VIRTUE IS BOLD // A FILM REVIEW OF "MEASURE FOR MEASURE"

BY MATEO MORENO

Modern Shakespeare adaptations can vary wildly in terms of quality. Directors often tackle very unique takes on The Bard's stories because they've been told so many times, over and over. The new Australian gritty adaptation of MEASURE FOR MEASURE, directed by Paul Ireland and adapted by himself and the late Damian Hill, moves the action to modern day Australia and in the middle of a gang war. One of the crime bosses is Duke (Hugo Weaving), who sits high in his tower, overlooking the city. His nephew Angelo (Mark Leonard Winter) is the second in command but is a hot head and is dealing meth all around the city. One of his customers, strung out of his mind, goes on a shooting spree and kills multiple people, including a young black man playing basketball and barely misses hitting Jaiwara (Megan Smart), a young Muslim girl. She survives because Claudio (Harrison Gilbertson) pushes her out of the way. They escape together and spend the rest of the day together, quickly falling for each other.

Duke orders Angelo to stop selling Meth, as dealing is not something he approves of. He's forced to leave town until the heat dies down, so he leaves Angelo in charge (which is the worst possible thing to do). However, he doesn't fully trust that his nephew won't screw it up, so Duke keeps watch on him the entire time. Meanwhile, the forbidden love between Claudio and Jaiwara is discovered by Jaiwara's brother, and the other crime lord in town, Farouk (Fayssal Bazzi) and he is none too pleased. A lot of plotlines, you say? Well, no one ever accused Shakespeare of a light plotline.

MEASURE FOR MEASURE is one of Sheakespeare's "problem plays" and is constantly described as a comedy, even though it switches tone drastically, from light comedy to very heavy drama. So by eliminating the comic elements all together, Ireland's version feels much stronger for it. The cast is dynamic. Hugo Weaving is richly compelling as a hardened boss with a sympathetic side. Megan Smart is dynamic. She takes the smallest moments and makes magic with them. Harrison Gilbertson doesn't have as much to do (other than being scared A LOT) but he is charming and has solid chemistry with Smart. Both Mark Leonard Winter and Fayssal Bazzi add a great urgency and power to their roles, while the rest of the supporting cast all shine in smaller moments. It isn't a perfect adaptation, but what is? Some of the subjects are not quite delved into deep enough, the end falls apart a bit and I wasn't a fan at all of the final moment of the film at all. Overall though, this adaption of MEASURE FOR MEASURE is a finely acted treat.

GRADE: B

BASED ON THE PLAY BY William Shakespeare ADAPTED BY Damian Hill, Paul Ireland DIRECTED BY Paul Ireland STARRING Hugo Weaving, Harrison Gilbertson, Megan Smart, Mark Leonard Winter, Fayssal Bazzi, Daniel Henshall, Doris Younane. Now Available at Digital Cinemas.

FEMALE TO FEMALE // A THEATRE REVIEW OF "MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING"

BY MATEO MORENO

In the recent run of Shakespeare's MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING (which played at The Brick Theatre in Williamsburg Brooklyn during its "Shakespeare in the Theater" festival), Director Emma Rosa Went goes back to the beginning and takes inspiration from the first days of The Bard's work: She cast one sex to play all of the roles. However, all of the roles this time are played by women, no matter of the sex of the character. Much Ado is a tricky piece to pull off because it begins very light and dark and then the tone turns much darker. There's also several often debated moments within the play, such as how fast all of the men go to believe that the character of Hero, on the eve of her wedding day, would cheat on her fiancée and since they believe she did spurn her almost immediately. But Director Went and the game cast all tackle it head on, mixing in both moments that work extremely well and those that don't quite reach the same height.

Ashley Morton is fantastic here as Beatrice, a snarky strong woman who thinks very highly of her friends and very little of the lothario Benedick (an also strong Olivia Rose Baressi). Both are sharply clever and funny, and possess a great of perfect comic timing. Once their friends begin meddling into their affairs both Beatrice and Benedick are fooled into thinking that the other is in love with them, they both have to face the realization of lingering feelings for each other, which since this is Shakespeare come brewing to the top very fast. The sequence where Beatrice and Benedick are fooled into thinking each are talking fondly of the other has them hiding among hanging laundry, baskets and more and the staging is simply delightful (and quite, quite funny). Though this is the frothy relationship. The darker story comes from within Claudio (Hailey Bachrach) being deceived by Don John (Jaine Ye) that his soon to be bride Hero (Isabella Dawis) has been unfaithful and still is to this day. This sets of a chain of very bad reactions (and overreactions), ending with the young Hero in tears, having no idea what caused the chaos around. But revenge is rarely left out in the cold with a Shakespeare text.

The set design is bare for the most part, only occasionally things are hung and created in front of us, which works fine in the black box setting they have. Sadly, even in a space as intimate and small as The Brick, several actors swallowed their lines, partially and on a few occasions completely, making it difficult to follow. Natasha Cole brings on an acoustic guitar several times throughout and strums music along which could have led to a great effect. Oddly though, she strums it so softly you can't ever make out any of it and made me wonder if she actually could play at all or if it simply was just a device or another set piece. The foolish characters, led by Irina Kaplan's Dogberry, are all very broad but rarely react to the reality around them, making for some very long pauses between lines and underappreciated laughs. However, a lot of the play did work, and though it felt like a workshop presenting ideas for a bigger production later on, the charm did swell on you. Simone Elizabeth Bart's choreography is charming and swift and you simply never want to stop watching Morton and Baressi either go at each other or try to awkwardly woe the other. And though the broad comedy and final moments don't work, enough of it does to make a pleasant evening at the theatre. Hopefully more productions will use the idea of an all-female cast presenting Shakespeare. It's about time some fantastic actresses get their due with the countless meaty male roles The Bard has written.

Written by William Shakespeare Directed by Emma Rosa Went Starring Hailey Bachrach, Olivia Rose Baressi, Simone Elizabeth Bart, Natasha Cole, Isabella Dawis, Zoe Goslin, Elissa Levitt, Irina Kaplan, Ashley Morton, and Jaine Ye. Now closed but most recently played at: The Brick Theatre, 575 Metropolitan Avenue, Williamsburg Brooklyn

MATEO MORENO is an actor, writer, and a playwright. His plays Happily After Tonight,  Within Our Walls, Bohemian Valentine and Paper Airplanes have been produced in NY and beyond. He most recently co-starred in the critically acclaimed Off-Broadway play City of Glass at The New Ohio Theatre and appeared in the workshop of Hamlet, or I Shall Mourn The Rivers at The Brick Theatre. He is currently workshopping his new play Fairground Attraction as part of Athena Theatre's 2016 Playwrighting Group. He lives in Brooklyn.

TRAGIC KINGDOM // A THEATRE REVIEW OF "KING LEAR"

BY MATEO MORENO

Through the thunder and the lightening, through the madness and the text (OHHHH, the text) the title character in Shakespeare’s KING LEAR usually rants and raves, screams and shouts, all to our delight.  However, in “Theatre for a New Audience’s” latest production, which runs through May 4^th at their luscious new Brooklyn location, this King Lear believes “less is more.”  That is, he still is a fire-raging bit of emotion, banishing his youngest daughter for daring to not compliment him, but it’s a quiet rage, and one he regrets (a subtle stroke that gleams British actor Michael Pennington’s eyes).  Pennington doesn’t attempt any past Lear here, instead chooses to interpret it completely different.  He’s a sadder Lear, one that is quietly crumbling in front of us instead of sinking quickly into Lava.  After Lear banishes his youngest daughter Cordelia (a quietly affective Lilly Englert), the pieces all through the land start to fall apart.  His other two daughters Goneril and Regan (Rachel Pickup & Bianca Amato) begin their own scheming, against each other, and being to doom each other in the process.  The Earl of Gloucester (Christopher McCann) has his own giant problems forming within his family; his son Edmund (Chandler Williams) is scheming against his own brother Edgar (Jacob Fishel).  Once the scheme has begun, much darker consequences come into play, as anyone who has read or seen Lear before knows.  Edgar must become a different man to seek justice and the Earl himself is about to get a literal blinding revelation thrust upon him.  And all of the madness and misfortune that comes has to do with an incredibly selfish family decision.  Oh, how we say the things we don’t always mean…

Director Arin Arbus (the Associate Artistic Director at TFANA) has again crafted a beautiful adaptation of a Shakespeare classic, much like she has done recently with Much Ado About Nothing & The Taming of the Shew.  The stage is mostly bare but intensely effective lighting and a slowly descending drawbridge door compel you just as any flashy set would (the ending sequence is especially effective).  The story of Lear is a tragic one, one that traces King Lear wanting to retire and then banishing his daughter, the Earl of Kent, and slowly tears apart everything that he once held dear.  Michael Pennington relishes each scene, from his slow walk into the theatre to his plunge to death in the final tragic scene.  It’s a beautifully layered performance, and Pennington truly strikes a new Lear that feels fresh and original.  As his three daughters, Lilly Englert, Rachel Pickup, & Bianca Amato each impress; Amato is especially delicious with her self-serving sister.  Even her smallest facial expressions garnered laughs within the audience.  Also a major highlight is Jacob Fishel, who delights in both his roles of Edgar and his madman disguise.  Not everything works, however, as there are a few flat performances or in the case of Jake Horowitz’s Fool, full of odd and peculiar choices.  His Fool seems like a bratty teenager with less wit than he thinks instead of a classic Shakespeare Fool who relishes mocking those around him.  However, even with a few missteps like that, this King Lear is a beautifully spare piece of theatre.  One that showcases what a powerhouse this play truly is.

MATEO’S GRADE: B+

Directed by: Arin Arbus  Written By: William Shakespeare Starring: Michael Pennington, Lilly Englert, Rachel Pickup, Bianca Amato, Jacob Fishel, Chandler Williams, Christopher McCann, Timothy D. Stickney

Content Advisory: Language, Violence, and Brief Nudity 

BOTTOM LINE:  Spare and powerful, Theatre for a New Audience adds yet another winner in their impressive history of memorable Shakespeare.