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Measure For Measure Reflection

The writer enjoyed the contemporary production of Measure for Measure, finding it more engaging than a typical Shakespeare performance. They appreciated the modern elements like lighting, phones, and a hip-hop dance number. Specifically, they believed the actor who played Isabella portrayed the difficult role with respect. They felt the themes of sexual assault and women finding their voice were especially relevant today. Due to the contemporary adaptation, they found this to be the clearest Shakespeare production they had seen.

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Anna Gassett
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54 views

Measure For Measure Reflection

The writer enjoyed the contemporary production of Measure for Measure, finding it more engaging than a typical Shakespeare performance. They appreciated the modern elements like lighting, phones, and a hip-hop dance number. Specifically, they believed the actor who played Isabella portrayed the difficult role with respect. They felt the themes of sexual assault and women finding their voice were especially relevant today. Due to the contemporary adaptation, they found this to be the clearest Shakespeare production they had seen.

Uploaded by

Anna Gassett
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Anna Gassett

Jim Price

Acting

18 February 2020

Measure for Measure Reflection

I really enjoyed this production of Measure for Measure. It was not at all what I usually

expect from a typical Shakespeare performance, so that is what made it so entertaining to me. I

never found myself bored or looking through my program to pass the time. I was always on the

edge of my seat looking forward to what was going to happen next. I loved the contemporary

approach that Chuck Ney took on the Shakespearean classic. I enjoyed the elements of

technicolor lighting, modern technology such as iPhones, and the hip-hop dance number to a

Lizzo song. All of these elements gave the play a modern twist that appealed to the younger,

college age demographic and made the story more understandable to those who weren’t familiar

with the play. This being said, I am glad that I read a synopsis before I saw the show because I

probably would not have understood all of the little subplots happening within the grand scheme

of things.

I believed the actors portrayed their characters with such respect and commitment.

Specifically, Aubrey Clyburn, who played Isabella, had a difficult job of portraying a character

who had been dealing with sexual assault. She was my favorite character in the show because

regardless of all of the obstacles that she had faced in her life, she stands up for herself and does

not allow men in power to overshadow her. Despite this show being over 400 years old, it could

not be more relevant and significant to this era of the #MeToo movement. The situation Isabella

finds herself in with Angelo is too recognizable in modern day society. The struggle for women
to speak up without feeling guilty and shameful is not only something of the past, it is

unfortunately all too well known as seen in a lot of women’s cases today.

Because of the contemporary twist that this show was portrayed through, it made this

production the most clear depiction of Shakespeare I’ve ever seen. For example, I struggled

hardcore when it came to understanding and following along with the plot of Rosencrantz and

Guildenstern are Dead that was produced here in the fall. Because for plays on the Patti Strickel

Harrison stage, microphones are not used, it automatically makes it 10x harder for any audience

member to hear and understand the language spoken. I really wish that they would mic the actors

for this reason. When they are speaking and turned sideways or facing upstage, their voices often

become muffled or intelligible. However, specifically Jeremiah Porter as the Duke always

projected with a loud volume level and put interesting inflections on the Shakespearean

language. His story was easy to follow along with because of this reason, which I appreciated as

a viewer.

Overall, I enjoyed this play a lot. Although Shakespearean English is typically very

difficult for me to comprehend and understand, the stellar performances from the cast broke

down any language barriers by eloquently bringing the humanity and drama to the dialogue. I

found myself laughing at the silly jokes thrown in throughout the show, but of course my

favorite part was the hip-hop dance. It ended the show with a bang and was it just super exciting

to watch the characters transform in such a way.

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