I have a different simplicity quote by my desk, from the old New Yorker writer Joseph Mitchell -- "It takes almost a lifetime to learn how to do a thing simply."
This reminds me of something I ran across recently that I wrote as advice for a young director: "Don't play against the text. It wears you out, confuses the audience, and worst of all, the text really enjoys watching you try it."
Excellent commentary! The idea of making Shakespeare small also reminds me of one of my favorite quotes, from Barry Rutter. And of course I can’t find it on the internet, so I’ll have to reconstruct it from memory. It was basically about how he didn’t like ‘cup o’ tea’ plays, because while everyone in those plays is sitting around having a cup of tea, “Shakespeare’s gone to the moon and back."
I have a different simplicity quote by my desk, from the old New Yorker writer Joseph Mitchell -- "It takes almost a lifetime to learn how to do a thing simply."
This reminds me of something I ran across recently that I wrote as advice for a young director: "Don't play against the text. It wears you out, confuses the audience, and worst of all, the text really enjoys watching you try it."
Delightful. "You both get dirty, and the [play] likes it".
“Energy-sucking butt-magnets” = my favorite description from my favorite critic about my biggest theatrical pet peeve: Chairs on stage.
Happy anniversary, and thanks for the writing!
Thank you thank you! I'd support an Edna Mode who stalks around shouting "no chairs!" Unless they are used like Rebecca Frecknall uses them, in which case please carry on. https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2018/mar/08/summer-and-smoke-review-tennessee-williams-patsy-ferran-almeida
Excellent commentary! The idea of making Shakespeare small also reminds me of one of my favorite quotes, from Barry Rutter. And of course I can’t find it on the internet, so I’ll have to reconstruct it from memory. It was basically about how he didn’t like ‘cup o’ tea’ plays, because while everyone in those plays is sitting around having a cup of tea, “Shakespeare’s gone to the moon and back."
Love this. "Girdle round the earth" while we're sitting in slippers.