

Upcoming Events

September 28: Cincinnati Museum Insights Lecture

WHO: Me! Again!
WHAT: Talk followed by Q&A on the development of Good Tickle Brain and approaches to making Shakespeare accessible to new audiences. 
WHEN: Thursday, September 28, 7:30pm
WHERE: The University of Cincinnati College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning
WHY: Because they have a cool Shakespeare exhibit going on right now! 
HOW: Reserve a FREE ticket at the Cincy Museum website!

 

Stratford Festival 2017 Photo Comics (part 1)

It's "Stay Sane September"! That means I'll be sharing some of my "greatest hits" from social media and Patreon to keep you entertained while I take the month off in order to avoid burnout, take some theatre trips, and get caught up on various tasks and projects that I have been neglecting. 

Today's installment features some comics I put together during my trip to the Stratford Festival two weeks ago. I deliberately didn't take my computer so that I wouldn't be able to work. However, once I got there I found myself wanting to document my theatre-going, so I downloaded all the official production photos, ran them through a basic comic app, and here they are.

First up was Timon of Athens, which I previously saw 13 years ago, when I was far too immature to appreciate this famously hard-to-appreciate play. Here's how it unfolded:

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While I'm still not particularly fond of the play itself, I thought this was a great production - very clear and comprehensible, with excellent acting, especially by Joe Ziegler, who managed to somehow make me not lose all interest in Timon once he slid to the "UNRELENTINGLY BITTER" end of the spectrum. 

I then saw Thomas Middleton's The Changeling. This was my first Middleton (not counting his possible collaborations with Shakespeare) and it was a doozy:

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This was an intense play. I'm struck by how very different Middleton feels to Shakespeare as far as the language and characterizations are concerned. It all feels much more melodramatic, with the result that I empathize less with the characters involved, but enjoy all the horrible, over-the-top atrocities that occur. 

Next up was Romeo and JulietWe all know how this one goes, right?

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Confession: I'm really really really sick of Romeo and Juliet. It's just done ALL the TIME, and it's always pretty much the same, and you can't seem to get away from it. However, this production managed to rekindle my interest in the play, thanks primarily to the ludicrously engaging performances of the two leads, Sara Farb and Antoine Yared. 

Finally, I saw The Breathing Hole, a new play commissioned by the Stratford Festival. It goes like this:

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I really loved this production, and not just because the bears are ADORABLE and PERFECT and LOVELY. Apart from the bears (who were adorable and perfect and lovely), my favorite scene was one in which two Inuit hunters meet and try to communicate with British explorer Sir John Franklin and his crew. It was perfectly written and acted. 

Anyways, that's all for now! Tune in Thursday for another "Stay Sane September" installment!

Upcoming Events

TOMORROW: September 6: Stratford Festival Forum - Willy Shakes: Fanboy

WHO: Me! And also Conor McCreery of the Kill Shakespeare comic book series.
WHAT: Panel discussion on Shakespeare in pop culture and graphic novels. Part of the Stratford Festival Forum series of events. 
WHEN: Wednesday, September 6, 10:45am
WHERE: Chalmers Lounge, Avon Theatre, Stratford, Ontario.
WHY: Because they asked me! 
HOW: Buy tickets at the Stratford Festival website

September 28: Cincinnati Museum Insights Lecture

WHO: Me! Again!
WHAT: Talk followed by Q&A on the development of Good Tickle Brain and approaches to making Shakespeare accessible to new audiences. 
WHEN: Thursday, September 28, 7:30pm
WHERE: The University of Cincinnati College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning
WHY: Because they have a cool Shakespeare exhibit going on right now! 
HOW: Reserve a FREE ticket at the Cincy Museum website!