Hello to all the world,
Well I hope you are all having an excellent week. I myself have suffered some financial blows, as of late but really aren’t we all? At least I’ll always have books. The written word will keep me in these troubled times. That is some solace I suppose. Did any of you watch the Tony Awards this weekend? I thought it was an amazing show. As someone who lives far away from Broadway I always watch the Tony’s to see what plays/musicals will be making the regional rounds. I’ll often pick up a CD, or published play if I see a great clip on the Tony show. This year I am definitely going to pick up Yasmina Reza’s God of Carnage and The Norman Conquests. As a past theater geek I also loved the performance from Hair which was amusingly exuberant. I was also captivated by the new musical Next to Normal which I will pick up as soon as I can.
Well enough about me (hah!) let’s move onwards!
Review
The Roberts
I’ve been eagerly awaiting the release of the original series The Roberts from the moment I heard about it. Originally released as a two issue series I decided to wait for the trade. Okay confession time: I have a strange fascination with serial killers. Where I reside the story of Ted Bundy is a common cautionary tale for young women such as myself. I find it interesting to read interviews, biographies, and analysis that tries to determine what makes these killers tick. Sure we’ve managed to pull together psychological profiles but there still manages to be permutations that befuddle us.
In The Roberts writer Wayne Chinsang has spun an interesting scenario: The narrator is a senior citizen who is actually The Boston Strangler (you see they got the wrong guy). He has been retired and living in a nursing home for 4 years. While still dreaming of his former victims he remains a bit of a loner among the other seniors. However he becomes drawn to a new resident the very friendly Robert. It is revealed that Robert is actually the infamous Zodiac killer.
Once everything is set up The Roberts becomes a fascinating character piece. These men ruminate on the nature of their existence and their separateness. The art style is not overtly flashy, but it suits the “talking heads” nature of the story. Writer Chinsang does a great job of making these men creepy but also believable. These guys are way past their prime and clearly miss the thrill of killing. Now the only power they have is their anonymity, which is now threatened. Again this story was fascinating and I highly recommend it.
Other Reviews
And now the screaming starts | Battlemouth
The Reading List
Books
Batman: The Long Halloween
Invincible vol. 3
Mags
Four Four Two
Comics
Incognito #2
Comic Pull List: Action Comics #878, Batman #687, Deadpool #11, Fables #85, Flash Rebirth #3, Wolverine #74.
Checkout Count: Not Bad.
Have a great week! Book Slave.
Showing posts with label theater. Show all posts
Showing posts with label theater. Show all posts
2009-06-09
2009-04-23
O Will!
Hello,
Yes today is William Shakespeare's B-Day. My first experience with Shakespeare was actually completely by conduit. Of course I had heard of the Bard before then-I lived in a very literate household. My dad had a Complete Works that was large, old, and wonderfully illustrated. Luckily I still have it. It's the best gift he ever left me. But I didn't feel old enough to crack it open until the summer of 1989. At 10 year's old I got my mom to take me to see Dead Poet's Society. One of the key sections of that movie involves scenes and speeches from A Midsummer Night's Dream. One of the main characters Neil Perry plays the character of Puck in a stage production. We really only see him in one scene from the play which is Puck's farewell speech. This quickly became one of my favorite pieces of Shakespeare.
So after seeing the movie I decided that I would find out what this play A Midsummer Night's Dream was all about. Thus began my first experience with this silly, delightful fun comedy. I think it's still my favorite of these, although I also love Much Ado About Nothing. I guess we'll consider it a tie. Consequently when I was in high school I was a huge drama geek. I actually played supporting parts in both plays, always bringing on the funny. The next summer in 1990, a production of Midsummer was going on up at Sundance in an outside amphitheater. My parents took me to it for my birthday that very summer. It was my first Shakespeare play in it's entirety and I remember enjoying it immensely. I've seen a couple of versions of it since then, even played in one, but nothing matches that first time. I didn't know that the jokes were coming. When Bottom and his players perform in Act 5 it was entirely new and hilarious.
That same summer my mother and I went and saw a movie version of Hamlet. This was the Mel Gibson version and with hindsight it's not very good in my opinion. The best I've ever seen is Kenneth Branagh's epic 4 hour film which I love entirely. At the time though it was my first experience with Shakespearean tragedy. At the age of 11 I didn't get it. All I could understand was that in the end everyone dies so what's the point. I figured that I was missing something, so I picked up an ancient copy of Shakespeare's 4 Tragedies. This contained Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar and Richard the Third. I remember trying to read Hamlet and Julius Caesar, but not being able to finish it. Of course later in high school I grew enjoy both these plays but at age 11 it was still over my head. Perhaps I get an A for Effort.
This brings me to my favorite history play. I've always had a rough time with the histories. Sometimes they read like dramatic reenactments that are more aimed at appeasing those who were in power. Rather than show history as full of human beings Shakespeare uses many paint-by-number archetypes. I'll cut Will some slack, it's hard to make Henry VI interesting. So I was filled with trepidation when I learned that we would be seeing Henry IV Part One at the Shakespeare Festival in 1995. I went with a school group and there wasn't much choice because of the schedule. So we went and shockingly this became my favorite Shakespeare play. Henry IV P1 is a great heroes journey tale. In the play we see party boy Prince Hal become the soldier king Henry V. Along the way he has to shed/reject his old friends which include the wonderful John Falstaff. There's comedy, fighting, and internal struggling all in one play. If you haven't read/seen it you really should.
(BTW if you've seen Branagh's film version of Henry V he lifts scene's from Henry IV P1 for the flashback scenes. Also parts of the movie My Own Private Idaho are loosely based on the first half of Henry IV P1. Again note that I said "loosely.")
Anyway Happy B-Day Will Shakespeare! You are the gift that keeps on giving, Book Slave.
Yes today is William Shakespeare's B-Day. My first experience with Shakespeare was actually completely by conduit. Of course I had heard of the Bard before then-I lived in a very literate household. My dad had a Complete Works that was large, old, and wonderfully illustrated. Luckily I still have it. It's the best gift he ever left me. But I didn't feel old enough to crack it open until the summer of 1989. At 10 year's old I got my mom to take me to see Dead Poet's Society. One of the key sections of that movie involves scenes and speeches from A Midsummer Night's Dream. One of the main characters Neil Perry plays the character of Puck in a stage production. We really only see him in one scene from the play which is Puck's farewell speech. This quickly became one of my favorite pieces of Shakespeare.
So after seeing the movie I decided that I would find out what this play A Midsummer Night's Dream was all about. Thus began my first experience with this silly, delightful fun comedy. I think it's still my favorite of these, although I also love Much Ado About Nothing. I guess we'll consider it a tie. Consequently when I was in high school I was a huge drama geek. I actually played supporting parts in both plays, always bringing on the funny. The next summer in 1990, a production of Midsummer was going on up at Sundance in an outside amphitheater. My parents took me to it for my birthday that very summer. It was my first Shakespeare play in it's entirety and I remember enjoying it immensely. I've seen a couple of versions of it since then, even played in one, but nothing matches that first time. I didn't know that the jokes were coming. When Bottom and his players perform in Act 5 it was entirely new and hilarious.
That same summer my mother and I went and saw a movie version of Hamlet. This was the Mel Gibson version and with hindsight it's not very good in my opinion. The best I've ever seen is Kenneth Branagh's epic 4 hour film which I love entirely. At the time though it was my first experience with Shakespearean tragedy. At the age of 11 I didn't get it. All I could understand was that in the end everyone dies so what's the point. I figured that I was missing something, so I picked up an ancient copy of Shakespeare's 4 Tragedies. This contained Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar and Richard the Third. I remember trying to read Hamlet and Julius Caesar, but not being able to finish it. Of course later in high school I grew enjoy both these plays but at age 11 it was still over my head. Perhaps I get an A for Effort.
This brings me to my favorite history play. I've always had a rough time with the histories. Sometimes they read like dramatic reenactments that are more aimed at appeasing those who were in power. Rather than show history as full of human beings Shakespeare uses many paint-by-number archetypes. I'll cut Will some slack, it's hard to make Henry VI interesting. So I was filled with trepidation when I learned that we would be seeing Henry IV Part One at the Shakespeare Festival in 1995. I went with a school group and there wasn't much choice because of the schedule. So we went and shockingly this became my favorite Shakespeare play. Henry IV P1 is a great heroes journey tale. In the play we see party boy Prince Hal become the soldier king Henry V. Along the way he has to shed/reject his old friends which include the wonderful John Falstaff. There's comedy, fighting, and internal struggling all in one play. If you haven't read/seen it you really should.
(BTW if you've seen Branagh's film version of Henry V he lifts scene's from Henry IV P1 for the flashback scenes. Also parts of the movie My Own Private Idaho are loosely based on the first half of Henry IV P1. Again note that I said "loosely.")
Anyway Happy B-Day Will Shakespeare! You are the gift that keeps on giving, Book Slave.
2009-02-28
A Night at the Theater
Hello all,
I hope you are all having a great weekend. I'm having a productive weekend. It's nice to get stuff done. For this week I'm bringing back an old feature so be sure to enjoy.
Life Changing Reads: Theater Edition
Okay, a little autobiography to start us off. Confession time: In high school I was a mega-theater nerd. Yep I couldn't sing or dance, but I could be funny. And do Shakespeare. In the area that I live in we have a pretty vibrant theater community. There's two professional Equity theaters, and a great University theater program, that I go to all the time. Also there's the annual Shakespeare Festival which is not that far away. As a teenager I had a great drama teacher Mr. Newman who encouraged us to see professional theater as much as we could. He set up a program where we could see plays after school or on Saturdays with discounted tickets. I saw so many amazing plays this way some of them listed below.
However I do still have to wait a few years before I get the chance to see new plays. So I often, especially as a teenager, would end up reading plays. I know that plays are meant to be performed not read, but that isn't always an option. As I read the play I would often imagine the action. I would check the cast lists up front and see what actors had played it on the stage. Then I would cast the show in my head as I read it. Sometimes this was all I could do. Reading Doubt: A Parable this week (review forthcoming) I thought back to some other great plays that are immensely readable. These plays are so complex that I think I have benefited from reading the people in addition to seeing them performed.
1. Angels in America: Millenium Approaches & Perestroika by Tony Kushner
Tony Kushner's epic two part saga blew my mind when I read it in 1995. I won't lie I had heard about the play become it had LDS characters. Living in a LDS community I naturally drift toward anything with Mormons in it. This is why I love HBO's Big Love. Anyway I was deeply influenced by Kushner's compassion for his characters. Even the flawed individuals like Joe Pitt and Louis Ironson. Prior Walter's journey through love and pain is amazing. Also I was captured by his version of the cellestial and religious faith.
2. Arcadia by Tom Stoppard
I first heard of Tom Stoppard when I saw Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead in 1991. Yes I was oddly precocious at age 12. I picked up Arcadia off the library shelf at the original Main Library on the second floor. I had no idea what this play Arcadia was about. I ended up devouring the play over the course of 3 days and then I read it again. On the first read thru I knew that I didn't understand it all. Yet I was compelled by the surprising/unexpected ending to instantly read it again. Stoppard, at his best, is a writer whose character's are in a battle between the emotional and rational. Septimus/Thomasina, and their counterparts Hannah/Bernard, engage in philosophical arguments that create the conflict of the play. There aren't any explosions, or silly romantic entanglements, just the age-old argument: What should we follow? Head or Heart? This is a common theme in his work and is also at the heart of Coast of Utopia. I think his plays need to be read, in addition to being seen, in order to get the whole picture.
3. Long Day's Journey Into Night by Eugene O'Neill
I saw a production of this play when I was senior in high school. The production was 4 hours and I saw it as a chance to test my endurance. The play is four hours of intense family dysfunction played out by four characters over the course of a day. And it is amazing. Somewhat autobiographical, this play is raw and honest. It feels like the audience is the fly on the wall as this family falls apart. Now if you are not up to a long night at the theater then reading the play is a great alternative. You can take a break in between monologues. O'Neill takes the time to show us everything good and bad about this family. I saw a little bit of myself in every character. And I also realized how lucky I am not to be a Tyrone.
So if you get the chance check these plays out. Have a great weekend! Book Slave.
I hope you are all having a great weekend. I'm having a productive weekend. It's nice to get stuff done. For this week I'm bringing back an old feature so be sure to enjoy.
Life Changing Reads: Theater Edition
Okay, a little autobiography to start us off. Confession time: In high school I was a mega-theater nerd. Yep I couldn't sing or dance, but I could be funny. And do Shakespeare. In the area that I live in we have a pretty vibrant theater community. There's two professional Equity theaters, and a great University theater program, that I go to all the time. Also there's the annual Shakespeare Festival which is not that far away. As a teenager I had a great drama teacher Mr. Newman who encouraged us to see professional theater as much as we could. He set up a program where we could see plays after school or on Saturdays with discounted tickets. I saw so many amazing plays this way some of them listed below.
However I do still have to wait a few years before I get the chance to see new plays. So I often, especially as a teenager, would end up reading plays. I know that plays are meant to be performed not read, but that isn't always an option. As I read the play I would often imagine the action. I would check the cast lists up front and see what actors had played it on the stage. Then I would cast the show in my head as I read it. Sometimes this was all I could do. Reading Doubt: A Parable this week (review forthcoming) I thought back to some other great plays that are immensely readable. These plays are so complex that I think I have benefited from reading the people in addition to seeing them performed.
1. Angels in America: Millenium Approaches & Perestroika by Tony Kushner
Tony Kushner's epic two part saga blew my mind when I read it in 1995. I won't lie I had heard about the play become it had LDS characters. Living in a LDS community I naturally drift toward anything with Mormons in it. This is why I love HBO's Big Love. Anyway I was deeply influenced by Kushner's compassion for his characters. Even the flawed individuals like Joe Pitt and Louis Ironson. Prior Walter's journey through love and pain is amazing. Also I was captured by his version of the cellestial and religious faith.
2. Arcadia by Tom Stoppard
I first heard of Tom Stoppard when I saw Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead in 1991. Yes I was oddly precocious at age 12. I picked up Arcadia off the library shelf at the original Main Library on the second floor. I had no idea what this play Arcadia was about. I ended up devouring the play over the course of 3 days and then I read it again. On the first read thru I knew that I didn't understand it all. Yet I was compelled by the surprising/unexpected ending to instantly read it again. Stoppard, at his best, is a writer whose character's are in a battle between the emotional and rational. Septimus/Thomasina, and their counterparts Hannah/Bernard, engage in philosophical arguments that create the conflict of the play. There aren't any explosions, or silly romantic entanglements, just the age-old argument: What should we follow? Head or Heart? This is a common theme in his work and is also at the heart of Coast of Utopia. I think his plays need to be read, in addition to being seen, in order to get the whole picture.
3. Long Day's Journey Into Night by Eugene O'Neill
I saw a production of this play when I was senior in high school. The production was 4 hours and I saw it as a chance to test my endurance. The play is four hours of intense family dysfunction played out by four characters over the course of a day. And it is amazing. Somewhat autobiographical, this play is raw and honest. It feels like the audience is the fly on the wall as this family falls apart. Now if you are not up to a long night at the theater then reading the play is a great alternative. You can take a break in between monologues. O'Neill takes the time to show us everything good and bad about this family. I saw a little bit of myself in every character. And I also realized how lucky I am not to be a Tyrone.
So if you get the chance check these plays out. Have a great weekend! Book Slave.
2008-04-09
It's far too late to be posting...
Hello out there!
Having a good week? I hope so. Me? oh thanks for asking. I'm doing swell. I should be sleeping more but there's too much to read!
Reviews
Coast of Utopia Vol. 3
This is the end of Stoppard's epic trilogy about the development of philosophy in 19th century Russia. Let's just repeat it: This is not for everyone. It's dense and talky. The main characters, except for Marx and Turgenev, are little known outside of philosophy circles. It's Stoppard's ability to mix the high-brow intellectual ideas with real human ability that makes him one of the best playwrights writing today. I became wrapped up in the strange love square that became Herzen/Ogarev/Natalie/Mary. The fact that these men are so passionate and messy emotionally makes these characters incredibly human. I dream of seeing these plays performed live. (Are you listening SLAC?)
Green Lantern #29
I'm not a fan of Green Lantern. In fact I don't know anything about Hal Jordan's story. Last summer I heard a lot of praise for the Green Lantern Sinestro War comic series, so I plan on picking that up once the library gets their copy. In preparation I decided to pick up this Origin story issue and I really loved it. The writing was wonderful, as we learn about his family history. Although his story fits the classic heroes journey mold, I didn't find it predictable. I found myself emotionally caught up, especially in the birthday scene, and the conflict between Hal and his brother Jack. Also the art was amazing. The splash pages were drop dead gorgeous.
What's In My Bag
Graphic Novel
The Invisibles Vol. 1
Books
Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
Magazine
Wizard
Comic
Countdown to Final Crisis #5
Check Out Count: Getting Better!
Have a great week! Book Slave.
Having a good week? I hope so. Me? oh thanks for asking. I'm doing swell. I should be sleeping more but there's too much to read!
Reviews
Coast of Utopia Vol. 3
This is the end of Stoppard's epic trilogy about the development of philosophy in 19th century Russia. Let's just repeat it: This is not for everyone. It's dense and talky. The main characters, except for Marx and Turgenev, are little known outside of philosophy circles. It's Stoppard's ability to mix the high-brow intellectual ideas with real human ability that makes him one of the best playwrights writing today. I became wrapped up in the strange love square that became Herzen/Ogarev/Natalie/Mary. The fact that these men are so passionate and messy emotionally makes these characters incredibly human. I dream of seeing these plays performed live. (Are you listening SLAC?)
Green Lantern #29
I'm not a fan of Green Lantern. In fact I don't know anything about Hal Jordan's story. Last summer I heard a lot of praise for the Green Lantern Sinestro War comic series, so I plan on picking that up once the library gets their copy. In preparation I decided to pick up this Origin story issue and I really loved it. The writing was wonderful, as we learn about his family history. Although his story fits the classic heroes journey mold, I didn't find it predictable. I found myself emotionally caught up, especially in the birthday scene, and the conflict between Hal and his brother Jack. Also the art was amazing. The splash pages were drop dead gorgeous.
What's In My Bag
Graphic Novel
The Invisibles Vol. 1
Books
Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
Magazine
Wizard
Comic
Countdown to Final Crisis #5
Check Out Count: Getting Better!
Have a great week! Book Slave.
2008-03-04
Chilly like some warrior mice...
Hello Blogizens,
How are you? Good I hope. Unfortunately here in SLC it got horribly chilly. I guess we need to be reminded that this is a cold desert. Anyway on with the today's post:
Reviews
Coast of Utopia Vol. 2: Shipwreck
If you check back in January I read/reviewed Vol. 1 of this epic play. Again this play is not for those who are seeking a "little comedy and a dog." I did find myself lost in a lot of the philosophical talk. However I found Part 2 compelling mainly because the play shifts with the failure of the 1848 revolution-the political becomes personal. I found myself emotionally connecting with the relationship between Natalie and Natasha, as well as Herzen and Belinsky. The final scenes were very Our Town-esque. I yearn for the day when I can see it performed live. Not for the weak, Stoppard continues to challenge audiences/readers with highly intellectual works.
Mouseguard: Winter 1152 #3
It's been forever since a new issue of this great series came out. I was squeeing for joy when I finally was able to crack it open and find out the fate of these warrior mice. This issue was great. I'm really enjoying the character of The Black Axe. This Obi-Wan-esque character has a wonderful sense of humor. I particularly liked a scene between him and Young Mouse Guard Lieam as they discuss keeping secrets. Also the scenes with the bats were great and creepy. Pick up this title, now!
What's In My Bag (formerly Reading List)
Books
Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
The Somnabulist
Comic
Countdown to Final Crisis #9
Magazine
Comics Now!
Check Out Count: 56 (all time high!)
It has been a tough week professionally, so losing myself in some great books sounds pretty awesome. See ya later, Book Slave.
How are you? Good I hope. Unfortunately here in SLC it got horribly chilly. I guess we need to be reminded that this is a cold desert. Anyway on with the today's post:
Reviews
Coast of Utopia Vol. 2: Shipwreck
If you check back in January I read/reviewed Vol. 1 of this epic play. Again this play is not for those who are seeking a "little comedy and a dog." I did find myself lost in a lot of the philosophical talk. However I found Part 2 compelling mainly because the play shifts with the failure of the 1848 revolution-the political becomes personal. I found myself emotionally connecting with the relationship between Natalie and Natasha, as well as Herzen and Belinsky. The final scenes were very Our Town-esque. I yearn for the day when I can see it performed live. Not for the weak, Stoppard continues to challenge audiences/readers with highly intellectual works.
Mouseguard: Winter 1152 #3
It's been forever since a new issue of this great series came out. I was squeeing for joy when I finally was able to crack it open and find out the fate of these warrior mice. This issue was great. I'm really enjoying the character of The Black Axe. This Obi-Wan-esque character has a wonderful sense of humor. I particularly liked a scene between him and Young Mouse Guard Lieam as they discuss keeping secrets. Also the scenes with the bats were great and creepy. Pick up this title, now!
What's In My Bag (formerly Reading List)
Books
Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
The Somnabulist
Comic
Countdown to Final Crisis #9
Magazine
Comics Now!
Check Out Count: 56 (all time high!)
It has been a tough week professionally, so losing myself in some great books sounds pretty awesome. See ya later, Book Slave.
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