Thursday, October 29, 1998
Inspired idea lets magic of Shakespeare vanish into thin air
THEATER: Å’Seance’ stifles enchanting plays in effort to
increase accessibility
By Erin Beatty
Daily Bruin Contributor
The English language has changed a bit since the 16th century.
Certain words have been replaced, and occasional phrases no longer
make sense to a contemporary crowd. Perhaps this explains
Shakespeare’s lack of popularity among children.
In "Hauntings  A Shakespearean Seance," Ben Donenberg,
producing artistic director and founder of Shakespeare Festival/LA,
attempts to combat this stifling roadblock. Achieving a communal
feeling is one of the goals of Shakespeare Festival/LA, which
started 15 years ago with the mission to "enchant, enrich and build
community through professional and theatrical traditions that are
accessible to all."
Using magic and a Modern English-speaking "spirit guide," who
enters between scenes of various Shakespearean plays, "Hauntings"
tries to make Shakespearean drama understandable to a wide and
diverse crowd.
And though "Hauntings" manages to be entertaining and
drastically different from any other presentation of Shakespeare,
it falls short of its goal, often lacking coherency and leaving the
viewer overwhelmed and a bit confused.
As the lights dimmed in the misty theater, three loud, strangely
dressed actors came tearing through the room. They climbed over the
audience cradling eccentric noisemakers, singing and panting
unfamiliar lines of iambic pentameter.
It was hard to tell whether or not these actors were capable
singers. Though their talent became obvious further on in the show,
the Shakespearean lines paired with the melody-lacking music
inhibited flow and hardly illuminated the meaning of the
language.
The three actors were then introduced as the witches from
Macbeth. Clambering around Eugene Burger, magician and spirit
guide, they would enter between scenes, singing their awkward
songs, providing comic relief and accentuating the deeper meaning
of Burger’s magic.
Burger, a Merlin-esque magician complete with a long beard and
stout build was an interesting addition to the play. His deep voice
and comforting tone made for a strong presentation.
His references to the "universal themes of Shakespeare" could
occasionally be mistaken for an English lecture, though his
comments were strong and thought-provoking.
A wonderful performer, Burger never resembled the classic,
cheesy magicians, sticking knives into boxes where scantily clad
women lay. Rather, he complemented his magic with intelligence,
allowing each trick to represent a broader theme.
One trick in the middle of the performance involved a yellow
piece of thread, which Burger cut into pieces only to magically put
back together. As he performed he explained that the thread
represented life, connecting magic to the death of Shakespeare’s
son and how the tragedy influenced him artistically.
The tricks themselves were a bit disappointing. Their lack of
overblown spectacle was classy, but at times they reassembled those
tricks that someone’s drunken Uncle Bob would do in front of the
family at a Christmas party. Though one couldn’t tell how the trick
was pulled off, there was no motivation to run up on the small
stage and tear apart the magician’s clothes, searching for his
strategy.
Burger’s purpose was to connect and explain the various
Shakespeare scenes that came from "Macbeth," "Hamlet," "Richard
III" and other plays. He came on between scenes, explain the text,
perform a trick, pet his witches and introduce the following
scene.
The scenes were chosen for their ghostly nature, taking
advantage of Halloween’s haunting theme. By selecting a variety of
scenes, the goal seemed to be to keep the audience on the edge,
anticipating what followed.
Unfortunately, breaking apart the Shakespeare made the meaning
harder to catch, the lines harder to decipher and the context of
the scene within its play impossible to fathom.
By having Burger appear intermittently, speaking fluid
contemporary English, the audience wasn’t allowed the opportunity
to adjust completely to the Shakespearean English.
Words would fly around the room, and within two minutes, the
scene was over and Burger was discussing the play’s essence.
The audience also lacked the necessary historical background of
the play, so it felt as though they were being tossed about,
unaware of plot or purpose.
The show sparkled in its concept, truly trying to make
Shakespeare more accessible to the average person.
It failed in its goal, though, leaving the viewer confused and
spinning, attempting to put together the convoluted whole.
THEATER: "Hauntings  A Shakespearean Seance" runs through
Oct. 31 at West Hollywood’s Pacific Design Center. Tickets are
$16.50-$25. For more information call (213) 489-4127.
MICHAEL LAMONT
The Shakespeare Festival presents "Hauntings – A Shakespearean
Seance" which conjures up the ghosts of Macbeth, Hamlet and Richard
III. Performances run through Oct. 31.
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