Worthies all,
Back in the summer of 2000, a small film crew shot a documentary about the
Shakespeare at Winedale experience. I was part of that crew (my summers
were '94, '95 and '97), along with Daniel Sacks ('97), Daryl Wyatt ('96),
and our friends Mark Tilley and Talmadge Boyd. We shadowed Doc, James, and
the summer class, capturing some incredible footage and interviews. We
were also on hand when the Reunion class worked on the Merry Wives of
Windsor, which allowed us to interview a number of Winedale luminaries.
Since you are only now hearing back about the documentary, you might guess
that the project was vastly more ambitious than any of us realized.
Post-production stretched into a couple years, then 5 years, then 10 years,
but at long last we are ready to share a Muse of Fire with one and all, and
UT has generously offered to host a world-premiere screening of the film on
August 21st, at 7 PM, at the Black Box at the Student Activity Center.
The film is a powerful tribute to the program, and a potent reminder of the
values and lessons that come from a summer spent rising to the challenges
of Shakespeare's plays. It moves swiftly, covering a lot of ground in a
short space, much as we did during the long days out at Winedale, and I
doubt that any former student will be able to watch it without wanting to
jump up and get cracking on some scene work. For prospective students, or
loved ones who have never been able to grasp what happens out there that
transforms us all, the film will inspire and amaze.
I would love it if we could get every former student to come to the
screening. I would especially love to see the 2000 summer and reunion
classes there, because the film couldn't exist without them. I know that
getting everyone together will be impossible, but if you are near enough to
Austin and interested in coming, it will be a great evening and well worth
your time. It will be a great chance to catch up with each other, to
remember our summer experiences, and to see the film for the first time.
Please RSVP Chelsea Bunn (cbunn(a)austin.utexas.edu) and let her know you'd
like to come, and she will add you to the guest list. You won't regret it!
Thanks,
Andy Bond
Good morning everyone --
I feel that old pang this morning as I note that the Winedale season is over and they're packing up today over at the Barn. Was wonderful to enjoy the plays with many old-timers this weekend.
In the meantime, in the spirit of our continuing education, this piece might be of interest -- it might just provide some helpful background to those of you less familiar with what led up to Shakespeare's flowering in medieval England. Enjoy...
http://www.wilsonquarterly.com/article.cfm?AID=1192
cheers,
Clayton S.
Clayton Stromberger
Outreach Coordinator, UT Shakespeare at Winedale
College of Liberal Arts, University of Texas at Austin
www.shakespeare-winedale.org<http://www.shakespeare-winedale.org>
cell: 512-363-6864
UT Sh. at W. office: 512-471-4726
Fiennes was born for the part. Has he ever smiled in a movie?
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Today's Topics:
1. Re: NYT (Mike Godwin)
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Date: Sun, 5 Aug 2012 00:15:46 -0700
From: Mike Godwin <mnemonic(a)gmail.com>
To: Michael Saenger <saengerm(a)southwestern.edu>
Cc: Shakespeare at Winedale 1970-2000 alums
<winedale-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org>
Subject: Re: [Winedale-l] NYT
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In light of this discussion, I watched Ralph Fiennes's film adaptation of CORIOLANUS today. Emphasis, of course, on "adaptation" -- the text is radically reduced from the source. Fiennes does an amazing job as a screen actor of attempting to fill in the gaps that the text does not fill regarding Coriolanus's -- by my count, he smiles only at one moment in the whole film, when we first see him with his "sweet silence" of a wife and his child after his return from routing the Volscians. His performance doesn't make fix the problem that the text leaves us with -- too little information about his inner life, what drives him, how he got this way, and what changes in him. But it is certainly watchable.
What I really liked, though, is Brian Cox's take on Menenius. Here's a good interview with Cox in the Telegraph that underscores Cox's and Fiennes's interpretive choices with that role:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/starsandstories/9027156/Brian-Cox-i…
.
--Mike
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Nice blurb NYTimes today about upcoming show "Coriolanus"
"The actors participating in the University of Texas’s Shakespeare at Winedale summer workshop will perform “Coriolanus” for the first time in its 42-year history. Though it is not a heralded play, this political drama was adapted for the screen last year, with Ralph Fiennes and Gerard Butler, and T. S. Eliot called it a greater tragic achievement than “Hamlet.”
The story follows a mighty Roman warrior whose one obstacle to office is how poorly he relates to his country’s commoners. In this election, no matter whom you tag as Coriolanus, the same point comes across: no candidate is perfect."
Sent from my iPad
It strikes me that there are two discussions interwoven here.
I don't know enough to contribute to the first, about the text of Coriolanus. After seeing the performance last night, I plan to read the play.
But as to this classes performance, here is what I saw - words spoken with deep understanding, scenes crescendoing with increasing energy, students immersed in the play. Well done 2012.
I didn't get to sit through the whole pay, my little ones don't allow that luxury yet, but I am left wanting to discuss the questions left by play just as I heard my dad and husband do two weeks ago.
Now, off to read the play,
Kate (Woodruff) Lange
On Aug 5, 2012, at 7:00 AM, winedale-l-request(a)lists.wikimedia.org wrote:
> Send Winedale-l mailing list submissions to
> winedale-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org
>
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> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/winedale-l
> or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
> winedale-l-request(a)lists.wikimedia.org
>
> You can reach the person managing the list at
> winedale-l-owner(a)lists.wikimedia.org
>
> When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
> than "Re: Contents of Winedale-l digest..."
>
>
> Today's Topics:
>
> 1. Re: NYT (Mike Godwin)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Sun, 5 Aug 2012 00:15:46 -0700
> From: Mike Godwin <mnemonic(a)gmail.com>
> To: Michael Saenger <saengerm(a)southwestern.edu>
> Cc: Shakespeare at Winedale 1970-2000 alums
> <winedale-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org>
> Subject: Re: [Winedale-l] NYT
> Message-ID:
> <CAKFh3H-QOGM2B6AkNg8cxT29BFb+ES8h+=eaiudxZ_c7Wy-DjQ(a)mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
>
> In light of this discussion, I watched Ralph Fiennes's film adaptation
> of CORIOLANUS today. Emphasis, of course, on "adaptation" -- the text
> is radically reduced from the source. Fiennes does an amazing job as a
> screen actor of attempting to fill in the gaps that the text does not
> fill regarding Coriolanus's -- by my count, he smiles only at one
> moment in the whole film, when we first see him with his "sweet
> silence" of a wife and his child after his return from routing the
> Volscians. His performance doesn't make fix the problem that the text
> leaves us with -- too little information about his inner life, what
> drives him, how he got this way, and what changes in him. But it is
> certainly watchable.
>
> What I really liked, though, is Brian Cox's take on Menenius. Here's a
> good interview with Cox in the Telegraph that underscores Cox's and
> Fiennes's interpretive choices with that role:
> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/starsandstories/9027156/Brian-Cox-i…
> .
>
>
> --Mike
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
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> Winedale-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org
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> End of Winedale-l Digest, Vol 23, Issue 10
> ******************************************
Andy, how wonderful! I remember you guys interviewing and filming. I am so excited to see it and plan to be there. And if someone from out of town needs a place to stay for the night, we have a guest room!...Lynn
Sent from my Samsung Epic™ 4G
Andy Bond <andybond23(a)gmail.com> wrote:
Worthies all,
Back in the summer of 2000, a small film crew shot a documentary about the Shakespeare at Winedale experience. I was part of that crew (my summers were '94, '95 and '97), along with Daniel Sacks ('97), Daryl Wyatt ('96), and our friends Mark Tilley and Talmadge Boyd. We shadowed Doc, James, and the summer class, capturing some incredible footage and interviews. We were also on hand when the Reunion class worked on the Merry Wives of Windsor, which allowed us to interview a number of Winedale luminaries.
Since you are only now hearing back about the documentary, you might guess that the project was vastly more ambitious than any of us realized. Post-production stretched into a couple years, then 5 years, then 10 years, but at long last we are ready to share a Muse of Fire with one and all, and UT has generously offered to host a world-premiere screening of the film on August 21st, at 7 PM, at the Black Box at the Student Activity Center.
The film is a powerful tribute to the program, and a potent reminder of the values and lessons that come from a summer spent rising to the challenges of Shakespeare's plays. It moves swiftly, covering a lot of ground in a short space, much as we did during the long days out at Winedale, and I doubt that any former student will be able to watch it without wanting to jump up and get cracking on some scene work. For prospective students, or loved ones who have never been able to grasp what happens out there that transforms us all, the film will inspire and amaze.
I would love it if we could get every former student to come to the screening. I would especially love to see the 2000 summer and reunion classes there, because the film couldn't exist without them. I know that getting everyone together will be impossible, but if you are near enough to Austin and interested in coming, it will be a great evening and well worth your time. It will be a great chance to catch up with each other, to remember our summer experiences, and to see the film for the first time. Please RSVP Chelsea Bunn (cbunn(a)austin.utexas.edu) and let her know you'd like to come, and she will add you to the guest list. You won't regret it!
Thanks,
Andy Bond
Hey, gang. Can one of you Shakespeare scholars identify a line for me.
"...thus didst thou!" is the part I remember. Is that McDuff talking about
confronting Macbeth with his crimes?
Thanks for your help,
Jan