Much Ado About Nothing

[Recidiva]

O! For A Muse Of Fire

That! Him!

I remember an acting workshop where I had to work through that monologue and it was painful and difficult and I had to manufacture images and motivations and make them genuine, make them real to me, react to them, inspire people to see them with me...and then years later I watched him do it. Oh holy...look at that. I can't do that. That's amazing.

Best. Chorus. Ever.

 

[Byron In Exile]

It starts as a thread about a Shakespeare play, then becomes a discussion about Shakespeare plays, and then comes Malvolio in the form of Eeyore, and suddenly, it IS a Shakespeare play!

I haven't laffed so hard in a long time...

 

[Recidiva]

I think not

Thou hast the right of it.

 

[Busybody]

It starts as a thread about a Shakespeare play, then becomes a discussion about Shakespeare plays, and then comes Malvolio in the form of Eeyore, and suddenly, it IS a Shakespeare play!

I haven't laffed so hard in a long time...

Your mirth knows no limits

 

[Byron In Exile]

Acting Shakespeare is still amazing.

Finding Richard is...kind of a study of why Americans can suck at Shakespeare, because they can take every moment of fun out of it by over-intellectualizing it and thinking instead of feeling and being. Running throughout the whole thing are British actors saying "Hey, really, it's not that hard, you're making it too hard." and American actors persisting in Methoding the hell out of it until it's unintelligible.

*enter poor Keanu*

 

[Recidiva]

*enter poor Keanu*

Or poor Russell Brand.

These guys are in so far out of their depth among people so far at the top of their craft...it seems cruel. It also seems that they should have figured that out and said "WHOAH...do I NOT belong here..."

Like the tone deaf attempting Sondheim.

There is nothing wrong with bad acting or bad singing in an amateur sense. But someone who considers themselves professional should know when they're out of their depth.

Uh...I'm a plumber, and a damned good one, but this is neurosurgery.

 

[Aphro]

Ever seen the Robin Hood movie starring Kevin Costner?

 

[Recidiva]

Ever seen the Robin Hood movie starring Kevin Costner?

Yeeees.

Alan Rickman was funny. That's...all I remember.

 

[Aphro]

Yeeees.

Alan Rickman was funny. That's...all I remember.

Alan Rickman is good in every role. Awesome actor.

Kevin Costner seems to be good only in roles where he is basically playing himself. I am not a K.C. fan at the best of times, but he seriously butchered Robin Hood.

My son is studying Romeo and Juliet right now. I looked at the course outline, and was surprised to see that Grade 9 English has not changed in 30 years.

 

[Recidiva]

Alan Rickman is good in every role. Awesome actor.

Kevin Costner seems to be good only in roles where he is basically playing himself. I am not a K.C. fan at the best of times, but he seriously butchered Robin Hood.

My son is studying Romeo and Juliet right now. I looked at the course outline, and was surprised to see that Grade 9 English has not changed in 30 years.

Hah! Yes, he mutilated the part. My heart belongs to Errol Flynn. That's one more case of a person doing something they shouldn't be doing.

Yeah...Romeo and Juliet, sex and gang violence at age 14. It's relevant.

I never minded Shakespeare, but Madame Bovary and Heart of Darkness just made me skim and choose to not do terribly well on the tests if I can't remember 1/100th of the text and make up the rest and hope I ring the bullshit bell.

 

[Byron In Exile]

That! Him!

I remember an acting workshop where I had to work through that monologue and it was painful and difficult and I had to manufacture images and motivations and make them genuine, make them real to me, react to them, inspire people to see them with me...and then years later I watched him do it. Oh holy...look at that. I can't do that. That's amazing.

Best. Chorus. Ever.

You got me started, dammit.

Now I'm watching it for the ninth time...

oh by golly gosh damn hell and blast it

Most excellent prologue to a most excellent play.

 

[Byron In Exile]

I looked at the course outline, and was surprised to see that Grade 9 English has not changed in 30 years.

Shakespeare was over 400 years ago.

What ought we change to, then?

 

[Dazzle1]

Not just a thread title, but a Shakespeare play. My favorite Shakespeare play. I've seen many productions, but my favorite was seeing the RSC perform it on Broadway, Derek Jacobi and Sinead Cusack. They understood and performed every line with beauty and grace.

Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson did a lovely version, but they stunk the thing up by having Keanu Reeves as Don John. Why would you do that?

Joss Whedon's version was fun. However, they moved the story around a bit and cut out a lot. Why...WHY...W H Y would you take out my favorite line of Dogberry's? I'm going to have to do it here.

LEONATO: Neighbours, you are tedious.

DOGBERRY: It pleases your worship to say so, but we are the poor duke's officers; but truly, for mine own part, if I were as tedious as a king, I could find it in my heart to bestow it all of your worship.

LEONATO: All thy tediousness on me, ah?

WHY WOULD YOU CUT THAT OUT?

I don't get it.

Good movie though. Even though the RSC kicked their ass in delivery. "Civil as an orange" should be pronounced Seville as an orange to make the wordplay make sense. ALSO...Nathan Fillion clearly did not know what "go to" meant.

C'mon Americans, study up.

I thought Reeves did a good job and I can't stand most of his work; especially the Matrix (the most overated trilogy of all time).

Having said that Much Ado good, but Henry V far better

 

[Byron In Exile]

I thought Reeves did a good job and I can't stand most of his work; especially the Matrix (the most overated trilogy of all time).

Having said that Much Ado good, but Henry V far better

Well, if you're that easily pleased, that's great.

We're just particular, and couldn't help but stop our ears when he spoke.

But, Dazzle1, it's time for you to see Hamlet.

Tell us what you think of that.

 

[Byron In Exile]

"All thy tediousness... on me??"

lolol...

 

[Ulaven_Demorte]

"All thy tediousness... on me??"

lolol...

Dogberry had some good ones.

 

[Recidiva]

You got me started, dammit.

Now I'm watching it for the ninth time...

oh by golly gosh damn hell and blast it

Most excellent prologue to a most excellent play.

Having seen him play Benedick...and being voice-centric...

The guy has one of the most expressive voices and technical control over his voice that I've ever heard. I can't approach that level of mastery, but I can damned well appreciate it.

 

[Recidiva]

I thought Reeves did a good job and I can't stand most of his work; especially the Matrix (the most overated trilogy of all time).

Having said that Much Ado good, but Henry V far better

To be fair, the part of Don John is not well fleshed out as character goes, he's a one-dimensional bad guy in a comedy. He doesn't get much time on stage.

However, Keanu made me want the part to have even less time on stage and he cut down the dimension from 1 to 1/4.

 

[Recidiva]

"All thy tediousness... on me??"

lolol...

HOW COULD YOU CUT THAT?!

I swear, I was looking forward to that line the most. GONE.

WTF WHEDON?

 

[Byron In Exile]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl0lBHti99A

 

[Recidiva]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl0lBHti99A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sHZTt2BGtM

"Forget not that I am an ass"

 

[Byron In Exile]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sHZTt2BGtM

"Forget not that I am an ass"

Oh !

 

[Recidiva]

Oh !

Yeah, it's maybe not the most scholarly production, but it does have a great deal of the sensibility of fun and farce that should be there.

It was worth doing.

 

[oggbashan]

Globe production: Entrance of the Watch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8N_q6xiG1tk

 

[Recidiva]

Globe production: Entrance of the Watch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8N_q6xiG1tk

Watching!

My heart belongs to the comedic actor.

And of course one of them looks like Hodor.