June 26, 2009

THEATER REVIEW | 'TWELFTH NIGHT'
I Love You, You’re Perfect. You’re a Girl?
By CHARLES ISHERWOOD

“Most wonderful.” The exclamation of joyous surprise that bursts from the lips of Countess Olivia at the climax of “Twelfth Night,” when she discovers that her new husband appears to have divided himself in two, seems an apt reaction to the scintillating new production of Shakespeare’s romantic comedy that opened Thursday night at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park.

“Twelfth Night” is a perennial favorite, and with its multifaceted plot mixing sweetness, sadness and silliness it is also about as surefire as Shakespeare plays get. If the romances are dreary, the comedy may still crackle. And vice versa. But this polished staging, expertly directed by Daniel Sullivan, is the most consistently pleasurable the city has seen in at least a decade. And it is certainly one of the most accomplished Shakespeare in the Park productions the Public Theater has fielded in some time. Incidentally — or perhaps not — the varied talents of its all-American lead cast help restore faith in the city’s ability to cast Shakespeare in depth.

All together now: most wonderful!

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Just because I love to see discussion on line readings - from inanimate (words on the page) to animate (speech on the stage).

the spectator

The Best Way To Speak Shakespeare

It will make you catch your breath.

By Ron Rosenbaum
Posted Wednesday, June 17, 2009, at 3:56 PM ET

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Will she do it as a dirty joke? I'm talking about a certain line in Twelfth Night that can be read either way, innocuous or salacious. And I'm talking about Anne Hathaway, the beautiful Hollywood ingénue most known for squeaky-clean roles (though there was Havoc and the ex-junkie she played in Rachel Getting Married). Anne Hathaway, who, as I'm sure you know and will nevertheless be told incessantly, has the same name as Shakespeare's bride, is doing Shakespeare in the Park this summer.

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Oscar Nominee Hathaway to Star in Shakespeare in the Park's Twelfth Night

By Adam Hetrick
February 12, 2009

Academy Award nominee Anne Hathaway will star as Viola in the Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park production of Twelfth Night this summer.

Daniel Sullivan will direct Twelfth Night, which will kick off the summer of free theatre at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. Sullivan previously staged A Midsummer Night's Dream for Shakespeare in the Park in 2007. Twelfth Night will run June 9-July 12.

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