Playing Shakespeare $79.99
Studio: Acorn Media Release Date: 06/02/2009
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Last updated: August 31, 2009, 8:26 am
Playing Shakespeare Cusomter reviews:
Average Rating: 5.0 Total Reviews: 18
(Allan Blackman, 2009-10-12) Fascinating look at the process of acting and directing Shakespeare. Barton, the Royal Shakespeare Company Director and emcee of these programs talks a lot of nonsense about a balanced approach which he does not really mean. He knows how the plays should be acted and he tells the actors and the viewers clearly how. His knowledge of how Shakespeare was giving instructions to the actors is impressive.
(S. Sachs, 2009-10-11) What a noble piece of work is John Barton's PLAYING SHAKESPEARE. To all the encomiums posted here I say ditto and Amen.
(Moe Tapers, 2009-10-05) "Playing Shakespeare" is a set of four DVDs in which John Barton and members of the Royal Shakespeare Company investigate the problems and opportunities of contemporary Shakespearean acting. It features the young Judi Dench, Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen, plus plenty of other worthies less well known to Americans and should suggest to any actor a variety of interpretive approaches to the characters, verse and world-view of William Shakespeare. But it isn't just for actors. The way speeches and scenes are played, rethought, adjusted and played again is immensely entertaining and helps viewers understand that great Shakespearean acting consists of a number of highly specific choices. How should the first line---just the first line---of "The Merchant of Venice" be spoken, and what should it tell audiences about the character who utters it and his attitude toward himself and his companions? Hear the alternatives played out and come to understand what a wealth of training these Shakespearean specialists bring to the moment of performance. Barton introduces a number of topics, but it always comes down to mining the text for its unique and often hidden riches and ironies (sometimes hidden poetry), rather than merely imposing a generalized tone. The result will make you a better audience not just for Shakespeare but for any text-dominated theater. And sometimes the performances (even in street clothes with no settings) are better than anything yet released on DVD.
(Amy Cotterill, 2009-10-02) I've studied Shakespeare in the literary version, but performance is entirely different and it can be baffling. But, Barton's instructional DVD puts you in a workshop setting that is meaningful, beneficial and wonderful at demystifying the text. I'm not even half way through the material and I'm already finding new intentions and meanings in performance. I'd recommend this for ANYONE who is studying Shakespeare. It's wonderful for both performance AND literary understanding.
(Coach K., 2009-09-13) Bought it as a gift for a colleague who teaches a Shakespeare course. He says it is invaluable!