TEATRO: Infanta Isabel, (C/ Barquillo 24)
DÍA: 1 de Julio, Miércoles
HORA: 8.30 pm (2 horas y media)
PRECIO: 12 € (no figura el precio exacto en la entrada)
DIRECCIÓN: DENIS RAFTER
viernes, 5 de junio de 2009
"THE MERCHANT OF VENICE", WILLIAM SHAKESPEAR
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If someone wants to go to see this play, tickets can be bought by means of Atrapalo. They cost 16.50 euros. I would like to go together as it is our last outing theatre, so what do you think of going the 24th of June?
I would like you to read in English Shylock´s soliloquy SHYLOCK
"To bait fish withal: if it will feed nothing else,
it will feed my revenge. He hath disgraced me, and
hindered me half a million; laughed at my losses,
mocked at my gains, scorned my nation, thwarted my
bargains, cooled my friends, heated mine
enemies; and what's his reason? I am a Jew. Hath
not a Jew eyes? hath not a Jew hands, organs,
dimensions, senses, affections, passions? fed with
the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject
to the same diseases, healed by the same means,
warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer, as
a Christian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed?
if you tickle us, do we not laugh? if you poison
us, do we not die? and if you wrong us, shall we not
revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we will
resemble you in that. If a Jew wrong a Christian,
what is his humility? Revenge. If a Christian
wrong a Jew, what should his sufferance be by
Christian example? Why, revenge. The villany you
teach me, I will execute, and it shall go hard but I
will better the instruction".
And Portia´s:
PORTIA
The quality of mercy is not strain'd,
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath: it is twice blest;
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes:
'Tis mightiest in the mightiest: it becomes
The throned monarch better than his crown;
His sceptre shows the force of temporal power,
The attribute to awe and majesty,
Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings;
But mercy is above this sceptred sway;
It is enthroned in the hearts of kings,
It is an attribute to God himself;
And earthly power doth then show likest God's
When mercy seasons justice. Therefore, Jew,
Though justice be thy plea, consider this,
That, in the course of justice, none of us
Should see salvation: we do pray for mercy;
And that same prayer doth teach us all to render
The deeds of mercy. I have spoke thus much
To mitigate the justice of thy plea;
Which if thou follow, this strict court of Venice
Must needs give sentence 'gainst the merchant there.
like them?
It was good to hear these two extracts yesterday, we being accustomed to bad adaptations which lose main speeches by reducing or even deleting them!
Despite the fact that Shylock is a villain, I find his speech about equality very true. The end is not very encouraging as he shows the hatred embodied by the revenge, the same revenge as he sees in Christians that he will put into practise. She is not a good person, but he has reasons why to be angry, don´t you think? Always receiving criticism, insults, humiliation, he could not want but revenge. So, in some way, I understand him. Then wise Portia enters in the scene. A good ability of human beings would be the capacity of forgiving. However, it is this capacity that Shylock lacks. This is his sin. He is incapable of mercy, only demands justice. I believe Portia´s speech is the best of the play. She expresses that mercy is an attribute of God himself, his gift to humans, becoming a virtue; justice being a thing of a group, it is a matter of controlling lives, both a right and a duty of a group. We only have the choice of giving mercy, not justice. Who could throw the first stone??
Have you seen Veranos de la Villa´s programme?? There are some plays very worth seeing! For instance: "Shakespeare Cabaret" at Casa de Vacas (El Retiro), performed by Joven Compañía de la Fundación Shakespeare, "Tito Andrónico", by Shakespeare, at Matadero, "Death of a Salesman", by Arthur Miller, at Teatro Español. And of course, the great "West Side Story", but hurry up if you want to go, as there is quite a few tickets left. It is in English with subtitles, so you can enjoy and learn English at the same time! I am going tonight, I´ll tell you.
Shakespeare Cabaret has been called off
As I promised I tell you that I liked this musical very much. I have liked musical plays since I saw "The sound of music" uncountable years ago. I know it could seem to be a little bit twee, but I don´t think so! If the story is good it doesn´t matter how you tell it, don´t you agree? Singing is just another way of performing, as valid as speaking.
Anyway, after my vindication of musical plays, let me tell you that this Broadway revival cast did a very good work, despite the wind arose, as we were in the open air. Dancers, singers and actors, at the same time, performed a very good story -based on the well-known Shakespeare´s play (which also includes the balcony scene)-, with a beautiful music and marvellous songs, composed by Leonard Bernstein. There are a lot of jazz versions of "West Side Story" out there, for instance, "Somewhere", "One hand one heart" or "Tonight", by Barbra Streisand.
Did some of you go to see it??
thanks for the information, María, I´ll be in Santander this week, but next week I´m in Madrid and I may do something, though I have to pack my daughter´s trunk for school next September.
As to the Mercahnt of Venice I must say that I liked it thouhgh there was nothing special about it. Shylock is the actor whose performance I liked best, because he was resentful and we could see this. Portia´s deliverance of the famous ...mercy was utterly disappointing, it was not grand at all!!! she was like in the kitchen, talking to friends, I´m a bit tired of this lack of feeling, I´ve had a bit too much of superficiality and she sounded superficial. Antonio was really pathetic and in general none of the actors shone!! What I liked best is that it was easy to see, follow, and most people enjoyed it which is after all basic to develop a liking for the theatre.
I never got round to writing a comment about the play but better late than never so here it goes:
I quite enjoyed the play though not fantastic at least we enjoyed it and there was nothing outrageous like in the horrible Hamlet we saw at the Matadero. They emphasized the comicity of the play well ok nothing wrong with that. The play is a little more tragic when you read it or rather more cruel but still it was not bad.
Hello Theatre Club and members!! I have just seen Dead end ("Muerte de un viajante"), at Teatro Español, which I strongly recommend you!! After having seen many "tolerable" plays this year, both very good and very "outrageous" (adjective mentioned very much by Marta!) ones, this play is really worth seeing it. Masterly performed and directed (as usual, by Mario Gas). Arthur Miller is a very good teller who gains to reach a very emotional way of describing a life of a man who dreamt all his life long but failed. The story combines magnificently a depressing present time and a happy past time full of wishes.
Just in case some of you see this play, I will not tell anything else.
Do not put it off and go to the theatre!
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