Thursday, September 25, 2008

Romeo & Juliet @ Sidney Harman Hall

Shakespeare's most well-known love story opens the 2008 - 2009 season for the Shakespeare Theatre Company. In the finest English old world tradition, this production is all male. The star of the play is James Davis as Juliette who is lovely I dare say, pictured to the right, and imbues Juliette with the energy and mania of a 13 year old girl. I was stunned by this performance and finally saw Juliette as the young girl the text implies instead of a mature teenager that every other performance seems to default to. This is a must see production for all lovers of the Bard!

Click here to check out the official website.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Blanche and Beyond @ Kennedy's Terrace Theater

Richard Thomas stars in this one-man show adapted by Steve Lawson from the personal letters of Tennessee Williams. The letters are between 1945 and 1957 and reveal the playright's sole as he comes to terms with his increasing fame. Thomas channels Williams on stage with his mannerisms, voice inflections and copious consumption of alcohol. A truly engaging performance that was followed up with a Q & A session with Thomas and Lawson on staging the production. A great night at the Theater for one and all.

Click here to check out the official website.

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Burn After Reading

Joel and Ethan Cohen follow up their Oscar-winning film, No Country For Old Men, with this spy, comedy, murder farce. Casting regulars Frances McDormand and George Clooney are joined by Brad Pitt, Tilda Swinton and John Malkovich. As critics agree, Brad Pitt is the standout performer with his role as the energetic and dumb sports club trainer who finds John Malkovich's memoirs left in the locker room. With this film you are given the opening sequence and an intro to the characters and then the film's stew just comes to a simmer only like the Cohen brothers can do it. Who though murder could be so funny and ridiculous?

Click here to check out the official website.

Friday, September 5, 2008

Hamlet 2

Steve Coogan, whose last staring vehicle was 2004's Around the World in 80 Days with Jackie Chan, leads the cast in this comedy about a failed actor that is relegated to teaching acting at the local high school. I had high hopes for the comedy based on the trailers and was left wanting when I actually got to the theater on a well deserved break from the Republican National Convention. Outside of brief nudity gags and raunchy humor, there was nothing that made the film engaging. The sexy Jesus bit was funny and the highlight of the film. It is too bad that the video for sexy Jesus was the best the film had to offer.

Click here to check out the official website.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Star Wars is back on the big screen with this CGI animated film. The film is actually the first story arc from the soon to be released Clone Wars series for Cartoon Network. The film was ok but not great. I would have liked a continuation of the fantastic artwork done under Genndy Tartakovsky direction for the Star Wars: Clone Wars shorts that preceded the release of Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith. I plan to watch the series on Cartoon Network and hope that it hooks me more than the movie did.

Click here to check out the official website.