by Emma Lee
Bear Productions has done something seemingly bold. They have taken their 7 allotted show times and split them between two parts of the same play: Speare part 1 and Speare part 2. Don’t worry; they give a recap at the beginning of part 2 so you are able to see it completely independently like I did. However, in hindsight I wish I could blame not knowing what was going on, on the problems with the show. Speare is a story that starts with a what if – as many good stories do. What if all the best Shakespeare characters met and embarked on one giant bloodlusty adventure together? Possibly a very interesting concept. Possibly, if every element of it were not completely amateur in its vision and execution. Let’s put aside for a moment the pseudo Shakespearean writing that features some of literature's most famous and beloved characters being poorly and inaccurately portrayed – don’t get me started on the idea that Iago and Edmund, two of the biggest badasses of literary history kowtow to a sea captain and Malvolio of all people – and focus on the fact that not one theatrical element from costumes, to props, to set, to lighting, could be labelled as anything but a bad high school production. Dressed in various shades of black with bad red sashes, plastic helmets, and a makeshift tunnel that you get to watch the actors struggle through time and time again, Speare delivers on the worst of Fringe possibilities, leaving the audience not only dissatisfied but scared as they promise a Speare part 3 to make it an unholy triumvirate.
Rating:
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.