Coriolanus
Legend has it that Shakespeare's words flowed unimpeded from mind to pen to paper. Coriolanus, an early Roman warrior, had the same ability. In Shakespeare, it's a gift; in Coriolanus, a curse, since he cannot be other than himself. Greg Derelian plays Coriolanus at the Old Globe. Though he has an annoying habit of delivering most speeches as HEADLINES, his close-cropped hair and swagger give him instant stature in the modern-dress (circa 1930) production. He could trounce anyone else onstage, which is a problem since stronger opponents would have made the Roman, who fights "dragon-like," even stronger (Steve Rankin's fight choreography, usually an ally, has actors make tentative thrusts and parries, as if careful not to do harm). Darko Tresnjak, an always inventive director, devised some remarkable overlaps: battles and their consequences appear as if coming from the mind of Coriolanus's domineering mother, Volumnia. In Tresnjak's insightful reading, the gods answer her prayers, but in the extreme. Celeste Ciulla's haunted Volumnia watches nightmares unfold as if staring into a furnace. (Note: Coriolanus runs in repertory at the Festival Stage.)
Worth a try.
When
Ongoing until Friday, September 25, 2009
Hours
| Sundays, 8pm |
| Tuesdays, 8pm |
| Wednesdays, 8pm |
| Thursdays, 8pm |
| Fridays, 8pm |
| Saturdays, 8pm |