Director Michael Halberstam
The Writers’ Theatre in Glencoe will stage Tom Stoppard’s first play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, September 29 through December 6, under the direction of Michael Halberstam.
Nine North Shore libraries are hosting “From Page to Stage” events designed to enrich and deepen your enjoyment of this comic take on Shakespeare’s Hamlet.
The first event in the “From Page to Stage” series was sponsored by the Glencoe Library and took place at Writers’ Theatre at 325 Tudor Court in Glencoe. 81 lucky people got to hear Halberstam’s inspiringly articulate discussion with three actors from the production: Timothy Edward Kane, Allen Gilmore and Sean Fortunato. Halberstam made the point that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead is not a “sit back and be entertained” kind of play, but rather a “sit forward on your seat to enjoy the intellectual playground Stoppard has created” kind of experience. Halberstam and the cast members offered fascinating insights into the existential themes and moments of pure silliness in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead.
We ordered our tickets as soon as we got home. (There are discounted tickets for Thanksgiving weekend, by the way…)
Then we visited the Lake Bluff Library for another in the “From Page to Stage” series; this was “To Be or Not To Be? Readings from Hamlet,” with Jimmy McDermott, former Associate Artistic Director of Writers’ Theatre and actor LaShawn Banks of Writers’ Theatre.
LaShawn Banks and Jimmy McDermott: from Page to Stage
Banks read and dramatized two soliloquies from Hamlet, and he and McDermott analysed the text for clues to Hamlet’s character, mental and emotional state. How Rosencrantz and Gildenstern appear in Shakespeare’s Hamlet and the “Hamlet” bound universe they occupy in Stoppard’s play were part of the discussion.
Next programs:
Thursday, October 1 at 7PM. Hamlet Revisited. How are Rosencrantz and Guildenstern treated in film adaptations? Film clips and commentary abound. Northbrook Public Library, 1201 Cedar Lane, Northbrook
Sunday, October 4 at 2PM. ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD as Hamlet Inside Out. Hamlet from the perspective of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. This presentation may hold the key to the puzzle. Winnetka-Northfield Public Library, 768 Oak Street, Winnetka
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- The Bard
Wednesday October 7 at 7PM. RE-IMAGINING SHAKESPEARE: FROM THE BARD TO THE ABSURD. Is is really such a stretch from Stratford on Avon to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival? Perhaps not! Glenview Public Library, 1930 Glenview Road, Glenview
Who saw the premiere? There is nothing in the morning papers or web sites? Let’s be the first.
I was in Milwaukee attending a socially responsible vendor conference at Kohls. Then I added socially responsible dollars to the local economy by drinking and eating (a lovely seared tuna) at the Fourth Base, across from Miller Park. And then donating to the Potawatami Indigenous People by playing at the casino.
From an inside source at the Writer’s Theatre..”Last night was just first preview. Opening is a couple of weeks away yet. However, everyone seemed to really love the production and there was much laughing.”