Shakespeare's R & J

Imagine you’re a teenage boy at an oppressive male-only catholic boarding school. Repression is rife. Discipline and corporal punishment are routine. The classes dull. The school considers Romeo and Juliet to be a subversive text full of violence, underage marriage, parental disobedience, murder, lies, deceit and the most unforgivable sin of all, suicide. The play is banned. This is the context to Shakespeare’s R & J by Joe Calarco.

But four boys decide what better way to defy authority and get some excitement in their life than to read the play at night, in secret, in constant danger of being discovered. Just like the characters in the play, their meetings are fraught with danger and the threat of being expelled.

So just like the original play, in Shakespeare’s R & J the school environment is high risk. For these four boys the oppressive, violent city of Verona is mirrored in their school. The playwright Joe Calarco has taken the original play and put it in this invigorating context. What you will see is a tight performance of the play, along with dialogue, sonnets and speeches.

Once the boys get past their larking and bravado and discover the power of the play, they play the characters for real, but at no time do they become the characters; At all times they have their own personalities, so they have the strong vibrant energy of male teenagers. And they play the women characters straight too, discovering just how powerful Shakespeare’s dialogue is for these women.

As boys, they play the love scenes between the very young teen couple with all the energy and testosterone that teens have. As Stephen Pike of The Q said, ‘This is the closest we’ll get to seeing Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet as it was originally performed.’ Until the restoration of the monarchy, it was considered improper for women to be involved anywhere in the theatre, so boys played all those romantic, passionate female roles we know so well. Doubling, and trebling of roles was also commonplace.

For some FUSE readers, seeing two teenage boys kiss tenderly will be a highlight, but this interpretation isn’t just a cheap trick.

It brings to our mind all the feelings the boys would have for the illicit nature of what they are doing. The original lovers’ illicit romance (Juliet is thirteen after all) is reflected in the illicit nature of the boys kissing each other. They would be shamed and banished, just like Romeo and Juliet, were they discovered. Will they be? By giving the play this new context, we feel again the power of the original just as the original viewers must have seen it and go through the emotions that the characters feel. It’s quite a masterpiece of theatre and one not to miss.

Shakespeare’s R & J is brought to us by Riverside Theatre, Parramatta and Phil Bathols with the four boys played by Tom Stokes, Ben Gerrard, Garth Holcombe and Julian Curtis. A very minimal set and costuming enables the boys to quickly go from their schoolyard personas to the characters. A boy becomes a maid with just the use of a scrap of cloth as a scarf. This is a play and a production that calls for the highest level of performance for it to succeed, which by all reports they do movingly.

The Q – Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre is one of the most stunning venues in Australia, a winner of architecture awards. Each year’s season of works keeps getting better and more diverse. Don’t miss Caravan, Lying Cheating Bastard and A Day in the Death of Joe Egg to come.

"The works imaginative power and its remarkable insights into the nature and value of love holds the audience in its thrall." Sydney Morning Herald

"This vibrant, hot-blooded adaption of 'Romeo and Juliet' performed by four young men is not a mere stunt, but a marvellously watchable retelling of an oft-told story.  R & J pulsates with adolescent abandon and electricity." The New York Times

The Amazing Boys performing in Rock the Ballet are taking Hamburg by storm... Rock the Ballet is a sort of a rejuvenating cure for the ballet that is to include tap-dancing, Hip-Hop, Martial Arts, show and humour”. Boston Globe.

 Direct from New York and for the first time in Australia, Rasta Thomas's Rock the Ballet is a fusion of classic ballet technique blended with the excitement of musical theatre, hip hop, tap, contemporary dance, gymnastics and more - breaking new ground with amazing athleticism and intense energy, a thrill to watch…it's ballet with an attitude.

Featuring a stellar soundtrack including some of the biggest hits from Michael Jackson*, U2*, Prince*, Queen*, Coldplay* and Lenny Kravitz* and set against a backdrop of video projected scenery, the show is exciting, powerful and brilliantly entertaining.

If you love 'So You Think You Can Dance' - Rock the Ballet will blow your mind!

Don't Miss Rock the Ballet

Direct from New York and following on from sell out seasons in Berlin, Hamburg, Vienna and Frankfurt comes Rasta Thomas’ Rock the Ballet starring the Bad Boys of Dance. Rock the Ballet is a fusion of classic Ballet technique blended with the excitement of musical theatre, hip hop, ballet, tap, contemporary, gymnastics and more.

Rasta Thomas’ Rock the Ballet features a stellar soundtrack including some of the biggest hits from U2, Michael Jackson, Prince, Queen, Coldplay and Lenny Kravitz.  Set against a backdrop of video projected scenery, the show is exciting, fun, fleshy, raunchy powerful, and brilliantly entertaining and as the New York Times wrote

"Rasta Thomas has enormous talent and undeniable charisma", "Excellent dancers", "Crowd pleasing"

- The New York Times

Rock the Ballet commences its national tour of Australia in Melbourne with performances following in Gold Coast, Canberra, Sydney, Brisbane, Darwin and Perth

Founder, Director & Principal Dancer, Rasta Thomas describes Rock the Ballet as “It’s a new type of ballet for the 21st century and we are calling it Pop-Ballet”.

In 2007, Thomas founded Bad Boys of Dance and they debuted at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival in Massachusetts. Then in 2008 Thomas went on to create Rock the Ballet and since then has taken the world by storm.

Versatile and gutsy, these talented performers stretch the bounds of dancing with athletic jumps, endless turns and endearing individuality. Featuring the sensational talents of six Bad Boys and one Pretty Girl, this show will surely get you on your feet and smiling.

Multi award winning Director and Principal Dancer, Rasta Thomas was, in 2001, the first American to become a member of the Kirov Ballet in St. Petersburg, Russia and then in 2003 he joined Dance Theatre of Harlem. In 2005, Thomas starred on Broadway in Twyla Tharp's hit musical, Movin' Out. Thomas has danced some of the greatest roles ever created by Petipa, Balanchine, Robbins and more. He has been a principal dancer with over 20 professional companies including American Ballet Theater and Japan's K-Ballet. He has performed at the Academy Awards, danced at the White House and made the film One Last Dance with Patrick Swayze.

The Rock the Ballet company includes the talents dance of New York Fringe Festival dancer, Michael Keefe, Robbie Nicholson from Broadway’s Music Man, award-winning choreographer and director, Adrienne Canterna-Thomas and So You Think You Can Dance US finalists, Karla Garcia, Jakob Karr, Kameron Bink and Kevin Mylrea.

“Rock the Ballet is a show that goes way beyond a normal dance company experience... I am amazed by our success...and I am so excited about introducing pop-ballet to Australian audiences!” said Rasta Thomas.

"The Bad Boys of Dance strive to free ballet from its prissy aura… The Bad Boys of dance... are proclaiming loud and clear that ballet is sexy, spectacular, and yes, very masculine"

The New Yorker

"Absolutely dazzling dancing"

AUSTRALIAN TOUR SCHEDULE

MELBOURNE

State Theatre – the Arts Centre : June 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

The Arts Centre Tel 1300 182 183 or Online www.theartscentre.com.au

Ticketmaster Tel 1300 136 166 or Online www.ticketmaster.com.au

GOLD COAST

Theatre - Gold Coast Arts Centre :  June 8, 9, 10

Box Office (07) 5588 4000 or Online www.gcac.com.au  

CANBERRA 

Canberra Theatre Centre : June 11, 12

Canberra Ticketing (02) 6275 2700 or Online canberratheatrecentre.com.au

SYDNEY

State Theatre :   June 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20

Ticketmaster 136 100 or Online www.ticketmaster.com.au

BRISBANE

Brisbane Concert Hall - QPAC :  June 22, 23, 24

QPAC 136 246 or Online www.qpac.com.au

DARWIN

Darwin Entertainment Centre : June 26, 27

Box Office (08) 8980 3333 or Online www.darwinentertainment.com.au

PERTH

Regal Theatre

Ticketek 132 849 or Online www.ticketek.com.au

June 29, 30.

July 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17

Hamburger Morgenpost

If the Laramie Project is playing in your city, it's defently worth going to see. It recently played at The Canberra Theatre Centre by Everyman Theatre.

A Story about Matthew Shepard — A 21-year-old gay student at the University of Wyoming. On 6 October, 1998, he was brutally tortured, pistol whipped and murdered by Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson near Laramie, Wyoming. He was tied to a fence in a remote, rural area, and left to die. He was discovered eighteen hours later, still tied to the fence, alive but in a coma. His head had been so badly beaten it was totally covered in blood, except for where his tears had washed his face. He didn’t survive.

The Laramie Project is an emotionally charged and moving play that will stay with you a life-time.

After the brutal murder of Matthew, Moisés Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theatre Project travelled from New York to Laramie for what they thought would be just two weeks of interviews with people involved and townsfolk, but took two years instead. There was so much to tell. Their focus was less about Matthew and his murder but more about the town’s reaction, the media storm that followed and the issues raised. How did the murder change the people there and the town?

Following his death, Matthew became seen as a gay martyr. The homophobia and hate that contributed to his murder was exposed and led to some important changes including the anti-hate crime bill, the Matthew Shepard Act finally signed into law by President Obama in 2009. Part of what The Laramie Project is about is showing the real Matthew, a gay lad who had made some very bad decisions in his life. He wasn’t perfect, he wasn’t an angel, but neither did he deserve to be beaten to death.

Moisés Kaufman works in a style called Documentary Theatre. He likes to work with real events, real people, showing a wide range of viewpoints. He uses his creative writing skills to shape interviews into a satisfying dramatic structure, all the while keeping to the concept of giving voice to many different characters. Other projects of his have included plays on Oscar Wilde and Beethoven. He also wrote and directed the film version of the play.

In The Laramie Project, some 65 characters will be played by just nine cast members. The impressive cast are Fiona Atkin, Micki Beckett, Jessica Brent, Duncan Driver, Dave Evans, Duncan Ley, Steph Roberts and Tony Turner.  With something as simple as simply putting on a hat, for example, each actor becomes a new character. A true ensemble performance, highlighted by original music by Lucy Bermingham.

Jarrad West directs The Laramie Project for Everyman Theatre. His great passion is gay plays and he blasted onto the Canberra scene with his monumental and highly successful version of Angels in America. Jarrad is both a director and a performer. His wide range of local credits including Singer, Dancer, Actor, The Musical of Musicals (The Musical), Latin! or Tobacco and Boys and the forthcoming Kiss of the Spider Woman. He’s just landed the lead role of Peter Allen for Canberra Philharmonic’s production of Boy from Oz.

Everyman Theatre’s production of The Laramie Project is a rare opportunity for us to see one of the most important gay plays of our age. Going by their previous productions, it will be moving night of real theatre.

Matthew Shepard was a 21-year-old gay student at the University of Wyoming. On 6 October, 1998, he was brutally tortured, pistol whipped and murdered by Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson near Laramie, Wyoming. He was tied to a fence in a remote, rural area, and left to die. He was discovered eighteen hours later, still tied to the fence, alive but in a coma. His head had been so badly beaten it was totally covered in blood, except for where his tears had washed his face. He didn’t survive.

The Laramie Project is an emotionally charged and moving play that will stay with you a life-time.

After the brutal murder of Matthew, Moisés Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theatre Project travelled from New York to Laramie for what they thought would be just two weeks of interviews with people involved and townsfolk, but took two years instead. There was so much to tell. Their focus was less about Matthew and his murder but more about the town’s reaction, the media storm that followed and the issues raised. How did the murder change the people there and the town?

Following his death, Matthew became seen as a gay martyr. The homophobia and hate that contributed to his murder was exposed and led to some important changes including the anti-hate crime bill, the Matthew Shepard Act finally signed into law by President Obama in 2009. Part of what The Laramie Project is about is showing the real Matthew, a gay lad who had made some very bad decisions in his life. He wasn’t perfect, he wasn’t an angel, but neither did he deserve to be beaten to death.

Moisés Kaufman works in a style called Documentary Theatre. He likes to work with real events, real people, showing a wide range of viewpoints. He uses his creative writing skills to shape interviews into a satisfying dramatic structure, all the while keeping to the concept of giving voice to many different characters. Other projects of his have included plays on Oscar Wilde and Beethoven. He also wrote and directed the film version of the play.

In The Laramie Project, some 65 characters will be played by just nine cast members. The impressive cast are Fiona Atkin, Micki Beckett, Jessica Brent, Duncan Driver, Dave Evans, Duncan Ley, Steph Roberts and Tony Turner.  With something as simple as simply putting on a hat, for example, each actor becomes a new character. A true ensemble performance, highlighted by original music by Lucy Bermingham.

Jarrad West directs The Laramie Project for Everyman Theatre. His great passion is gay plays and he blasted onto the Canberra scene with his monumental and highly successful version of Angels in America. Jarrad is both a director and a performer. His wide range of local credits including Singer, Dancer, Actor, The Musical of Musicals (The Musical), Latin! or Tobacco and Boys and the forthcoming Kiss of the Spider Woman. He’s just landed the lead role of Peter Allen for Canberra Philharmonic’s production of Boy from Oz.

Everyman Theatre’s production of The Laramie Project is a rare opportunity for us to see one of the most important gay plays of our age. Going by their previous productions, it will be moving night of real theatre.

Book tickets online for The Laramie Project or by phone (02) 6275 2700

The Laramie Project is playing at
The Courtyard Studio, Canberra Theatre
20 - 29 May 2010
Bookings 02 6275 2700
www.canberratheatrecentre.com.au

We Unfold is the first commissioned choreographic work from the gorgeous and incredibly talented new Artistic Director Rafael Bonachela since his appointment at the Sydney Dance Company last year.

The work looks at how we fold in on ourselves most of the time, protecting our vulnerable inner soul from the hostile world. But as we gain confidence and trust, we unfold some of that protection and open ourselves to those who are close to us.

Moving from Europe to Sydney has been a major move by Spanish born Bonachela and his feelings about the change has been part of the inspiration for We Unfold. Another significant inspiration is the music of Ezio Bosso and his Symphony Number 1 which provides the music.

‘I wanted to create a piece about our needs and desires to slowly unfold, revealing ourselves to those around us,’ Bonachela said.

One of the great things about Bonachela’s method is that he works collaboratively with the dancers of any company he’s working with. He doesn’t just impose choreography on them and make them do what he’s designed.

‘I encouraged them to listen and respond to one another, challenging their willingness to unfold, or their reluctance to open up to each other.’  

I strongly encourage you to go to the Sydney Dance Company’s web site and look at the YouTube video of excerpts from We Unfold — it’s quite eye opening. The dancers perform mostly naked except for flesh coloured briefs. They move and change and interact with each other on a black floor while the largest video screen ever on stage shows the stunning video artistry of Daniel Askill. At the opening, two dancers, one male one female, move and interact with each other while the full length screen projects an image similar to that seen in science fiction movies of the moving stars, but in reverse. It looks like they are dancing and floating in space. It’s quite an amazing vision.

As the video continues, you realise there is so much more to this work. The dancers, video art, costumes and music change, excite and complement each other. At times surreal, or with a ten metre tall figure, it changes to flames and water and what appears to be a solar eclipse — but not everything is what it seems.

My reaction to modern dance is often a mixed one. I often feel I don’t really understand what is happening. I find myself creating stories based on what I see. If a man and a woman are dancing together, I tend to imagine they are some form of couple, even if brief. Now sometimes this can be true. Often it’s too simplistic. But even if you are like me and somewhat confused by modern dance, you’ll still find
We Unfold very arresting and stimulating, just through the sheer visual interest.

The music of Ezio Bosso should also interest and excite the audience. With many repeated beats and notes, akin to some of the minimalist work of Phillip Glass, it has a much more varied and rich texture and variety. The video excerpt ends with a stunning climax and I for one am looking forward to the music alone, his first symphony.

We Unfold is showing at:
The Playhouse 5 to 8 May 2010
Bookings call 02 6275 2700
www.canberratheatrecentre.com.au

Without doubt the main reason to see Bell Shakespeare’s production of King Lear is John Bell’s performance in the title role.

A strong cast throughout, but I must say it is an uneven production. The script itself is difficult and the director and actors must be very careful especially at the start that Lear’s disinheriting his favourite daughter does not seem capricious or unfathomable. Yet, this is exactly what happened. Each of the daughters looks and acts quite obvious of their intentions, so it makes Lear’s decision to maltreat Cordelia seem quite bizarre. Cordelia is dressed all in soft organic, almost hippy, clothes, while her more scheming sisters are clearly calculating, manipulative types dressed for effect. But also, one can’t wonder why Cordelia answers so perplexingly. A good production works on these issues but here and several other times, I thought more could have been done.

The other main disappointment was the highly distracting, and to my ears, irrelevant “music” performed live on the stage in the first half by Bree van Reyk. I’m fairly open minded to contemporary music but only rarely did it seem to aid or even be relevant to the action on stage.

Otherwise I thought everything else was perfectly competent. There was not a weak performance, and some in particular were stunning, although none as outstanding as Bell. Costumes were also very effective as was the set with its small revolving disk and associated translucent curtains. At the start the disk metaphorically represents Lear’s kingdom, and Cordelia’s removal off the disk making her expulsion literal. It is constantly on stage, and used effectively throughout, perhaps most during the storm scene.

This  production is a rare opportunity to see a great role performed greatly.

King Lear. Canberra Playhouse till 1 May. Bookings 6275 2700