Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park (OSP) ends its summer season on a satisfying note with a spirited production of King Lear, in which Hal Kohlman gives a commanding performance in the title role. One wouldn’t expect Kohlman’s Lear to go gentle into that good night, and he doesn’t. Director Kathryn McGill staged the play with […]
Shakespeare
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Much Ado About Nothing
The West Coast is audible in the characters’ accents, making the Bard’s vernacular sound 21st-century. Well-tailored suits and smartphones replace hosiery and swords, and the noble men returning from war are now WASPs, ostensibly government dignitaries. Following two couples’ parallel romantic ordeals, Whedon draws out the rom-com elements inherent in the original play, not straying […]
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To litigate or not to litigate?
Credit: Brad Gregg “The law hath not been dead, though it hath slept.” “If it doesn’t fit, thou must acquit.” Those lines were penned by William Shakespeare, whose plays took a great interest in the workings of the law and the dramas of the court. (That last one might not be his. Who knows? We […]
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‘Richard’ gears
“Now is the winter of our discontent” might be Shakespeare’s most famous opening line. But no one will walk away from Reduxion Theatre’s Richard III “discontent” with the performances. Known for adding twists to the classics, Reduxion has embarked on its first Shakespearean history, setting the play in the cabaret world of the Weimar Republic […]
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Play in the water
Under the sharp direction of Michael Jones, The Tempest is one of Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park’s best presentations of a Bard play in some time. Jones has assembled a top-notch cast, led by Hal Kohlman as Prospero. The second scene is a lengthy exposition in which Prospero tells his daughter Miranda how they came […]
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‘Complete’ treat
This season has been a particularly good one for Oklahoma City Repertory Theater. In addition to celebrating its 10th anniversary, it received a commendation from Actors Equity and a Governor’s Arts Award. It also just became the first theater in state history to be accepted as a member of the Theatre Communications Group, compsoed of […]
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‘Much Ado,’ indeed
One of the Bard’s most beloved romantic comedies, “Much Ado About Nothing” tells the story of two couples, one comprised of marriage-averse Benedick and Beatrice, the other of all-too-eager young lovers Claudio and Hero. Through the meddling of others, both sets are duped in different ways. Timothy Berg plays blowhard bachelor-for-life Benedick. His initial pomposity […]
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Make Merry
After a sojourn last summer in Bicentennial Park during major construction at its home theater, Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park has returned to the Myriad Botanical Gardens Water Stage. This homecoming’s a welcome return. Moving to the Water Stage three years ago is the best thing that ever happened to OSP, and once the kinks […]
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The Feathered Serpent: Complete Series
Something about their video-shot look felt alien; I even found that damned Thames logo animation unnerving. This may explain my lifelong allergy to Benny Hill. But there’s no explaining “The Feathered Serpent,” a 1976 series that was over and done with in a dozen half hours. Whether you saw it then or are experiencing it […]
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Musical ‘Dream’
In a season titled “Shakes, Drugs & Rock ’n’ Roll,” Reduxion Theatre puts the sexy back into Shakespeare with its effectively titillating and appropriately titter-inducing take on the fun and fanciful tale of hot and bothered lovers under the influence of powerful potions in a late-night romp through an enchanted wood. Directed by Erin Woods, […]