Several people have asked what’s worth seeing among the four new plays at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival
I answer: all of ‘em.

But for those who like the results of a horse race, here’s the way I see ‘em in brief, done up like quickie movie listings.

“As You Like It” — Lively, highly theatrical production of a middling Shakespeare comedy, but played so broadly the themes get lost.. Playing Rosalind as a silly schoolgirl and Touchstone as a lovable clown are not good choices. Rating: One-and-a-half stars out of four.

“The Cherry Orchard” — Beautifully nuanced, gently comic/ironic version of Chekhov’s masterpiece. Proves it can be soulful without having to be a dirge. A triumph for director Libby Appel and for Judith-Marie Bergan as Mme. Ravenskaya, but strong throughout. Three-and-a-half stars.

“On the Razzle” — Fun, slightly naughty farce that fractures the English language. You expect good stuff from Tony DeBruno, but where did Rex Young and Tasso Feldman come from? You’ll never look at plaid in the same way. Three stars.

“Rabbit Hole” — Director Jim Edmondson’s fine take on David Lindsay-Abaires domestic drama about a child’s death and parental grief. Includes gentle humor. No ground-breaking theater here, but good writing in a sensitive rendering by a strong cast. Two-and-a-half stars.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 27th, 2007 at 3:03 pm and is filed under The Shakespeare Blog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.