Steve Mentz

The best version of the first two scenes I’ve ever seen: lively, funny, musical.  They staged the two scenes in a nightclub (with a DJ & cafe tables).  1.1 was in the mensroom, with Gloucester and Kent sharing a bit of semi-privacy by the urinals.  Then 1.2 featured the musical entrances of the three daughters plus the King.  The whole set was half Eastern European state (Slovakian? Yugoslav?) and half mafia.  There was a massive — 20 x 20 feet? — portrait of a younger Stacey Keach hanging above the stage.  When the king arrived he danced with each of his girls in turn, squeezing the highly sexualized Reagan on the bottom, and then promenaded around the stage.

Cordelia, in an interesting expression of her alienation from the court, was dressed as a goth girl.

Is clearly the best “new” writer I’ve come across in a few years.  A good trick, since he’s been dead ssince 2003…

http://www.brown.edu/Facilities/John_Carter_Brown_Library/I%20found%20it%20JCB/june2009.html

Here’s a link to my write-up of the greatest 17c maritime atlas, Robert Dudley’s “Dell arcano del mare” (“Secrets of the Sea.”)  I found it at the JCB…

After an excellent year in the archives at the John Carter Brown Library, it’s time to get back to the blog.  Upcoming — some thoughts on Roberto Bolano, Shakespeare and Borges, and maybe a few other things.

Spent Sunday May 17 in Canterbury, viewing the Cathedral and the Marlowe monument, among other things.  It’s a good as an overlarge church gets, almost the equal of Notre Dame (not quite as sinuous) or St Peter’s (not quite as monumental).  But Canterbury has a great melodrama, and I must admit seeing the place where poor loyal Thomas Becket lost his head was quite moving.  I’ll post some pictures on the area later, including the Marlowe monument (he was born in Canterbury, which I hadn’t remembered.)  The Marlowe theater was showing “Cats.”

I’ve got my line up for May in London settled, it’s busy & looks great.  Started off tonight with *Midsummer Night’s Dream* at the Globe: a cold, clear night for a fun romp, with a very campy Bottom & oddly Irish-inflected Oberon and Titania (perhaps they put on the brouges to distinguish themselves from Theseus and Hippolyta, with which roles they were cross cast?).  Good lovers, distinguished by hair color (Hermia and Demtrius dark, Helena & Lysander blonde: which paired opposite colors in the end.)    The cold almost made me drop L25 on a Lear hoodie, but it was  a bit too silly looking.

 Things will continue with *Troilus and Cressida* at the Barbican on Thursday, another *Dream* and then *Merchant* at Stratford on Friday & Saturday, *The Revenger’s Tragedy* at the Olivier next Tuesday, and the opening night of *Lear* on the Globe next Wed.  Then it will be almost time to come home.

One of the plays we’ll see this spring in London is *King Lear*, arguably the greatest play ever written in English.  Here’s a link to a description of the cast —

http://www.shakespeares-globe.org/theatre/annualtheatreseason/kinglear/

Thursday, April 10, marks the official unveiling of Shakespeare Commons and this blog at the CTL Fellows 2008 Presentation.  It’s at 2:30 pm in Bent Hall 277A.