Shakespeare Reference in You Can Heal Your Life

I had a few boxes of books that I had planned on using as set dressing for a film. We haven’t shot the film, and I no longer have space for the books, so I’ve been so slowly going through the boxes and reading most of them before donating them. So many of them have Shakespeare references, including Louise Hay’s You Can Heal Your Life. This book has a reference to A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Hay writes: “If you saw your problems on a stage in a play by Neil Simon, you would laugh yourself right out of the chair. Tragedy and comedy are the same things. It just depends on your viewpoint! ‘Oh, what fools we mortals be’” (p. 99). “Lord, what fools these mortals be” is a line spoken by Puck in the play’s third act.

You Can Heal Your Life was published in 1984.

Shakespeare References in Meeting The Madwoman

Linda Schierse Leonard’s Meeting The Madwoman contains a couple of Shakespeare references. She mentions two Shakespearean characters in her list of literary “madwomen”: “In world literature, she is also represented by Clytemnestra, Electra, Antigone, Ophelia, Lady Macbeth, Madame Bovary, the Madwoman of Chaillot, and the mad Mrs. Rochester, locked away in the attic in Jane Eyre” (P. 12). Then, approximately halfway through the book, there is another reference to Macbeth: “She portrayed the ambitious Lady Macbeth, obsessed by guilt after she has her husband kill the king” (p. 145).

Meeting The Madwoman was published in 1993. The Bantam trade paperback edition was published in April 1994.

Macbeth (Independent Shakespeare Company’s 2022 Production) Theatre Review

production photo by Grettel Cortes

Macbeth contains arguably the best speech in all of Shakespeare’s plays, the “Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow” speech, which concludes with these lines: “Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player/That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,/And then is heard no more. It is a tale/Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,/Signifying nothing.” Those last lines, about the meaninglessness of it all, are incredibly striking. They come just after Macbeth has learned that his wife is dead, and now it seems to him that all is for naught, that this is not the way his story was supposed to proceed. Those lines are especially powerful when the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth is as strong as it is in the Independent Shakespeare Company’s new production of the play in Griffith Park. This production was directed by David Melville, and features Sam Breen as Macbeth and Kalean Ung as Lady Macbeth.

The company’s planned permanent stage is not yet built, so this production is performed just a bit up the hill from the usual location, at the site of last year’s production of The Tempest. This time the company has chosen to put full emphasis on the words and the performances, with the stage being a simple wood platform, only one level, with no backdrop. As the ground rises behind the stage, this production uses the natural landscape of the park as its backdrop, creating new possibilities for entrances and exits, as well as a natural depth to the performing space, which the company uses to great effect. All that is on the stage as the performance begins are two short ladders, both painted black. Sound is also a key aspect of this production, and there are speakers throughout the audience to help immerse everyone in the atmosphere and action. Before the play begins, an announcement reminds the audience, “Silence your phones, beware of witches.”

The three witches (Carene Mekertichyan, Bukola Ogunmola, Sabra Williams) enter through the audience to the stage, each wearing a different color of facial makeup. Then they continue beyond, up the hill, where they remain in a circle around a tree, holding hands, perfectly still, while the action continues in front of them. It is almost as if they are summoning their powers, and are aware of the action without even viewing it, and it is a wonderfully eerie image. Macbeth and Banquo (Richard Azurdia) use the ladders as horses. And partly because of the sound effect of horse hooves stepping, this elicits some laughter from the audience. Macbeth begins to draw his sword after they tell him he’ll be king, until Banquo’s line stops him. When the witches say “all hail, Macbeth and Banquo,” they face the audience, as if directing us. Macbeth and Banquo have a friendly, somewhat playful relationship, which is great, particularly as it gives Macbeth that much farther to fall. Macbeth’s “Without my stir” lines are delivered to the heavens, as if to ask them to do this work for him, suggesting that he would willingly accept their help and showing that he would prefer to do nothing to fulfill the witches’ prediction. Duncan (David Melville) uses one of the ladders as his throne. As he proclaims his eldest son “Prince of Cumberland,” everyone bows down before him, with Macbeth hesitating briefly before following suit. Clearly Macbeth is surprised by this move, having already grown used to the idea of his own rapid advancement, and now desiring it.

One of the production’s best performances is by Kalean Ung as Lady Macbeth. As she reads the letter, Lady Macbeth grows excited when hearing the prediction that her husband will be king, and it is clear she is ready to plot immediately and push him to action. She looks to the heavens on the “unsex me here” speech, drawing a connection between her and her husband for the audience before we ever see them together, and also showing how strongly this belief in spirits is held in the world of the play. Macbeth enters behind her toward the end of her speech, and so sees her rapture. Lady Macbeth is incredibly seductive as she unfolds her thoughts on what Macbeth should do. How could he do anything but what would please her? The power she has over him is clear. When Duncan and his entourage arrive at Macbeth’s home, a staff is used to announce their royal presence. The dialogue about the castle which then follows is delivered as if to pass the time while waiting for admittance, a nice touch. It’s interesting, for it raises the question of why Lady Macbeth waits as long as she does. Is this part of her plan, or was she perhaps busy working her magic on a rather reluctant Macbeth? As the guests gather upstage, Macbeth watches them. The action then freezes for Macbeth to deliver his “If it were done” speech. What’s wonderful here is how different his demeanor and attitude are when he is away from Lady Macbeth. Here he decides to take no further action, and seems resolute. And when Lady Macbeth enters, Macbeth steps away from her, looking out to the audience, quite a different reaction from that when he first saw her. He faces away from her when he says he will proceed no further, as if worried that by looking at her, his determination will wither. And of course that is what happens. She seduces him into action again. On Macbeth’s “false heart doth know,” he leads Lady Macbeth away by the hand. But she casts one last confident glance at the audience as if to boast that she is control. And a little later, what a delightfully twisted image she presents as she runs up the hill in her white nightgown, holding a bloody dagger in each hand. Then, when she returns, she comes with her bloody hands held high, almost proudly.

When asked if the king is stirring, Macbeth pauses before answering, “Not yet,” another nice touch. Sam Breen is great as Macbeth when watching Lennox’s reaction to the calls of “horror” before reacting himself, echoing his “What’s the matter?” I love that moment. It is like Macbeth is a child learning how to behave in a certain situation. He is cautious at first, but soon that caution seems to disappear as he tells of how he dispatched the men he claims murdered Duncan. Lady Macbeth at that point tries to stop him, worried that he will say something to raise suspicions, eventually resorting to pretending to faint, which works. Though Duncan’s two sons are mentioned, only one actually appears in this production, Malcolm (Kelvin Morales). So the dialogue where they split up is cut. Lady Macbeth is fantastic in the sleepwalking scene. She has changed so much from the woman we first met, and we can’t help but feel for her here. She delivers a powerful and captivating performance. When she takes the light to return to bed, she wanders out into the audience. The ghost of Banquo, already within the audience, follows her, which is an incredible moment, indicating she is close to death.

As I mentioned earlier, this production makes great use of sound throughout the performance. One example is the sound of the interior pulsing of Macbeth’s blood, leading to his “dagger” line. An actual dagger is used, by the way, held up by the witches in front of the stage. This gives extra force to his “witchcraft celebrates” line within that speech. Another example is the great whispering of “Sleep no more” among the audience. Further immersing the audience in the action is the way the three witches use audience members to portray the line of succession of kings, which is wonderful. The violent scenes are handled well. Banquo’s death is not quick. He puts up a fight, as one might expect. And Lady Macduff is killed on the hill behind the stage, her body remaining there throughout the following scene with Macduff (Hideyoshi Akai) and Malcolm, which is interesting, for it keeps her in the audience’s mind even before Macduff learns of her death. And the fight between Macbeth and Macduff is long enough that we believe they are exhausted by the end of it. One particularly interesting moment in that fight sequence is when Macbeth holds two swords and seems all but certain of finishing Macduff, who has but a dagger with which to defend himself. It is then that Macduff reveals that he was “Untimely ripp’d” from his mother’s womb, information that alone seems to conquer Macbeth.

The production’s director, David Melville, plays a few roles. In addition to Duncan, he plays the Porter and Seyton. Known perhaps most for his excellent comedic sense and timing, he especially shines in the role of the Porter. He gets the audience to provide the “Who’s there?” lines during his “Knock, knock” speech, and inserts some lines about current American politics. Talk about equivocating and treason! As Seyton, he provides some humor as well, such as his reaction when he looks out to see the army approaching. And Sam Breen is at his best when Macbeth becomes more unhinged and manic. Then when Seyton delivers the line about Lady Macbeth’s death, there is a long pause as this information strikes Macbeth before he begins the “Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow” speech. And we can sense a great shift in him in that moment. By the time he gets to “Signifying nothing,” Macbeth is angry, which works well leading to the fight scenes. The witches have the final word in this production, returning us to the beginning of the play, as if to suggest that this sort of thing is going to repeat forever, that people will always be foolish in their brief lives.

This production of Macbeth runs through September 4th. There is one intermission, which comes at the end of Act III Scene iv.  The performances are free, but donations are accepted and encouraged. And due to the limited space in this location, registration is required. Visit the Independent Shakespeare Company’s website for the complete schedule, as well as directions and information on registering.

Willy’s Lil Virgin Queen (2022 Online Production) Theatre Review

production photo

Willy’s Lil Virgin Queen is a one-woman show written and performed by Terra Taylor Knudson, and directed by Jessica Lynn Johnson. Often hilarious and yet also quite moving, this show combines Terra Taylor Knudson’s passion for Shakespeare with personal anecdotes marking important moments in her development, as both an actor and a person. One thing that is remarkable is how seamless it all is, the way she is able to move from the words of the bard to her own words and back so easily, creating a flow that pulls the audience into her story. And though she speaks of things from the past, there is a strong sense of immediacy for both her and the audience, especially at key moments. That feeling is so strong that at times we want to offer comfort.

The performance begins with Terra Taylor Knudson giving us a bit of Mistress Page from the beginning of Act II of The Merry Wives Of Windsor, reading the love letter from John Falstaff. Her reaction to the line “You are not young” is delightful. And once she gets to the end of the letter, she breaks from Mistress Page and talks about her first experience with the works of Shakespeare, attending a performance of Merry Wives when she was nine. She doesn’t just speak about it, but rather relives it, taking the audience to the excitement of that moment. The impact of that experience is clear in her voice and body language. She moves back and forth from the play to her reaction to the play, as she is both the performer and the audience, which is wonderful (and I can’t imagine all that easy to do). Some of the humor comes from her admitting that at first she did not understand much of it. “It sounded like English,” she says, “but only when the occasional recognizable word would pass me by, like ‘and’ or ‘the’ or ‘or.’” Certainly, many folks can relate to that. She then describes the moment when the poetry hit her and she was sucked into it, and it was then that she knew that she wanted to perform. It is the sort of passion you hope everyone experiences, if not for Shakespeare specifically, then at least for something. And so even those who might not be extremely knowledgeable about Shakespeare can connect to her performance, to her passion.

Terra Taylor Knudson builds a rapport with the audience by speaking directly to them, and at times interacting with them, as when she asks for a show of hands as to who has seen at least a few of the plays. And for those who are not familiar with Shakespeare, she provides a brief history of his life, joking about those pesky gaps in his known history, and also provides an abbreviated course in English history, related to his history plays, drawing cheers and applause from the audience as she quickly lists the monarchs. She moves in and out of the works themselves, delivering a bit of Joan of Arc from The First Part Of King Henry The Sixth, and a little of Richard The Third, for examples, and making it all so easy to follow, even for those with little to no experience with Shakespeare. She also sneaks in a Monty Python reference, so of course I can’t help but fall for her. The performance is at its most captivating when she connects her own life to certain Shakespearean characters, such as Ophelia. And when describing part of her college dorm experience, she works in my absolute favorite speech from all of Shakespeare’s plays, Macbeth’s “Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow” speech, and does an absolutely great job with it. Much of this performance is hilarious, which makes the serious moments toward the end all the more powerful and heartbreaking, leading to a heartfelt and moving Hamlet. This is a fascinating and completely enjoyable production, showing that Shakespeare is always relevant.

Willy’s Lil Virgin Queen is hosted by C ARTS, and can be viewed by clicking here. Tickets are a pay-what-you-can deal.

Shakespeare References in The Diary Of Anaïs Nin Volume Six: 1955-1966

The Diary Of Anaïs Nin Volume Six: 1955-1966, which was edited by Gunther Stuhlmann, contains a few Shakespeare references. The first is to Hamlet, and it comes in a letter written to Nin by Jim Herlihy: “Your description of Reginald as Hamlet in your house was lovely, and your comments on our lives” (p. 5). The second reference comes from another letter from Jim: “I’m certain that was the essential strength of Shakespeare and Dostoevski and D.H. Lawrence and Tennessee Williams – their fidelity to their own voice, no room for doubt, no time for it” (p. 95). The next reference is to Othello, with Nin writing, “where Gonzalo enacted the wildest of all scenes of jealousy, worthy of Othello” (p. 161). The final two references are to Shakespeare himself. Nin writes, “The comics, like Shakespeare, are always from the people and always picture fear, cowardice or greed” (p. 204). And then, in describing the library of Harry Moore, Nin writes: “Collections of Proust, Aldington, Roman Nouveau, Shakespeare, Milton, modern writers” (P. 347). This book was published in 1976. 

A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Open Fist Theatre Company 2022 Production) Theatre Review

Shakespeare is always relevant, and his plays can work equally well when set in different times. Open Fist Theatre Company’s new production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Atwater Village Theatre moves the action to the deep south in the mid-1800s, during the time of slavery. As you might expect, this version of the Dream has a more serious tone at times than most productions, as it addresses a serious topic. But the text remains in place, and so there are plenty of laughs. In fact, this production contains one of the funniest sequences involving the four lovers that I’ve ever seen. That itself becomes interesting, because it reminds us that plantation owners still went about their own lives, often heedless of the damage they were causing. And the distinction between the world of the whites and the world of the blacks at this time is apparent from the moment the audience enters the theatre, for the stage is essentially divided into two sections. Upstage center is part of a white column, creating the sense of one of those plantation mansions. To the left of that column, from the audience’s perspective, is the interior of the home, with a drink cart, wood hutch, trunk, a bear skin rug, and a hunting trophy mounted on the wall. To the right of that column, again from the audience’s perspective, is the exterior of a wooden shed, along with some crates and a barrel. Downstage of those is part of a tree with rope hanging from it. The difference between the two places is extreme, and yet most of the action takes place in the middle of it all, blurring the lines, for their lives of course did intersect.

As the performance begins, the characters are introduced through choreographed movement, which also works to set up the differences between the groups of people. Then Theseus (Bryan Bertone) is seated, being shaved by a slave. Hippolyta (Heather Mitchell) seems already a part of the plantation, so we lose some of the sense of her being a warrior who was wooed with Theseus’ sword, though those lines are still spoken. Theseus is dressed in a white suit and holds a cigar, and for a moment I am reminded of Boss Hogg. When Egeus (Alexander Wells) enters, he carries a gun, and pushes Hermia in front of him. Hermia (Sandra Kate Burck) falls to the floor, where she remains in tears until Lysander (Dylan Wittrock) gently offers her his hand. It is a nice touch that Lysander, and not Demetrius (Devon Armstrong), is quick to aid her, establishing immediately which is the better pairing. Lysander boldly shows his pistol after delivering his line about Demetrius possessing Hermia’s father’s love. Then Egeus escalates things by threatening Lysander with his gun, until Theseus puts a stop to it, which then gives more weight to his “private schooling for you both” line. Interestingly, while this action is occurring, farther upstage, just beyond the column and white picket fence, black people go about their work, picking cotton, completely ignored and likewise ignoring what is happening with the white folks within. Though we don’t get the sense of Hippolyta as a warrior, she does exit on her own, showing she doesn’t need Theseus, which is nice.

Hermia appears truly worried, her eyes wet with tears, when she speaks with Lysander. She is then surprised at Lysander’s plan, and gives it some thought before suddenly showing elation, a wonderful moment. When Helena (Ann Marie Wilding) enters behind them, she is reading a book and is unnoticed by the two lovers. When they begin to kiss, she turns around to leave, and it is then that they see her. Hermia is absolutely great when describing Demetrius’ actions and her own to Helena. This is a strong cast, but Sandra Kate Burck is particularly good.

The Mechanicals are black, with the one exception of Peter Quince (Debba Rofheart), who wishes to help them and has a special soft spot for Bottom. When Bottom (Michael A. Shepperd) asks if his character is “a lover or a tyrant,” it is clear he wants to the answer to be tyrant, and is momentarily disappointed when told he’ll be playing a lover. And we wonder then if he wishes for just once to be a man with power, even if only on the stage. Bottom is hilarious when trying to also get the part of Thisby. Because two of the Mechanicals are women, it is confusing why one of the men would be given the part of Thisby while one of the women is given the part of Pyramus’s father (and eventually plays Wall). Why wouldn’t they be handed the opposite roles? Snug (Azeem Vecchio) is endearing when expecting to be handed a scroll but receiving none. The line “That would hang us, every mother’s son,” spoken by them all, carries a tremendous amount of weight in this production, because we know that danger is real.

The magical characters of the play are likewise all black, with actors playing the Mechanicals also taking on roles as the fairies. Puck’s introduction is beautifully choreographed, with magic present right from the start. The changeling boy in this production is an infant, Titania (Ash Saunders) carrying him in her arms when she enters. The magical characters have plain, poor clothes, mostly in shades of beige and brown, certainly not the usual costuming. Titania shows her power over Puck (Monazia Smith), freezing him in place. Then Oberon (Phillip C. Curry) casts his own magic over Titania, which works only briefly before Titania speaks of the changeling boy’s mother. While Oberon and Titania may currently be at odds with one another, there is a wonderful moment when Titania holds out her hand to Oberon, offering the line “And see our moonlight revels, go with us” gently and lovingly. And it is in that moment that we see the heart of their relationship. She waits until she is leaving before freeing Puck. Then Oberon turns toward where Titania had exited, directing his “or woman madly dote” at her, or at her absence, another nice touch. There is an excellent moment when Oberon gets the flower from Puck, producing it in his hand before Puck can even hand it to him. Interestingly, the fairies’ song is not sung by Titania’s fairies. The first verse is sung by Puck, while Oberon then takes the verse about spiders before putting the magic flower on Titania.

Helena steals a kiss from Demetrius during their chase. Both actors are fantastic here, particularly on the lines about “mischief.” When Lysander and Hermia enter, Lysander is carrying a map or written directions, which he glances at. Lysander and Hermia also kiss, that kiss being in contrast to the one between Helena and Demetrius. Puck’s delivery of “On the dank and dirty ground” is hilarious, the joy and excitement of finding them disappearing when noticing the dirty ground upon which they lie. Lysander springs awake and gets right on top of Helena. There is another wonderful moment when Lysander grabs his coat as he exits. That coat had been used by Hermia as a pillow, and he pulls it out from under her with nary a thought of her well-being. That is what then wakes her. Hermia is again excellent in this scene.

When Bottom next enters, he is at first frightened before gathering himself to deliver the line, “Are we all met?” It is a strong moment, again making apparent the danger they are in. Bottom is fantastic when coming up with the solution regarding the lion, giving a captivating and truthful performance. While it still seems odd to me that the woman playing Wall wouldn’t instead play Thisby, it does allow for a funny moment when Bottom says “Some man or other must present Wall,” stressing the word “other” and meaning “woman.” This scene is a total delight. As for the transformation, Bottom is given donkey ears and a nose. He is hilarious when he stands still for an extended moment after saying he will not stir from this place. Titania enters behind him when he sings, and she dances to his song, which is absolutely wonderful. She also laughs at his jokes, which surprises Bottom. Both Bottom and Titania deliver strong and nuanced performances. And Puck is a delight as he describes to Oberon how Titania fell in love with an ass. Puck gives a lively, energetic and excited performance that is a joy to watch. Titania’s bower is the set of the interior of the plantation home, and Bottom is seated where Theseus was at the beginning, which is interesting, particularly considering a later moment during the Mechanicals’ performance. He is even handed a drink from the drink cart.

As I mentioned earlier, the scene of confusion among the four lovers is as funny as I’ve ever seen it. They are in their sleeping clothes, and so Lysander and Demetrius are, at least in costume, now identical. Those two are hilarious as they try to pick a flower to present to Helena. They also engage in poses in the hopes of wooing her. All four actors are absolutely wonderful here. Puck takes a whip from the trunk and uses it to cause each of the lovers to sleep, not striking them, but the floor. The last of the lovers to enter is Hermia, and she crawls in, giving the impression that it would take very little magic to make her sleep. But interestingly the whip doesn’t work with her, and for a moment Puck considers using a large rock to knock her out. Puck then exits wearing the whip like a boa. The use of the whip in this fashion is interesting for a couple of reasons. First, when we think of whips and Shakespeare, we generally think of The Taming Of The Shrew, so it comes as a surprise here. But, more importantly, the whip signifies punishment of slaves, so for a black character to not only use it, but to endow it with magical qualities and then to wear it, is to – at least momentarily – remove from it its original power. So it is a compelling image. The lovers do not sleep together in pairs, but singly.

In this production, Philostrate is a slave in the home, played by Monazia Smith, who also plays Puck. It is a striking bit of casting, because it raises the question of whether Puck is the freer, nighttime version of a person who is not at all free during the day. To take it even further, at night she imagines herself a man, and so with even more power and freedom. How much of this is really a dream? Philostrate comes when beckoned by Theseus, but is careful not to make eye contact with him. But then when Philostrate delivers the line, “No, my noble lord,” it is like she forgets herself for a moment, forgets her place, and shouts the “No!” She then quickly averts her eyes again. During the Mechanicals’ performance, Theseus and Hippolyta are seated, with the four lovers just below them. Egeus stands behind, still holding his gun. Quince is hurt by the joking of Theseus and the others. The dumb show is included in this production. Bottom changes his mind about the color of his beard, coming out the second time with a different one, a really nice touch. And he changes his mind again a bit later. But the most remarkable moment during the Mechanicals’ performance comes when Bottom, without thinking, contradicts Theseus about what the Wall should do. Theseus and the lovers are shocked that Bottom has the audacity to not only speak to them, but to contradict Theseus. Theseus has generally had a genial air about him, but this might have crossed a line. For soon after this, when he says “and her passion ends the play,” the line is delivered as a command. And the Mechanicals are not asked to do the epilogue or the dance, and are left standing there, uncertain what to do, when Theseus tells the lovers to go to bed. It is another compelling stage image. Is the dream, for them, now over? But this production gives us one more startling image, when Bottom is shown to be able to see Oberon, Titania and Puck, and then stands with Puck at the very end, revealing something about Puck’s life and relationship to the whip used earlier.

This production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream was directed by James Fowler. It runs through August 13, 2022. Visit the company’s website, for the complete schedule. There is one fifteen-minute intermission, which comes toward the end of Act III Scene ii. The Atwater Village Theatre is located at 3269 Casitas Ave. in Los Angeles, California.

production photo by John Dimitri

production photo by Frank Ishman