Monthly Archive for June, 2009

“Obsessed with the Bard”, Tina Packer on WBUR

Published on June 26, 2009 in 2009-2010 Season, Hamlet and In the News. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

Founder & Artistic Director Tina PackerFounding Artistic Director Tina Packer (now on stage as Gertrude in Hamlet) is the subject of a profile that aired today on WBUR (Boston’s NPR station). Andrea Shea speaks with Tina about her roots in England, her intentions for starting Shakespeare & Company and her future plans. Artistic Director Tony Simotes and Company actress Elizabeth Aspenlieder also speak about Tina and her impact.

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Listen to the story above, or check out the story at WBUR.org.

At the time she was obsessed with Shakespeare, but she wanted to approach his texts her own way. This ran against the genteel delivery style most teachers and directors embraced.

“Enunciating, pushing the vowels to the front of the mouth — especially for the women,” Packer says. “It’s all nonsense; Shakespeare’s dirty as hell and full of life and full of vivacity.”

So Packer abandoned her career as an actor in England, raised some money in the U.S., and founded her own company in the Berkshires. She was one of the first women to direct Shakespeare professionally. Packer says it’s a natural fit.

Tony, Tina and Annette on WAMC

Published on June 24, 2009 in 2009-2010 Season, In the News, Othello (2009), Pinter's Mirror and The Diva Series. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

’s speaks with Founding Artistic Director , Artistic Director , and Company member (and actress in Golda’s Balcony, now on stage) about Othello, Golda’s Balcony, Pinter’s Mirror and much more in this interview that aired Monday. Check it out at WAMC’s website, or listen below.

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Golda is “ten times more human”

Published on June 22, 2009 in 2009-2010 Season, Photos, Reviews and The Diva Series. 0 Comments

is back on stage as Golda Meir in William Gibson’s Golda’s Balcony, playing just two more weeks in the Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre. Her performance has been praised as “involving and enlightening” by Variety and “amazing”  by the Boston Globe.

Reviewer Peter Bergman (the North Adams Transcript and the Advocate), who saw Annette as Golda when she originated the role here seven years ago, had the following to say about this summer’s production:

Annette Miller frightens me. Seven years ago she took on the role of Golda Meir and I thought her performance perfect. Now, as part of the Diva Series at Shakespeare and Company, here is Annette Miller once again, reprising Golda Meir and making her ten times more human, fifty times more intimidating and altogether far too real. There is something superhuman in that ability to recreate something and do it even better. Here is no Carol Channing act with exactly the same gestures, inflections and rhythms. Here is life breathing on an enlarged soapbox. (Read the full review)

Golda’s Balcony is on stage through July 3. Buy tickets now. Check out the photos:

“Pure Pinter, Pure Theatre”

Published on June 18, 2009 in 2009-2010 Season, Pinter's Mirror and Reviews. 0 Comments

pintersco09kspra_40-sized The reviews are in for Pinter’s Mirror, three one-act plays by the master playwright Harold Pinter—”A Slight Ache”, “Family Voices” and “Victoria Station”. Featuring Shakespeare & Company stalwarts Elizabeth and and newcomer Stephen Pilkington, Pinter’s Mirror is directed by .

Here are some highlights. From the Berkshire Eagle:

Under Tucker’s masterly direction the Ingrams navigate Pinter’s minefield with a string of performances that are at once fearless and richly measured. (Read the full review)

And from Berkshire Living magazine:

This is Pinter at his best, both chilling and comic and terribly sad all at the same time…an hysterical volley of Marx Brothers-like back-and-forth. (Read the full review)

And from BerkshireBrightFocus.com (also the Advocate):

Harold Pinter taught us to wait for it. An old English theatrical line, once even used by Noel Coward in a one-act play from the “Tonight at 8:30″ group, the concept of “wait for it” is the driving force behind the relationships of all three sets of characters in this intriguing, thoughtful and humorous evening of plays at Shakespeare and Company in Lenox, Massachusetts. (Read the full review)

Pinter’s Mirror is on stage through August 2 in the Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre. Buy tickets now!

“Pinter’s Mirror” now on stage! (Photos)

Published on June 11, 2009 in 2009-2010 Season, Photos and Pinter's Mirror. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

Pinter’s Mirror, three short one-acts by the late playwright Harold Pinter, begins previews this afternoon before opening Saturday night. Directed by and featuring Elizabeth and , this is a rare opportunity to see these two extraordinarily gifted actors work together (they’re joined onstage by S&Co newcomer Stephen Pilkington). Check out the photos below, and buy tickets now.

View Charlotte Salomon’s paintings online

Published on June 10, 2009 in 2009-2010 Season and The Diva Series. 2 Comments
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, oil 1940. Collection Jewish Historical Museum, Amsterdam © Foundation

Charlotte Salomon’s massive work Leben? Oder Theater? (Life? Or Theatre?) is being displayed in the collection of the Jewish Historical Museum in Amsterdam.

From the Museum’s website: “In her work Charlotte reaches out to her audience by mingling fantasy and reality. Her family and friends are the actors and have appropriate pseudonyms. Her texts are simple, laced with quotations from German literature. Charlotte also indicates music that increases the dramatic effect. She calls Life? or Theatre? a Singespiel or lyrical drama.”

View the paintings online at the Jewish Historical Museum’s website.

The Actors Rehearse the Story of Charlotte Salomon is the story of a Jewish theatre troupe dramatizing the story of Salomon’s work. It plays through Sunday in the Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre.

Video Preview: …Charlotte Salomon

Published on June 6, 2009 in 2009-2010 Season, S&Co Video and The Diva Series. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

The Actors Rehearse the Story of is now playing (through next Sunday, June 14) in the Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre. It features in a myriad of roles in a true-to-life story about family, the artistic journey and the strength of the human voice. Take a look at this video, created by director Jonathan Rest, for a taste of the power in this one-woman play (written by , Penny Kreitzer and Jonathan Rest). Buy tickets now.

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