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re: King Lear, BAM - question about Cordelia

Posted by: enoch10 12:15 am EST 01/17/14
In reply to: King Lear, BAM - question about Cordelia - drummergirl 11:55 pm EST 01/16/14

i think it is in THE DRESSER that the point is made that the greatest quality the actress portraying cordelia should possess is that she be light and easy to carry.

she is a crucial character and a pretty lousy part.

there may have been a great cordelia (rather than just a great actress who happened to be playing her) but none springs immediately to mind.

of the three sisters she is the most honest (the only one honest, really) and virtuous but honesty and virtue can often lack the dramatic impact of, say, blinding a man with the heel of your footwear.

i almost always find a good iago more interesting than an equally matched good othello. john douglas thompson being the obvious exception.


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Actually, the line about a "light Cordelia"...

Posted by: MockingbirdGirl 07:37 am EST 01/17/14
In reply to: re: King Lear, BAM - question about Cordelia - enoch10 12:15 am EST 01/17/14

... is famously attributed to John Gielgud.


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re: Actually, the line about a "light Cordelia"...

Posted by: enoch10 01:42 pm EST 01/18/14
In reply to: Actually, the line about a "light Cordelia"... - MockingbirdGirl 07:37 am EST 01/17/14

maybe but that doesn't alter the fact that it is a plot point of THE DRESSER.


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re: Actually, the line about a "light Cordelia"...

Posted by: MockingbirdGirl 05:28 pm EST 01/18/14
In reply to: re: Actually, the line about a "light Cordelia"... - enoch10 01:42 pm EST 01/18/14

And star-crossed lovers is a plot-point in West Side Story, but that shouldn't prevent us from acknowledging the story's inspiration (unless, of course, one is ignorant of it to begin with).


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re: Actually, the line about a "light Cordelia"...

Posted by: enoch10 12:49 am EST 01/21/14
In reply to: re: Actually, the line about a "light Cordelia"... - MockingbirdGirl 05:28 pm EST 01/18/14

>> And star-crossed lovers is a plot-point in West Side Story, but that shouldn't prevent us from acknowledging the story's inspiration (unless, of course, one is ignorant of it to begin with).

what you acknowledge depends on what you are speaking of and to whom you are speaking. i find myself in conversations with people who don't really need to be informed of the connection of WSS to R&J. i guess this would be the case with most people. unless, of course, they're just desperate to overcompensate - for whatever reason - to begin with.


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re: King Lear, BAM - question about Cordelia

Posted by: drummergirl 12:33 am EST 01/17/14
In reply to: re: King Lear, BAM - question about Cordelia - enoch10 12:15 am EST 01/17/14

Thanks, enoch, I hadn't seen The Dresser, so I got a very good chuckle out of that line. I won't spoil it, but it's especially ironic given how Lear brings her onstage in this version.

Did you see the Adrian Lester Othello? I thought he was rather wonderful.

I'm curious that the Times posted a review; BAM notes that the opening night is next Tuesday; why would the NYT jump that?


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re: King Lear, BAM - question about Cordelia

Posted by: NYCscribe 11:30 am EST 01/17/14
In reply to: re: King Lear, BAM - question about Cordelia - drummergirl 12:33 am EST 01/17/14

Their opening was last night and all the critics came this week but supposedly, the press opening is next week. I guess the Times decided to break the embargo. A lot theaters have been doing that - having a party on more convenient day but then scheduling a "press" opening for when they want reviews to run. I think it's silly but if the press allows themselves to be manipulated like that, more power to them.


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re: King Lear, BAM - question about Cordelia

Posted by: drummergirl 12:49 pm EST 01/17/14
In reply to: re: King Lear, BAM - question about Cordelia - NYCscribe 11:30 am EST 01/17/14

Gee! I was at my first opening night!


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