shakespeare

Beatrice and Benedick dance from the shoulders up in their separate Zoom squares. Oedipus and Jocasta deal with their crumbling marriage, while Tiresias and Creon gossip in a breakout room. The Globe Theatre and the Theatre of Dionysus are the same Zoom stage.

Tumultuous, turbulent, and, altogether, chaotic.

When thinking of Dionysus, one might picture a plump, haughty God, wrapped in vines, perhaps clutching a glass of wine. Enter instead: a tutu, lace-tight, and faux fur-clad gender-fluid being, bewitching and beguiling. This is Charles Mee’s modern Dionysus.

As Mercutio took his last breath, lightning lit up the dome of Low Library and thunder boomed in the sky.

Early Modern English isn’t too far from contemporary English, but too many “thees” and “thous” can trip up anyone. In this age, Shakespeare’s work is constantly being translated in order to reach wider modern audiences, but the question remains—to translate or not to translate?

"The Winter’s Tale" may be best known for one of Shakespeare’s most memorable stage directions: ‘Exit, pursued by a bear,’ brilliantly realized in this production as a haunting pair of eyes floating offstage. Peppered by many impressive visual details, the King’s Crown Shakespeare Troupe’s production of "The Winter’s Tale" was artistically endearing. Although at times accompanied by shaky acting, it was overall a delightful production.

King’s Crown Shakespeare Troupe performed an abridged production of Eugene O’Neill’s “Mourning Becomes Electra” last weekend, a turn of the century retelling of Aeschylus’ classic play the “Oresteia,” that manifests grief in the characters and the space that they occupy.

The King’s Crown Shakespeare Troupe’s roaming performance of Hamlet, performed last weekend, was by far the most impressive acting performance Columbia has offered this year—Bailey Coleman, BC’19, should give herself a round of applause for her performance in the leading role. The production was so invigorating that it warranted more than one viewing.

King’s Crown Shakespeare Troupe and HeForShe performed a stark, minimalist rendition of “Electra,” Anne Carson’s translation of the original Greek tragedy written by Sophocles, on Wednesday.

It seems there could not be a more important time to stage William Shakespeare’s “Measure for Measure,” a play centered around the sexual coercion of a woman about to enter a nunnery by a powerful government official.