New Jersey Shakespeare Theatre - Drew University
August 11, 2012
Brad - A
Chelsea - C
So, on an early August Saturday we woke up bright and early and headed up to the best the U.S. has to offer...New Jersey! This was a double decker day. We had Measure for Measure in the morning and then Coriolanus in NYC in the evening. So, when we made it into Madison, NJ we stopped for a hearty lunch and I was introduced to an "Egg Cream." This exists! I'm confused, what is this? Why do you drink an egg?
Then we headed to the theatre! We took some pics outside because I was trying to get a shot of the cliental...let's just say we brought the median age down 20 years.
So, the story! It starts with the Duke announcing he will leave on a diplomatic mission....SIKE! He secretly stays in the city disguised as a friar to see what's happening in the city while he is away. Meanwhile, an adorable young man named Claudio is unofficially married to Juliet. Since they were poor they couldn't afford the technicalities but come on, they were married! Angelo, the mean judge the Duke left in charge gets wind of this and says since they aren't married fornication is punishable so sentences Claudio to death! Claudio's sister, Isabella, a young nun runs to Angelo to plead for her brother. Angelo gets a bit touchy feely with Isabella and offers her a deal. He will spare her brother if she hooks up with him. Isabella, being a classy nun, won't do it. She seeks counsel from a friar (The Duke!) and he sets a plan. He has Isabella arrange a "bed trick" (Shakespeare loves these, I would like to see this work out in modern times) where Isabelle says she will meet him in her room in darkness and silence for The Deed. Instead, a woman he was betrothed to - but she couldn't pay the dowry so he kicked her to the curb - is in the bed and well you know. So, Angelo thinks he hooked up with Isabella and he still goes back on his word and sentences Claudio to death! It all ends with the Duke revealing himself and setting everyone straight, saving Claudio, forcing Angelo to marry the woman who tricked him, and proposing to Isabella -aw!
It was good! It was straight forward Elizabethan and the actors were really good, I wouldn't say it was my favorite play though. Let's look at Angelo, he was betrothed to a lady, said no because she was poor, got tricked into hooking up with her, and then was forced to marry her....WHAT IS WRONG WITH HER? Does Shakespeare understand the lady mind? At every turn he rejected her and she was psyched to marry him. I just don't get it. But, we did like it. I guess it just didn't wow us (but not everything can be Titus Andronicus). The Duke was great, although how can he and Superman really fool people by changing his clothes and putting on glasses? As was Isabella. It was a good start to the morning!
Then....we headed into NYC!
Chelsea
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