Last night I went over to The Bank Street Theatre, the new home of the LAByrinth Theatre Company to see The Barn series presentation of Cusi Cram's Fuente Ovejuna, subtitled: A disloyal adaptation from the play by Lupe de Vega. It was a terrific presentation of a classic melodrama of the golden age - big, bold and theatrical language that soared to the rafters. The conceit that made this old chestnut seem fresh was the bold move of making it a play within a play type of story - a troupe of amateur actors are rehearsing a production of the play and as they struggle to connect to the themes of the play, they also struggle with their own personal issues as actors, but as human beings living under stressful political times. The performances across the board were bold in their choices and superb in their execution. So good was the staging and performances that one quickly forgot that there were scripts in the actors hands and music stands in front of them.
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June 2021
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