Shakespeare References in Scenes For Young Actors

Scenes For Young Actors, a book edited by Lorraine Cohen, contains quite a few Shakespeare references. Even the first page, which presents a short biography of Cohen, includes this: “Ms. Cohen is the drama reviewer for Grade Teacher Magazine and has written articles for Shakespeare and Children.” The book contains a small portion of Macbeth, and introducing those lines, Cohen writes: “The following scene comprises passages from the various witches’ scenes in Macbeth. Although the witches’ roles were written for adults, they are exciting for children to play. Children are, of course, familiar with witches and they delight in the sound of the language Shakespeare has given to the three in Macbeth” (p. 75). There is also a Macbeth reference in a scene from Little Women included in this book. Beth tells Jo, “You’re a regular Shakespeare.” And Jo replies: “Not quite. I’d like to try to do Macbeth though, if we only had a trap-door for Banquo. I always wanted to do the killing part. ‘Is that a dagger that I see before me?’” (p. 82).

This book also includes a scene from Romeo And Juliet (Act II, scene 2). In the introduction to that scene, Cohen writes: “The following scene is probably the world’s best known and most popular love scene. Romeo has seen Juliet at a ball at her father’s house and has fallen in love instantly. It is after they have met that each discovers that their beloved is a member of an opposing family. Their two families, the Montagues and the Capulets, have been feuding for many years. However, this does not stop Romeo. After the ball he leaves his friends and goes to the Capulet garden where under Juliet’s window he overhears her confess to the stars that she loves him. For the moment, there is love and beauty but eventually the hatred between the two families destroys the young lovers” (p. 162). There is also a scene from West Side Story, which is an adaptation of Romeo And Juliet. In the scene’s introduction, Cohen writes, “The story of Romeo and Juliet is echoed in this story of Tony and Maria, the two young lovers whose lives are destroyed by the hatred of rival gangs” (p. 195).

The scene from Look Homeward, Angel contains a reference to Shakespeare. The character Eugene says, “And we’ll go to Europe, and beyond… the cool, green land of Shakespeare, the gloomy forests of Gaul” (p. 248). The scene from A Clearing In The Woods has a reference to A Midsummer Night’s Dream, with the character Hazelmae saying, “I declare, Nora lamb, over hill over dale to this?” (p. 252). The Fairy at the beginning of Act II scene i of A Midsummer Night’s Dream says, “Over hill, over dale,” answering Puck’s question, “whither wander you?” The scene from The Chalk Garden included in this book contains a reference to Hamlet. The character Laurel says: “If you pin me down he is my stepfather! Have you read Hamlet? It tipped my mind and turned me against my mother” (p. 342). And the scene from The Corn Is Green contains a reference to Shakespeare, with the character Morgan saying, “I saw this room; you and me sitting here studying, and all those books – and everything I have ever learnt from those books, and from you, was lighted up – like a magic lantern – ancient Rome, Greece, Shakespeare, Carlyle, Milton… everything had a meaning because I was in a new world – my world!” (p. 355). Then in the introduction to a scene from Bontche Schweig, Cohen writes, “His speech is reminiscent of Portia’s, in that it asks for compassion and understanding, but it also an indictment of the society that allows the conditions that shaped Bontche to exist” (p. 358). Here Cohen is referring to a famous speech from The Merchant Of Venice. This book also contains a portion of Hamlet. In the introduction, Cohen writes: “The following monologue is taken from what is perhaps the most famous play in the entire world. Hamlet, a young prince of Denmark, has come home from England to find his father dead and his mother remarried to his father’s brother, who is now king. To add to his grief, he suspects that his father was murdered by the new king. In order to ascertain whether this is true, he feigns madness. In the following scene, Ophelia, a young girl whom Hamlet has loved, describes to her father Polonius a meeting she has had with Hamlet. She is greatly agitated” (p. 371).

Scenes For Young Actors was published in 1973. 

Henry VI Part 2 (Shakespeare By The Sea 2022 Production) Theatre Review

While last year’s performances of Henry VI Part 1 were held outdoors due to the pandemic, the company has moved back inside the Little Fish Theatre for Henry VI Part 2. Like last year’s production, it is a staged reading. However, it really is basically a full performance, with the cast in costume, and with a set and props, and with the majority of actors mostly off book. And there are some fantastic performances here, such as those by Brendan Kane as Henry The Sixth, Jane Macfie as both Gloucester and Holland, and Jonathan Fisher as both York and Jack Cade. And, yes, this is the play that gives us the line, “The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers.”

As with the set for Henry VI Part 1, the set for this production is fairly simple, with a wall upstage, and one set of double doors stage right. There is a throne in the center, and one chair to its side. As the performance begins, King Henry VI enters alone and delivers a brief introduction. As characters are mentioned, they enter, and when he speaks of Margaret, there is a sweet and loving tone in his voice, which is all the sadder for those of us in the audience who recall that Margaret has also begun a relationship with Suffolk. And right away we get a sense that his affection for Margaret will be part of his trouble. As the play begins, we see how the others view the king as weak. When Henry VI says, “They please us well,” regarding the loss of Anjou and Maine as well as the lack of dowry, the reactions of the other characters are in great contrast to his demeanor. And the king seems out of touch. The cast does an excellent job of making clear the various factions right from the start. Jane Macfie is particularly good as Gloucester when speaking against the marriage, saying “She should have stay’d in France, and starved in France.” Also fantastic in this scene is Richard Perloff as Cardinal Beaufort, especially as he speaks against Gloucester and in doing so at one point crosses himself, making us question the truth of his religious convictions. Jonathan Fisher does a great job with the scene’s closing soliloquy, and we in the audience can’t help but side with him because of his passionate performance.

What is also interesting is that Henry VI enters during that speech, and stands in the shadows stage right, remaining there for the next scene, with Gloucester and Eleanor (Tara Donovan). At the end of that scene, Henry VI crosses left as if to follow them out, but then remains as Margaret (Bridget Garwood) and Suffolk (Brad Light) enter. Of course, in this scene we witness Margaret’s true feelings. Does Henry VI also witness them? It is an interesting effect, basically splitting Henry VI into two beings – there is the man himself, who is viewed as the weak king but who seems to know more than he is given credit for, and there is the representation of the realm, or of history itself. And it is that second being that remains on stage, watching, witnessing, and not speaking. Henry VI then takes his throne, and is once again the king, though there is a continuity of presence, for he is silent for much of the scene, as the other characters squabble and scheme. And so that heightens the idea that the king and the realm are one entity, that on some level he is aware of all that transpires. It isn’t until Eleanor argues with Margaret that Henry VI breaks his silence.

In this production, Eleanor alone does the incantation scene, taking on the parts of both the witch and the spirit that is summoned. Tara Donovan does a superb job with this scene, kneeling on the floor and placing candles down with great sense of ceremony. And when she asks about the future of the king, Henry VI enters stage right and watches silently. While voicing the spirit’s responses, Eleanor engages in automatic writing. It is a cool and interesting way of presenting the scene. All of this is done under an eerie red light. After that scene, Henry VI changes his entire demeanor as it becomes day and he takes joy in watching a falcon fly. There is such a wonderful innocence in his countenance then, when he is momentarily freed from the burdens of state. And it is clear that he feels he still needs guidance, as when he moves toward Gloucester for mutual comfort and Margaret stops him with a sound. Her power then is clear, but that moment is even more about Henry VI needing someone to guide him. When Gloucester speaks of willingly handing over his staff, Margaret grabs it from him, which then leads to Gloucester’s “As others would ambitiously receive it,” a nice touch. Henry then looks at the staff, and we can see by his expression that he is wondering if he’s made the right choice, wondering if he’s ready to be his own protector. In another scene, he nervously awaits Gloucester’s arrival, while the others stand about silently, and we see by their disposition just how alone Henry VI is. When Gloucester does arrive, it is then that Henry VI quickly returns to his throne, a nice moment showing how much he does need Gloucester to feel secure in his position. And Jane Macfie is great as Gloucester during the “these days are dangerous” speech. After Henry VI and others exit, Margaret sits on the throne. Then during York’s speech, on “the next for me,” he places his hand on the throne. The throne is really at the center of the play, and is in the center of the stage.

When hearing of Gloucester’s death, Henry VI falls to the floor, his crown coming off his head and rolling away from him, a perfect image. And then Bridget Garwood is fantastic as Margaret when telling Henry VI to look upon her, and throughout that scene. Margaret falls to her knees to beg on behalf of Suffolk, and remains there as Henry VI and others exit. It isn’t until she says “Give me thy hand” to Suffolk that she gets up, using Suffolk’s support to rise from her knees. On “And take my heart with thee,” she pulls him close for another kiss.

There is a good amount of humor in the production too, as in the delightful scene of the husband who claims to have undergone a miracle, and also when York delivers the complicated and convoluted line of reasoning leading to his claim to the throne. Jonathan Fisher does an excellent job with those speeches. The combat between the two possible villains also contains a good deal of humor. And there is a lot of humor in the Jack Cade scenes. Shakespeare is always relevant, and it the Jack Cade scenes that speak most strongly to the strange times we are experiencing. The bit where his followers consider being educated a crime certainly rings true, for a certain portion of our population is clearly and sadly in that camp even today. A segment of our population celebrates ignorance, and one of our two political parties capitalizes on that, just as Jack Cade aims to do in this play. And the scene showing how easily the people are led and misled also calls to mind those citizens who digest FOX News and believe whatever it is they are told in the moment. Interestingly, this production concludes the way this company’s production of Henry VI Part 1 ended, with lines from the Chorus’ speech at the end of Henry V. Henry VI speaks the last line, “That they lost France and made his England bleed.”

Henry VI Part 2 was directed by Stephanie Coltrin with Jonathan Fisher. The performance includes one fifteen-minute intermission, coming at the end of Act III. There are only two more performances, which are this coming weekend. Visit the theatre’s website for more information. Little Fish Theatre is located at 777 Centre Street in San Pedro, California.

Shakespeare Reference in No Simple Highway

Peter Richardson’s No Simple Highway: A Cultural History Of The Grateful Dead contains one Shakespeare reference. Richardson writes, “The Beats were a band of brothers, the Pranksters a psychedelic tribe on the move” (p. 42). The phrase “band of brothers” comes from Henry V’s famous speech, in which he says “We few, we happy few, we band of brothers.”

No Simple Highway: A Cultural History Of The Grateful Dead was published in 2014. The First St. Martin’s Griffin Edition was published in December 2015. I bought my paperback copy in 2019.

Shakespeare References in On Death And Dying

Death has been on my mind lately, so I finally read On Death And Dying by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross. The book contains two Shakespeare references. Or, rather, it makes the same reference to Hamlet twice. Kübler-Ross writes, “To tell or not to tell, that is the question” (p. 28). She is talking about whether to tell a patient that he or she is dying. I wasn’t aware there was a question at all. I assumed doctors were under some sort of obligation to let patients know such things. A few pages later, she makes the same reference, writing, “Another example of a problem of ‘to tell or not to tell’ is Mr. D., of whom nobody was sure whether he knew the nature of his illness” (p. 35).

On Death And Dying was published in 1969. First Macmillan Paperbacks Edition was published in 1970.

Cindy & The Disco Ball: The Musical (2022 Production) Theatre Review

Cindy & The Disco Ball: The Musical takes the Cinderella story and places it firmly in 1976, with all the trappings and lingo and dance moves of the time. Like most Cinderella stories, this production is aimed mainly at a younger audience. Though, because of its setting, adults will get a kick out of it too, particularly those of us old enough to recall the 1970s. And it seems appropriate to perform this show at Garry Marshall Theatre, for it was right at that time that Garry Marshall came to fame for creating television programs like Happy Days, Mork & Mindy and Laverne & Shirley (the last premiered in 1976). It was directed by Joseph Leo Bwarie and Christine Lakin, featuring choreography by Anna Aimee White, and music direction by Ryan Whyman.The book and lyrics are by Joseph Leo Bwarie and Lori Marshall.

The set has the appearance or feel of a 1970s game show (particularly Match Game), with shades of yellow and orange as its dominant colors, and with the shape of the entrances. Also, the pattern of the multi-colored stripes on the floor leading from the main entrance upstage center to the audience is something that will take most folks right back to the 1970s. Stage right there is a revolving platform, and downstage right and left are multicolored curtains. Theatre goers are by now used to the announcements to silence cell phones, and the announcement before this performance plays on the fact that it takes place in the 1970s: “So put away those cell phones, because they didn’t even exist.”

As the play begins, the Fairy Godmother character, here called the Soul Sister (played by Malynda Hale), sings a song about stepping back in time, further helping to take the audience back to the 1970s. In addition to being a character, she functions partially as a narrator, and also as a metatheatrical device, pulling aside the stage left curtain to reveal the band. She also directly engages the audience, even taking a Polaroid photo of folks. Photos will play a big part in the story, as Cindy (Jasiana Caraballo) is an avid photographer. Cindy is of course the Cinderella character, the step-sister to Eleanor (Abigail Kate Thomas), both students at a high school in Los Angeles, and both interested in the arts, which gives them some common ground. Rounding out the small cast are Hayden Kharrazi as Tommy, the head of the school paper, and Christopher Baker as Buddy, the school track star and boyfriend to Eleanor. There is no cruel stepmother in this telling (Eleanor’s mother is in New York), so it is just Eleanor that treats Cindy like a servant. Cindy sings a song about picturing her future, which is cute, in part because of her love of photography and in part because we in the audience are in the future. The dominance of yellow and orange extends to the costuming, as Cindy wears a yellow dress over an orange shirt.

Cindy is not a wilting wallflower in this telling, and does speak up for herself, questioning her sister, though ultimately doing what is expected of her. And though Eleanor at one point tells her, “People don’t even know you exist,” that doesn’t quite ring true, as both Buddy and Tommy are not only aware of her, but seem to very much like her. So all of the characters on stage do know her quite well. As a result, this Cinderella never quite seems alone, and maybe is not in as much need of a fairy godmother as other Cinderellas. But everyone can use a helping hand, right? Each of the characters has a strong passion, which he or she sings about, and much of the message of this play is about following one’s passion, doing one’s own thing. As mentioned, Cindy’s main interest is photography, and when Tommy receives excellent photographs from an unknown source, the audience is immediately certain that the photos are Cindy’s. When Tommy sings about his passion for journalism, some of his dance moves are adorable, particularly as he sings, “News, news, news.” But perhaps the biggest laugh of the show comes when Buddy says, “People should not take pictures of themselves,” of course referring to that current craze with cell phones. Unfortunately, that line is repeated a little later, which lessens its impact. Each of the actors is fully committed to his or her character, and a lot of the joy of this production comes from their performances and the dances. The song about following one’s dream has a deliciously funky groove.

Enjoyment for those of us in the audience who were around for at least part of the 1970s also comes from references to things from our youth, such as rotary phones and Tab. Soul Sister also quotes songs by Joni Mitchell and The Five Stairsteps (both of the songs mentioned are from 1970). There is the sense that the 1970s were an innocent time, which is interesting because Happy Days, which aired in the 1970s, looked back at the 1950s as an innocent time. So I suppose we all tend to look back fondly, forgetting some of the more troubling aspects of any given time (though I doubt anyone could do that with the 1930s and early 1940s). At any rate, in this play, Cindy has the idea to hold a citywide dance in order to support continued funding for the arts in school. She decides not to attend the dance herself, in part because she has nothing to wear. But you know Soul Sister is going to do something about that. It wouldn’t be Cinderella without some special shoes, and the shoes Cindy ends up sporting have a strong 1970s vibe. She also gets a fresh outfit and some magic film. Soul Sister warns her that the magic will wear off at midnight. But that should be no problem. What high school dance ever went that late?

Cindy & The Disco Ball: The Musical runs through October 30, 2022, with performances every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. There is one fifteen-minute intermission. The scenic design is by Tom Wagman, the lighting design is by Martha Carter, the sound design is by Robert Arturo Ramirez, and the costume design is by Jessica Champagne Hansen. Garry Marshall Theatre is located at 4252 West Riverside Drive in Burbank, California.

production photo by Matthew Gilmore

 

production photo by Matthew Gilmore