The Duchess of Malfi by John Webster, Directed by Beth Burns for The Hidden Room, York Rite Masonic Hall, Austin TX, Sept 27 – Oct 20, 2019, reviewed on October 20, 2019 (www.hiddenroomtheatre.com). Reviewed by James Loehlin, University of Texas The Duchess of Malfi extends the Hidden Room Theatre’s project of marshalling historical performance techniques for potent contemporary […]
Booth’s Richard III, produced by the Hidden Room and The Harry Ransom Center at the Austin Scottish Rite Theater. Directed by Beth Burns. Austin, Texas, June 16, 2018. Reviewed by Michael Saenger. Fame and infamy come very close together, and always have. To be famous is to do something extraordinary, or to be someone who […]
Volpone by Ben Jonson, directed by Brent Griffin, Curtain Theater, Austin, Texas, 25 March, 2018. Reviewed by Michael Saenger Ben Jonson’s particular brand of moral satire suits the times. There are no heroes in Volpone, though Celia and Bonario have, at least, the moral character to qualify for valor, if not the psychological breadth that […]
Much Ado About Nothing, directed by Ann Ciccolella. Austin Shakespeare at the Rollins Theatre, The Long Center for the Performing Arts, Austin, TX. November 15, 2017 Reviewed by Michael Saenger. On an elegantly open stage, punctuated only by a standing lattice arch, Austin Shakespeare created an intoxicating sense of optimism and the distinct impression that […]
Henry IV by William Shakespeare, Directed by Beth Burns for The Hidden Room, York Rite Masonic Hall, Austin TX, Sept 8 – Oct 1, 2017 Reviewed James Loehlin on September 15, 2017 www.hiddenroomtheatre.com Beth Burns’s Austin company, The Hidden Room, has established a reputation for energetic and experimental early modern productions, often employing all-male companies […]
The Taming of the Shrew, directed by Kevin Gates. At the City Theater, Austin, TX, June 8, 2017. Review by Michael Saenger What in the world does one do with The Taming of the Shrew? When I was growing up, it was a staple of community theater, a hilarious and (chuckle) romantic tale of an […]
Much Ado About Nothing by Shit-faced Shakespeare, at the Spider House, Austin, Texas. December 9, 2016 Reviewed by Michael Saenger, Southwestern University Any production that takes place in a bar (attendees were carded) and calls itself “Shit-faced Shakespeare” is clearly not exactly meant to be taken seriously. But the last time I attended this venue, […]
The Merry Wives of Windsor, directed by Susan Gayle Todd and produced by the Austin Scottish Rite Theater and The Weird Sisters Women’s Theater Collective. At the Austin Scottish Rite Theater, August 3, 2016 Reviewed by Michael Saenger Whatever you might think is Shakespeare’s greatest play, Falstaff is almost certainly his greatest character. Shakespeare was […]
A Midsummer Night’s Dream by The City Theater, directed by Lindsay McKenna, Austin, Texas. July 9, 2016. Reviewed by Michael Saenger Supposedly, Yogi Berra once turned down an invitation to a particular restaurant, saying, “Nobody goes there anymore. It’s too crowded.” Something similar could be said about A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which is probably the […]
Richard III by The Baron’s Men, directed by Joe Falocco, at Garriott’s Curtain Theatre, Austin, Texas. April 7, 2016. Reviewed by Michael Saenger, Southwestern University Richard III is a savage, and Richard III is guilty pleasure. Theoretically, it’s a play that supports the Tudor myth; that is, a play that portrays a dastardly bad […]
