Friday, March 12, 2010

March Edition of Blackjack Fairgrounds

We hope that you enjoy your time at Blackjack Fairgrounds. Remember the rules: no guns, thieves will be strung up, buyer beware, and be sure to leave before nightfall!

Today's edition will be a review of the post-apocalyptic version of Richard III performed at the City College of San Francisco. The director, John Wilk, stated that this is one of Shakespeare's most compelling plays. It deals with the politics of greed which destroys the fabric of a society and this parallels the corporate greed that has helped weaken our education system.

The set was what you would think of as post-apocalyptic - the shell of a destroyed building. They had jagged plastic hanging from the window frame that looked like broken glass and they used that as a backdrop for a film projection. They showed a black and white film of clouds passing by, so you got the feeling that outside the building nothing was alive.

The costumes were modern grunge with a little bit of Hollywood Pirate thrown in.

With such a radical change in scenery and costuming, I was hoping this would be an adaptation of Hamlet III. Unfortunately it was not, it was the Shakespeare play performed with the original verse and prose. I've always found it jarring to hear Shakespeare's plays out of context and this play was no exception.

The actor who played Richard III, DeWayne Spalding, was very good and reminded me a bit of John Goetz.

Although I was hoping for more, the play was still enjoyable.

Next month, we will be looking at the third issue of the Jericho Season 3 - Civil War comic.