2008 Woodie Awards
'Maids' Tragedy' offers risqué entertainment
Jason Daguinod
Issue date: 12/5/05 Section: Culture
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The University of Missouri-Kansas City Theatre Department has once again set the standard for no holds barred. "The Maids' Tragedy," currently showing, is a contemporary adaptation of Shakespeare, Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher.
Directed by Theatre Department professor Barry Kyle, the production depicts the story of a groom, Amintor, and his wife to be, Aspatia. Both are set to marry, until the king suddenly replaces Aspatia with the sultry and seductive Evadne. Alongside Aspatia are other characters who question the suspicious events taking place. As more of the plot unravels, an excess of maladroit activity ensues.
With hints of literary works such as "Hamlet," British literature and Shakespeare fans can appreciate this production of eccentricity. From drama to bits of comedy, every type of genre is included in this production.
Staged in Studio 116 of the Performing Arts Center, the space is a little confined but still manages to create a suspension of reality-thanks in large part to the superb job and cooperation provided by the cast and crew.
Though the crew may have restrained room to work with, techies are able to smoothly transition from scenes. The cast also plays a critical role with the scene changes. Due to a limited amount of cast and crew, both must work closely together to ensure all technicalities have been attended to.
Over the course of the production, actors can often be found serving in more than one role. The casting of the characters was exceptional. Each individual thespian contributed more than just their acting skills; they gave emotion as well. The facial expressions, movements and gestures were a good supplement to each character's dialogue and provided easy interpretation.
As a hint for future audience members, when having a hard time trying to decipher the Shakespearean jargon pay close attention to the movements of the actors. For the most part, dialogue was fairly comprehensive, especially to those familiar with British literature.
Directed by Theatre Department professor Barry Kyle, the production depicts the story of a groom, Amintor, and his wife to be, Aspatia. Both are set to marry, until the king suddenly replaces Aspatia with the sultry and seductive Evadne. Alongside Aspatia are other characters who question the suspicious events taking place. As more of the plot unravels, an excess of maladroit activity ensues.
With hints of literary works such as "Hamlet," British literature and Shakespeare fans can appreciate this production of eccentricity. From drama to bits of comedy, every type of genre is included in this production.
Staged in Studio 116 of the Performing Arts Center, the space is a little confined but still manages to create a suspension of reality-thanks in large part to the superb job and cooperation provided by the cast and crew.
Though the crew may have restrained room to work with, techies are able to smoothly transition from scenes. The cast also plays a critical role with the scene changes. Due to a limited amount of cast and crew, both must work closely together to ensure all technicalities have been attended to.
Over the course of the production, actors can often be found serving in more than one role. The casting of the characters was exceptional. Each individual thespian contributed more than just their acting skills; they gave emotion as well. The facial expressions, movements and gestures were a good supplement to each character's dialogue and provided easy interpretation.
As a hint for future audience members, when having a hard time trying to decipher the Shakespearean jargon pay close attention to the movements of the actors. For the most part, dialogue was fairly comprehensive, especially to those familiar with British literature.
