[NoHo Arts District, CA] – A NoHo Arts theatre review of The Porters of Hellsgate’s Coriolanus, by William Shakespeare, directed by L. Stephanie Tait, running November 6-23 at Los Angeles Community of Acting and Entertainment.
Coriolanus is one of Shakespeare’s last tragedies, although it plays out as more of a thriller, with twists and turns and revelations, betrayals, and opportunistic political manoeuvring and assassination. However, it’s all political, so not much has changed from the Roman Empire and the 1600s and now.
Coriolanus is an extremely timely play, just like almost every play Shakespeare ever wrote. You can apply it to your life and the world we live in, almost without much tweaking, other than a few wardrobe and weapon substitutions, perhaps.
But the less frequently staged Coriolanus is unlike most of his other plays. It’s more specific, more brutal. Much more intense, with the thread of undoing running clear and thrillingly right through it. It was written around the same time as Julius Caesar. So Shakespeare was clearly on an antiquity binge. And, like Julius Caesar, it is pointedly cruel. But in Coriolanus, there is no regret. No great speech to the audience about honor and heartbreak. Coriolanus is icy, violent and gives us exactly what it says it will – death and revenge. There is no one to like. No one to admire, not even Coriolanus himself. It feels just like Washington D.C.
All this human wickedness would fall flat if not for the spectacular and riveting performances of this stellar cast. The Porters of Hellsgate draw wonderful actors to their orbit. Their dedication to the Bard is obvious to any audience, and they are also particularly brilliant at casting against type, gender, age and race.
Which, rather than feeling twee, brings a deep sense of reality to their work. What you see on stage you see in the world and that was just as true in London in the 1600s as it is now.
I would watch Shakespeare anywhere. I once saw a Globe touring company in Bristol, England, on an ancient bowling green in the rain, sitting on bin bags and under borrowed plastic sheets. And it was incredible. And every audience member stayed through the downpour with happy smiles on their damp faces.
The Porters of Hellsgate’s version of Coriolanus is vivid, relentless and rousing. They keep the pressure on scene after scene as lives unravel and futures transform, and the empire careens from absolute ruin to shocking victory.
It’s a head-spinning story and The Porters of Hellsgate have outdone themselves…and that is saying something. I also adored the fight scenes. All those swords clanging can really get your blood fired up, I can tell you! Wonderfully done!!!
Coriolanus is playing at the Los Angeles Community of Acting and Entertainment (LACAE) for one more weekend. Miss it at your peril!
Tickets:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/coriolanus-tickets-1826143035979
When:
November 6-23
Where:
Los Angeles Community of Acting and Entertainment (LACAE)
11031 Camarillo St, NoHo Arts District, CA 91602
The Cast
Caius Martius Coriolanus…Michelle Grey
Tullus Aufidius…Dawn Alden
Menenius…Thomas Bigley
Volumnia…Abhimanyu Katyal
Valeria and Ensemble…Jennifer Lee Weaver
Brutus and ensemble…Jono Eiland
Sicinius and ensemble…Renée Torchio MacDonald
Cominius and ensemble…Ahkei Togun
Lieutenant to Aufidius and ensemble…Lili Fox-Lim
First Citizen and ensemble…Nneoma Sampson
The Team
Director… L. Stephanie Tait
Stage Manager…Mackenzie Simon
Fight Choreography…Dawn Alden
Intimacy Choreography…Jen Albert
Scenic and Projection Design…Brian Carroll
Lighting Design…Athziri Morales
Sound Design…Nick Neidorf
Costume Design…L. Stephanie Tait
Assistant Costume Design…Kate Faye