Preview: Coriolanus

R for dissentious rogues, dead carcasses of unburied men / that do corrupt the air

Release Date: December 2

I’ve always had a blind spot for Shakespeare.

I realize this makes me stupid. I get a kick out of Paradise Lost and John Donne, but somehow I find Shakespeare dizzying and foreign, like reading French literature on a carousel after drinking cheap wine. (And since I’m Shakespeare-illiterate, it’s not surprising that my similes need work.)

My defect may be genetic. My mother had all but completed an English major in college when she switched to math instead, just to avoid a Shakespeare class. My father falls asleep not only during Shakespeare’s plays, but during any mention of his name. He’s still not sure what comes after “Shake-.”

But this is Shakespeare as I’ve never seen it before. It’s Shakespeare with urban warfare and electric guitars and Lord Voldemort in the director’s chair.

It’s a reimagining, but not in the hyper-stylized, Immortals-inspiring tradition of Romeo + Juliet. Instead, Coriolanus seems to straddle the line between artistry and realism. It looks like the right setting to explore themes of vengeance and betrayal and war – a setting at once gritty and heightened.

If the music is loud enough, it might even keep me and my dad awake. ~Ben Orlin – See more reviews atpg13foruglycast.com