Shakespeare's "Measure for Measure," in Russian no less!
We love one particular national institution here in Washington, the Kennedy Center, and last evening we had a unique experience there. It was a genuinely odd production of "Measure for Measure" -- considered to be Shakespeare's only "other" play about justice and mercy ("Merchant of Venice" being the first).
"Odd" because it was in Russian, with opera-like subtitles of the English text projected on a screen above the stage.
It was a co-production by the Pushkin Theater of Moscow and London's unique "Cheek by Jowl" company -- dedicated to such joint productionns. (Do Google it for the convoluted plot, which has more sex -- even nudity -- in it than one might imagine in WS's works.)
It sounds a bit cumbersome, but it worked extremely well, including some period music and dance -- quite elegantly added by the British adapters.
Both of us overheard many local Russian-speakers in the audience: impressive since there will be four other performances here, including a Saturday matinee -- many hundreds of Washington's Russian community evidently are turning out for the event.
AND, given the bad state of US-Russian relations currently, one wonders just how Putin would react if he were aware of the great success of this venture.
Also, it was the first time we've seen "Measure," which is among the least performed of the Bard's works. Back home, I just looked it up in Asimov's classic Shakespeare compendium, learning a lot about the only one of his plays set in Vienna, and in the 16th century--historically correct, as I learned.
"Odd" because it was in Russian, with opera-like subtitles of the English text projected on a screen above the stage.
It was a co-production by the Pushkin Theater of Moscow and London's unique "Cheek by Jowl" company -- dedicated to such joint productionns. (Do Google it for the convoluted plot, which has more sex -- even nudity -- in it than one might imagine in WS's works.)
It sounds a bit cumbersome, but it worked extremely well, including some period music and dance -- quite elegantly added by the British adapters.
Both of us overheard many local Russian-speakers in the audience: impressive since there will be four other performances here, including a Saturday matinee -- many hundreds of Washington's Russian community evidently are turning out for the event.
AND, given the bad state of US-Russian relations currently, one wonders just how Putin would react if he were aware of the great success of this venture.
Also, it was the first time we've seen "Measure," which is among the least performed of the Bard's works. Back home, I just looked it up in Asimov's classic Shakespeare compendium, learning a lot about the only one of his plays set in Vienna, and in the 16th century--historically correct, as I learned.