That being said, we wanted to take a minute to share with you a note from the director/playwright (who adapted the play into the Regency Period), Tana Colburn:
"For all that we know about William Shakespeare, he is still
something of an enigma [Did anyone see the film Anonymous?]. Speculation has
been rife for centuries over how a man with his, apparently, uneducated
background could write such a magnificent wealth of literature.
Two years ago I had the opportunity to visit Stratford-upon-Avon: Shakespeare’s hometown and the site of his wife’s
ancestral home. What a wonderful
experience. But, questions about the man still remain.
I think we can understand him best, by looking at his volume
of work. His Sonnets show him to be a
man of passion. His plays indicate an interest in history, a love of action and
violence, and quite a rude tongue when it comes to off-color jokes.
He also had a very good knowledge of the Bible. Many of his plays contain references to
scripture and direct quotations of passages. Most of all, his characters are full-bodied, deep and ring true with
insight to the human condition.
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| Colin Coate as "Angelo" and Emma Eldridge as "Isabella" |
Measure for Measure
(1603) is a perfect example. It is considered a Comedy, a Dark-Comedy. Some would classify it as one of his problem
plays. Shakespeare addresses the position of women in society and their
exploitation. He sharply points out that men abuse women; and, for the sake of
some soft, pretty words, women allow themselves to be abused and exploited. Measure also deals with the corruptive
nature of power and hypocrisy. On the
other hand, he shows the need for compassion, mercy, common sense, grace, and
forgiveness. Many consider this play to be the most "Christian" of Shakespeare’s
works: evil is found out and judgment is
tempered with mercy, wrongs are set right, and many transgressions are
forgiven."
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| Emma Eldridge as "Isabella" and Matthew Johnston as "Claudio" |
Audiences have been describing the show as; "...very good with some very intense scenes!" and "Beautiful, realistic costumes!" as well as "...entertaining, easy to understand, and griping!"
But, don't take their word for it, come check it out yourself and tell us what you think! See the poster below!
Check out our Preview Story with The Folsom Telegraph:
http://folsomtelegraph.com/detail/213704.html?content_source=&category_id=&search_filter=measure+for+measure&user_id=&event_mode=&event_ts_from=&event_ts_to=&list_type=&order_by=&order_sort=&content_class=1&sub_type=&town_id=
Check out our review with Placer Performance Calendar:
http://www.greatlocalshows.blogspot.com/2012/07/measure-for-measure_28.html
