Friday 13th + Austen = monster lit, evidently!

Enchanting memorabilia

First things first - the delightful spectacle a gauche is (as can probably be spied) a copy of Theatre Arts magazine from January 1959.

The lovely lady is a 31-year-old Rosemary Harris, pictured with Jason Robards for a feature on The Disenchanted.

It is just here for our visual delectation, but should you want to own this piece of theatre history yourself, it is purchasable on eBay for an outrageously low number of roubles.

Review corner

In the Pride and Glory arena this week there is a good thumbs up from another Australian publication, TheVine. After spreading some general lexical positivity - 'gripping', 'well-written', 'emotionally powerful' - it argues the case that the movie is contributing something fresh:

[...] [This] film uses every cop movie cliché in the book but still manages to breathe new life into the genre thanks to a stellar cast. ... [It] is reminiscent of '70s police thrillers like Serpico and The French Connection with their gritty and bleak look at urban living. While incredibly violent and vicious in parts the writer/director Gavin O’Connor spends just as much screen time focusing on the familial dilemmas of the main characters. This grounds the film and allows for a level of emotional investment rarely seen in this kind of movie. ...

Pride and Glory rises above the confines of the police family drama genre and creates a film for those who complain that they don’t make [them] like they used to. Uniformly excellent cast...highly recommended. [...]

On the flip side, Celluloid Tongue were not quite so fervent. The lone Before the Rains critic this week, Louise Keller at Urban CineFile, came to a mixed conclusion, feeling 'dissatisfied' by the way the affair 'comes to its sticky end' despite 'excellent performances by the whole cast'.

P & P....& Z

Now, if you thought that all possible Austen variants had been exhausted of late with the likes of Lost in Austen, Miss Austen Regrets, Becoming Jane and The Jane Austen Book Club, think again. Far from being a strange dream (or nightmare) Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is a real entity which is about to come on the scene, courtesy of author Seth Grahame-Smith. (See Amazon). It is also set to enter the world of film. The Times (no less) provide the lowdown:

[...] [This] forthcoming novel is the first mainstream 'mash-up' of Austen and horror, two of the most popular film genres of the past decade. It has been made possible only because Austen is out of copyright. ... It quickly became obvious that Jane [Austen] had laid down the blueprint for a zombie novel,” said Grahame-Smith, a television comedy writer. ...

Hollywood studios are bidding to turn [this] radical reworking of Austen’s most popular book...to be published in April, into a blockbuster movie. Desperate for new ideas, studio chiefs hope 'P&P&Z' will mark the...birth of a feral offspring of classic British literature: 'monster-lit'. [...]

The book - which will be available in the States from May 13 and the UK from June 1 - is even being backed by a bestselling Austen biographer:

[...] Claire Tomalin, author of Jane Austen: A Life...suspects the novelist would have appreciated the latest zombie twist. 'Many of her early stories written for her brothers were very violent,' said Tomalin. 'She did have a strong sense of humour and also knew what publishers liked. As with Shakespeare or Mozart, you can mishmash what you like but the original remains. I am looking forward to reading this one.' [...]

A.O.B

Immune to any Friday 13th luck meanwhile is ex-Utopian Amanda Leigh Cobb, who is currently playing the lead in the stage version of Dirty Dancing. In the Boston Herald this week she tells the coincidental story of when she learned she had won the part:

[...] 'I was in complete shock . . . I walked to the subway and I was looking down. Then the subway doors open, and it’s Ethan Hawke sitting in the subway car all by himself,' she said. 'I know Ethan because he had been in ‘The Coast of Utopia’ with me the year before. I was like ‘Hi’ and he’s like, ‘What’s wrong with you?’ and I’m like, ‘I just got the role of Baby in 'Dirty Dancing!' He burst out laughing and he said, ‘You’re kidding me.’ I hadn’t even called my mom yet,” she said. [...]

If you would like to see Ms Cobb in action, click here for the Boston, Toronto and Los Angeles dates for Dirty Dancing: The Classic Story on Stage scheduled between now and June.

Last but not least, one literary listener was delighted to discover Jennifer Ehle narrated the audiobook for Witch Child, even if that fact did cause her attention to be somewhat diverted:

[...] The whole time, all I could see in my mind was Eliza Bennet...and although totally distracting on the I-have-seen-that-mini-series-too-many-times-not-to-envision the-narrator’s-every-expression level, Ms Ehle did a commendable job. [...]

If you fancy being equally distracted, Witch Child is available from various sellers on Amazon. Where mentioned in the reviews, Ms Ehle's reading is praised alongside the book itself. One listener said:

[...] This compelling...story is given an indelible reading by actress Jennifer Ehle. ... Ms Ehle's expressive voice adds dramatic resonance to an already commanding narrative. [...]

Yum.

We wish you a merry Chri...BIRTHDAY!!!

First and foremost...

Good wishes, happy returns and plenteous felicitations to Jennifer Ehle, who according to various netly sources celebrates her birthday today!

In keeping with the traditional forward/backward thinking that goes on at this time of year, a small stocking's worth of pieces new and old follows.

For useful information

• Potential Oscar and the Pink Lady attendees might find it helpful to visit the French Institute Alliance Francaise site for the latest details of the play's New York run. It appears that all performances will take place Fridays to Sundays, with two shows on Saturdays. The original text by Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt, 'Oscar and the Lady in Pink', is available from Amazon (UK) among other places.

For quality

• See the Telegraph's interview with Tom Stoppard from 2002, in the days when The Coast of Utopia was on in London and Sir Tom was only 65.

For film reviews and thoughts

• The Minneapolis Star Tribune bestows 3.5 stars on Pride and Glory, calling it 'savage yet moving'.
• For something more substantial see Filmmaker Magazine's extended piece with Glory director Gavin O'Connor.
• Alternatively, new public Pride and Glory views are being aired over at Amazon:

[...] I thought this was one of the best movies I have seen in a long time that wasn't an action or special effects driven movie. Ed Norton does a great job and Jon Voight is back with a great performance. The cast is top notch ... It is about 2 hours long but it is full of enough good dialogue and drama that it didn't really bother me. No holes here. Just a good drama done right. [...]

and:

[...] I did really like this movie. ... It's really just another good cop/bad cop New York movie, but the acting makes it a must watch. ... I recommend Pride and Glory. [...]

For fun

• The Mail's Tom Kelly revisits the subject of the Darcy/lake filming stunt with brief quotage from the man himself (who apparently nearly turned the role down - unbearable thought indeed!)

For a bit of miscellany

• A quick reminder that Radio Free Albemuth, in which Ms Harris plays Light Angel, will be released sometime in 2009. The whereabouts or indeed existence of The Yankee King (originally set for a March 09 release) remains a mystery until further notice. Last but not least, eBayers might be interested in a signed 1964 copy of John Ehle's The Land Breakers.

Happy New Year to all!

Pigs, Pennies and Mantras

Greetings all!

• Firstly today, Heidi Benson of the San Francisco Chronicle talks to a prominent member of the JASNA (Jane Austen Society of North America) about all things Pride and Prejudicial:

First on the agenda are unhappy thoughts about the 2005 version. It seems that the 1995 adaptation not only has Ms Ehle, but has greater historical veracity than its revamped counterpart:

[...] It wasn't the sex in the sexed-up, big-screen version of "Pride & Prejudice" that bothered Virginia Solomon: It was the pig in the parlor. "It was historically and culturally inaccurate ... The filmmakers exaggerated the class difference between Lizzie and her love interest, Mr. Darcy ... They portrayed her as dirt-poor, the daughter of a farmer," she says, and depicted a threadbare Bennett estate, "with peeling paint and battered furniture and pigs running in the house." [...]

The article also gives an insight into the 'other' lives of JASNA members:

[...] On Sunday evening, Solomon, with her husband, William, and son David, all wearing Regency regalia of her design, joined 20 members of the society - who range widely in age (16-80) and background (lawyer, event planner, stay-at-home mom) - in an elegantly appointed meeting room at San Francisco's Four Seasons Hotel, where they sipped tea and viewed on a wide-screen TV the version of "Pride and Prejudice" they favor. ...That would be the Emmy-winning 1995 BBC production, starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle. [...]

Evidently though there is some Austen overspill into everyday life, as another member explains:

[...] "We have a mantra - WWJD - what would Jane do? ... In tough situations, we can look back at the ethics of a time when honor and loyalty and respect meant something ... Fundamental human relations and morality don't change." [...]

See the rest of the article for quotes by various JASNA members about why they love the Society, why they adore Jane and what indeed they wear for these capital occasions!

For more information, visit some of the JASNA equivalents, such as societies in the UK, Australia and Argentina.

• If the P&P part of you is still not satisfied, Jane Austen's World have an excellent piece on Pride and Prejudice Economics, complete with currency converted table, which usefully makes Austen figures digestable for us modern readers. (For example, Mr Darcy goes from a man of £10,000 a year to a man of £339,600 a year!) Also see the AustenBlog for some nice glimpses of a P&P first edition.

In terms of other bits and bobs:

• Variety very briefly report Metrodome's full acquisition of the UK rights to Before the Rains, noting the company is 'eyeing a summer theatrical release'.
• The lauded series Holocaust (1978) - starring Rosemary Harris as Berta Palitz Weiss - can now be pre-ordered on Amazon. (Region 1 only). It will be released on May 27. Also now available on Region 1 is Alpha Male, to be released by Amazon on March 18.
• Also rouble-related, eBay have a programme of the 1992 Chichester Festival Theatre production of Breaking The Code, which starred Jennifer Ehle as Pat Green.

In terms of Utopians:

• The New York Times have an amusing chat with Mr Hamilton and Ms Plimpton about collaborative and independent projects of the past, present and future.
• TheaterTalk meanwhile have a preview video of their interview with Tom Stoppard, which was broadcast on February 8. The UK Times also converse with Sir Tom on the art of screenwriting. On play-to-film adaptations, he explains:

[...] Many people have asked me to adapt my own plays for film. But one seems to fall between two equally awkward stools: you film the play and end up not satisfied with the film, or to make the film you leave out two thirds of the play, so why make it as a film in the first place? [...]

And, interestingly:

[...] People have often wanted to make The Real Thing into a film, but I’ve resisted because I have no appetite to do it myself and I couldn’t bear to have anyone else do it. [...]

Alright then, Coast of Utopia: The Movie, anyone?! WWJD?

The Sugarplum Fairy

Hello everyone! If you celebrate it, Happy Christmas, if you don't, happy holidays, and if you're not on holiday...happiness I guess!

In Santa's sack of news today...

• Regarding the BC/EFA Fundraiser, the total has recently shot up, so well done! But, let's see if we can get it any higher in the three-ish days remaining - we entreat you to have a good rummage under that sofa for any loose roubles!


• Secondly, Downstage Center's interview with Jack O'Brien is now available for listening! The Utopia director talks repeatedly about his links to both Rosemary Harris and her first husband, Ellis Rabb, while Utopia discussion takes place in the last ten-ish minutes. Here are some snippets from the latter:

On the background behind his involvement in Utopia:

[...] First of all, I met with Tom Stoppard and Stockard Channing over a piece called Hapgood at Lincoln Center in the Mitzi [Newhouse Theatre]...that's when I met the great Bob Crowley and that was the first of that association between Crowley and Tom and myself...so it was assumed, when The Coast of Utopia happened, that Crowley and I would be engaged to do it - assumed by Tom and assumed by everybody except Crowley and me [...]

On the time between the two productions:

[...] Don't forget I had almost four years from the moment I saw Trevor Nunn's production at the National [Theatre] to when I went into rehearsal a year ago...it was four years of thinking, of sorting through, of meeting with Tom, of concerns, of evolving of approach, of denial, of panic, of fear, of frustration, of inadequacy...before the penny dropped [...]

On the National production and the evolving of the LCT production:

[...] Tom was writing it while Trevor was already directing it...in all deference to everyone, including Tom, I don't think they knew what the hell they had - I don't think they could; it was so big, it took the better part of three years of prep before I thought 'Oh, wait a minute - this isn't three plays, it's one three-act play, that is spread over a huge canvas; I've got to stop thinking about it in terms of its component parts and have to wrap my mind around all of it' [...]

On understanding 'difficult' plays and his slant on the 'homework beforehand' argument:

[...] I'm on the side of the audience. ... I'm not that smart. ... I'm serious. ... I don't have an a priori immediate intellectual grasp of these things... I went to see Rock 'n' Roll as an audience member...I purposely wanted to see, [could I] understand Tom's work if I don't study it? Can I do that? And you know what? Yes you can, because Tom's a great writer and he gives you what you need [...]

Like we believe that second comment Jack!

• In the auction world, eBay has a copy of Utopia signed by Tom Stoppard with a starting bid of $150. There is no picture, but the details given by the seller are as follows: 'The Coast of Utopia, Tom Stoppard, Grove Press, 2007, limited edition, one of 250 signed and numbered. Hardcover in slipcase. Still in shrink wrap. Very fine condition'. The auction ends on the 27th.


• Last but not least, JournalNow, of the Winston-Salem Journal, have surmised that 'when Santa does his thing, he’ll have lumps of coal for the naughty and sugarplums for the nice.' So they have written a piece listing all the people they think are deserving of each this year. Guess who was one of their 17 sugarplum recipients? This is what they had to say:

[A sugarplum]...to Jennifer Ehle, who grew up in Winston-Salem and is an alumna of the N.C. School of the Arts, for carrying on a family tradition by winning a Tony for her acting - and shining light on The City of the Arts in the process. [...]

Happy Christmas!

Another peripheral post

• First, check out the slideshow of pictures of Jennifer Ehle at the Library Lions benefit at Mascha's Jennifer Ehle fansite.


• "The Other Pride and Prejudice" has just been released as a Deluxe Two-Disc DVD Gift Set (Region 1). It reportedly includes both the widescreen and full screen versions of the film as well as extras that were formerly only available on the Region 2 edition. The film has also been released as an HD DVD.


• Have you heard about the Broadway stagehands' strike, which began on November 10? Keep track of the latest developments at Playbill and BroadwayWorld. The strike has had a huge impact on NYC's economy. As Playbill explains, "Hotels, restaurants, gift shops, bars, taxis, pedicabs, even charitable organizations such as Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS all depend on the lights going up eight times a week." The BC/EFA, which solicits contributions from theatergoers at this time of year, has made an official statement:
  

  Of course, the strike has had a huge affect on BC/EFA's current fundraising and grant making efforts. But we are not privy to the specifics of the negotiations between the members of The League and Local One. BC/EFA's only hope is that an agreement that is fair to the concerns of both parties is struck as soon as possible so that the members of the entire industry can get back to work as quickly as possible and audiences can fill the Broadway theatres again. With that accomplished, BC/EFA can continue to work with the entire community in its annual fundraising efforts at this most important time of the year for us, the industry and indeed all of New York City. The good fortune of Broadway Cares is tied directly to the robust artistic and commercial health of all of Broadway.

  In other words, now would be a great time to lend your support to the BC/EFA! *hint hint Every Kopeck Counts hint hint*


• For video coverage of the opening night of Rock 'n' Roll, visit BroadwayWorld and Broadway.com. There are great clips from the play as well as interviews with Tom Stoppard, Trevor Nunn, and members of the cast.


• Lastly, if you have $47 to spare and are in the market for bookends, take a look at eBay.

The sorbet after a side of beef

Not much on the news front as the use of the Wilde quote suggests! Here are the sorbet's ingredients:

• On a serious note, Playbill reports that today's performance of Oscar and the Pink Lady has been cancelled due to the fire emergency in California.
• Regarding The Coast of Utopia's opening in Russia, John Freedman's aforementioned article for the St Petersburg Times is now available in published form, with a couple of production photos.
• Playbill meanwhile discusses the previewing of Stoppard's Rock 'n' Roll on Broadway. A reminder that Tom Stoppard will be taking part in a Times Talks event in New York on October 26. According to Playbill, Sir Tom will 'discuss his work and the ideas behind his new play'.
• Last but not least, if you have a large gap that needs filling in your living room, maybe you fancy owning this - albeit unrecognisable - piece of Utopia history. It is a life-size mannequin being auctioned on eBay by Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids. Since playing a vitally important role as a serf in the trilogy, it has appeared in a horror production - hence its present attire - and now, according to the description, 'smells slightly of patchouli'. The auction ends tomorrow.

Oscar: 'whets one's appetite for Harris'

• Oscar and the Pink Lady continues to elicit similarly mixed responses, with Paul Hodgins of The Orange County Register describing Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt's play as 'too slight a vehicle' for Ms Harris' 'impressive suite of talents'.

Also like some reviewers before him, he fails to find the character of Oscar entirely convincing for his age:

[...] Oscar is simply too precocious and conveniently wordsmith-y to be plausible. He talks like a literary conceit, not a little boy. [...]

He is alone however in meting out the first explicit criticism of Ms Harris, saying she 'doesn't always do a crystal-clear job of delineating character', although the positive comments far outweigh the negative in regard to the actress. Hodgins praises her overall performance as 'spontaneous, natural and completely unforced', describing that as 'a treat to see in such an intimate environment.'

• Secondly, we say 'Bereg Utopii!' as the third version of The Coast of Utopia opens in Russia. John Freedman, in a pre-publication review for The Moscow Times on October 12th, describes the long run-up to this point:

[...] Two years in the making, the "Utopia" project has enjoyed hands-on participation from Stoppard, who has visited Russia frequently to meet the troupe of the National Youth Theater and who was prominently present at third-row center for the 10-hour opening night last Saturday. To my knowledge there has never been a more thorough collaboration between a Russian theater and a major western playwright. This association has included readings, rehearsals, trips to the Russian countryside, an educational program run through several Moscow institutes and even a trip to Sparrow Hills to clean off a monument to Herzen and his friend Nikolai Ogaryov... [...]

In case you happen to be in Moscow, Freedman gives performance details - 'Bereg Utopii plays October 20 and 27 at the National Youth Theater, located at 2 Teatralnaya Ploshchad. MetroTeatralnaya. Tel. 692-0069, 692-1879, 692-6572.' And in case you can read Russian, here are two (possibly?!) relevant websites: ramt.ru and stoppard.ru.

• Thirdly, Sir Tom has written a fascinating piece for Vanity Fair about Pink Floydian Syd Barrett's relation to his play Rock 'n' Roll. Mr Stoppard also makes an interesting revelation about his working habits:

[...] With each play, I tend to become fixated on one particular track and live with it for months, during the writing—my drug of choice, just to get my brain sorted. Then I'd turn off the music and start work. I wrote most of "The Coast of Utopia" between listening to "Comfortably Numb" on repeat. [...]

• Fourthly, if there are any collectors among you, eBay has a number of items relating to Rosemary Harris, including a 1976 Playbill for The Royal Family and a copy of Life magazine from 1966 (with cover girl Jackie Kennedy!)



• Fifthly, regarding release dates for Ms Ehle's latest projects, IMDb is now giving the USA date for The Russell Girl as February 2008, meaning it will be out prior to Pride and Glory, which is currently set for 14 March 2008 (UK and USA).

Happy 80th Birthday Rosemary Harris!!!

• First and foremost, a very happy birthday to the legendary Rosemary Harris who is four scores old today! Ms Harris, we hope you have a wonderful day and wish you our sincerest felicitations! As they might have said in The Coast of Utopia, s dniom razhdjenia!



• In other news, fancy becoming the next Santosh Sivan by taking an internship with his contemporaries? DNA India gives details of a one-minute film festival being held later in the year, for which entrants send in - you've guessed it - a one-minute film. The winner and runners-up will get the opportunity to work with the 'Bollywood biggies' as a result of this festival which the Before the Rains director himself has a link to:

Here is an opportunity where a miniscule one minute video recording ... can actually earn you an opportunity to work with the likes of Anurag Kashyap, Onir, Hansal Mehta, Pawan Kaul, Ramu Ramanathan and Nishikant Kamat. ... [The portal] also has Sudhir Mishra and Santosh Sivan on its members’ list.

It seems this is a nice, open-to-all competition aiming to discover some hidden talent out there:

The main purpose of the festival is to connect with budding film-makers, ask them to pick up a camera and tell a story. The main criteria to judge a film would be the subject and its final impact on the audience,” says film director Anurag Kashyap.

The icing on the cake is that you don't even need to own a camera:

The festival also makes an attempt to ensure maximum reach among the film enthusiasts, simply because you can shoot your one-minute film on almost anything, right from a cell phone to a digital camera.

The festival will be held from December 1 to December 5, 2007. Visit passionforcinema.com for full details. In the meantime, get filming!

• Something else which may be of interest to budding filmmakers is http://www.santoshsivan.com/. It is a sparse but wonderfully tranquil website presumably either run by Mr Sivan or someone interested in his work.
  


• eBay meanwhile has a Utopia soundtrack CD signed by the man himself, Mr Mark Bennett, and vocalist Utopians Felicity LaFortune and David Pittu, if you scandalously never purchased one.
  


• Last but not least, Deborah Solomon's interview with Ethan Hawke for the New York Times casually reveals the Utopian's great-uncle was none other than Tennessee Williams! Starpulse meanwhile mentions that Mr Josh Hamilton is among those being directed by Mr Hawke in Things We Want. It is interesting how many ex-Utopians have either deliberately or inadvertently paired off into other projects!

Hawke in the heat, Helena in the hail

Just a few little tidbits relating to ex-Utopians today:

• Ethan Hawke talks to the NY Daily News about the movie version of his book The Hottest State, the changing face of NYC and life in general.

A little extract:

Always passionate and opinionated, Hawke is definitely less fiery and pointed than he was as a younger man, as he himself would be the first to say. So, when adapting a book he wrote more than a decade ago, Hawke found himself identifying less with William, the besotted young hero, and more with the father whom William struggles to confront and connect with."I was so idealistic about love and art and politics," says Hawke. "I was so idealistic. I still am, but the world is much grayer than I thought it was. It's harder to make your way than I thought.

MoviesOnline also has a great interview with him, including a long Q&A section about his work. A small snippet:

Can you talk a little bit about how you draw on your own life experiences for this film?

When I was younger, when I first wrote the book, I was really just running with that 'write what you know' thing they tell you in writing class. I was using the details of my real life to create authenticity for an emotional subject matter that I wanted to write about. I wanted to write about how much we take, how much our parents give us the vocabulary for love and how much we're guided by that and how much that comes out in our romantic relationships. I kind of wanted to find that intersection, you know the hottest state, an elevated level of passion, and where the protagonist comes from.

• Martha Plimpton meanwhile - described by Ben Brantley of the New York Times as one of 'a promising assortment of young veterans' - is still delighting audiences despite Central Park having its fair share of the wet stuff in recent days. One Delacorte-goer wasn't keen to give a thumbs up overall, but considered Ms Plimpton's performance 'one of the best things about the show', while another not only turned up in the rain, but waited for a late start, experienced an early finish and still said she would have stayed until midnight had she been allowed. Yet another Dreamer was equally complimentary and also elaborated:

Martha Plimpton was great as Helena, although it took me a while to get used to her playing such a different role for her. I'm so used to her being the "strong" woman, that seeing her grovel on the floor hanging on to Demetrius' leg took a some getting used to. However, as my friend pointed out, she was the only one of the four lovers who was truly speaking the verse, and that made a huge difference.

• In other news, Broadwayworld reports that the LCT will be a co-producer of Tom Stoppard’s Rock ‘N’ Roll which begins previews on Broadway at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre on October 19, while Utopian choreographer Michele Lynch will be lending her talents to Happy Days: The New Musical which will run at the Millburn Theater from September 26.
• Lastly, if you are Utopiastalgic or have a bare wall that needs a bit of interest, Ebay still has some unsigned Coast of Utopia window cards for under $20. There are a few pretty Sunshine ones available too.
  

"Austen? No thankyou!" says modern man

Officially zilch on the news front, so here are some little bits that are either fun, loosely-related or inconsequential:

• As reported by the Telegraph, a UKTV poll has revealed that 37% of women would rather date a 'Darcy-like figure' than a modern man. The poll also found that the majority of modern men were unlikely to even know who this 'Darcy' person is - two-thirds of male respondents had never read a romantic novel in their lives. Unhappy thought indeed!


• Just when we thought Martha Plimpton had planned a rest - even if she had yet to take it - it has been announced that she will join the cast of Cymbeline this fall. This, however, is not any production of Cymbeline - it is Lincoln Center's, meaning Ms Plimpton will be back at the Vivian Beaumont, on a stage we're assuming she knows quite well after seven months of The Coast of Utopia. Ms Plimpton will be playing Imogen, and previews will begin November 1. She is also joined in the project by Crew-topian lighting extraordinaire Brian MacDevitt. Exciting stuff. Meanwhile Beyond the Green Door was, for the first time ever, 'left doubled over in laughter' after seeing Ms Plimpton's current project, A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Delacorte. Similarly, Danny Miller was left asking 'What can't this woman do?' Well, quite.


• California's The Envelope meanwhile are already using the words 'Rock 'n' Roll' and 'Tonys 2008' in the same sentence. They also are drawing our attention to the new Tony Nominating Committee who will be deciding the 2008 nominees. If you thought all this was a little premature, even the official Tony website are telling us "It's not too early to sign up to get news about the 2008 Tony Awards!" Incidentally, they also appear to have taken Ms Plimpton's lead in setting up a MySpace page. Lastly, if you want to read the articles the stars were reading on June 10 in between applause, chit-chat, and more applause, see the American Theatre Wing's written excerpts of the official Tony Playbill for 2007.


• Lastly, should you have some superfluous roubles knocking around, eBay has a pretty red leather-bound copy of Possession, signed by AS Byatt, for $180. Happy reading!

Davies: Mr Darcy was nearly 'au naturel'

• Pride and Prejudice screenwriter extraordinaire Andrew Davies took part in this week's BBC Radio 4 show Desert Island Discs, as reported by icWales. Mr Davies admits that Mr Darcy's famous 'lake' scene was intended to be even more eye-catching than it turned out to be:

I wanted him to dive in with nothing on at all. But for some reason, I don’t know what it was, it was decided – or he decided – that he was going to dive in with his shirt and breeches on and that gave us that scene.

Davies has described the episode as “rather amusing and embarrassing”. He said, “There is Darcy in a state that he would not normally want to be seen in, trying to be pleasant and polite to Elizabeth. But in fact half of England’s womanhood was going crazy about his wet shirt."

Mr Davies' music choices can be found here. The programme will be repeated on August 10 at 9am GMT.

• Time Out interviews the lovely Martha Plimpton and looks back on her career as she starts in A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park:

Considering that Plimpton just ended a nine-month commitment in Lincoln Center Theater’s The Coast of Utopia, she now officially owns the title of hardest-working woman in New York theater. She took the new job a mere six weeks after Utopia’s closing-night party which, according to rumors, was as epic as the trilogy itself. “I’m not at liberty to talk about it,” Plimpton demurs teasingly during a rehearsal break.

The actor actually joined Midsummer, directed by Daniel Sullivan, a week into rehearsals after Missi Pyle dropped out. Despite having just finished a monumental, once-in-a-career project, Plimpton accepted quickly. “I was about to go to Los Angeles for the summer to scrounge up some television or film, and then I got this call from Dan,” she says. “I decided I’d much rather stay home. This is way more fun than pounding the pavement in L.A.”

It appears we weren't the only ones pleasantly surprised by such a quick transition - so was her director Daniel Sullivan (who himself has had a tough week falling through trap doors):

After coming out of Lincoln Center, she got her energies back and was ready to go. I was a little surprised—and delighted—that she immediately wanted to get on board.

Martha's move has clearly involved mental and linguistic transitions, even if she still gets to wear pretty dresses:

Since Utopia spanned 1833 to 1866, Plimpton’s new costuming won’t be radically different from that of her last gig, but the language will. And she has only one other Shakespeare on her résumé, a 1991 Pericles—at the Public, naturally. Has immersion in Stoppard’s rhetorical cascades made it easier to mouth the Bard? “It’s hard to say, ‘Well, of course it feels perfectly natural to go from Stoppard to Shakespeare,’ ” Plimpton muses. “That would be asinine. It’s all difficult, and you just sort of go at it bit by bit, hoping you tell the story clearly."

And lastly, proof that blogging can be worthwhile, (well, if your name is Martha)...

On Plimpton’s charming MySpace page (a rare and candid undertaking for a celebrity), she posted a marked-up First Folio page from Midsummer. But when the website is mentioned, she practically blushes over the phone. “It’s just a MySpace page, for God’s sake,” the actor says. “It’s something I do to have a good time and communicate with friends and colleagues and be silly.” Still, the page—which features photos of role models such as Gena Rowlands, Anna Magnani and Gilda Radner—has a practical use: Plimpton’s writing about her favorite bands got her work reviewing music on MTV’s website.

Time Out then report that Ms Plimpton then plans to spend some more than well-deserved feet-up time in Puerto Rico. Who can blame her.

• It is not only Utopia's actors that are getting stuck into new projects. Playbill report that scenic designer Scott Pask has joined the creative team of musical Saved. Broadway World have the same story. Meanwhile, lighting designer Brian MacDevitt will join the team of A Catered Affair. Also in New York this fall, the Boomerang Theatre Company are performing a piece called Stoppard Goes Electric, which includes three plays, originally written for the BBC in the 1960s: A Separate Peace, Teeth, and Another Moon Called Earth.
• Ebay has an autographed Utopia poster available, signed by 36 cast members. Current bid is $48 (although the reserve is higher) and all proceeds go to charity. Auction ends August 10th.
• Lastly, unless I have been asleep, the BBC seem to have revamped their Pride and Prejudice info. The result is a nice little page including a 'Behind the Scenes' section, crew audio clips and episode clips. It seems to contain similar info to the 'Making of' book and programmes, but worthy of a peek on a rainy day.

You say Kakegoe, I say Curtain Call

Just a few little tidbits today:

• Zachary Pincus-Roth of the New York Times has a very interesting piece on the uniquely American phenomenon of entrance applause. Whilst flattering, the consensus seems to be that it is a hindrance theatrically. While most of the discussion centers around well-known faces prompting applause, The Coast of Utopia is singled out as an example where the set was the cause of the claps:
  

[...] Billy Crudup and Ethan Hawke did not usually get it when entering amid an ensemble in “The Coast of Utopia.” But the sweeping opening of the first play in the trilogy — when an ocean effect of swirling curtains is transformed into a stage full of serfs — frequently elicited applause. [...]

There is also mention of the Japanese tradition of kakegoe, whereby anything resembling a curtain call is replaced by sporadic shouting at the cast throughout the performance. The Coast of Utopia without a curtain call? Not a happy thought indeed!

• Cinematical has a (little) more info on Ethan Hawke's directorial debut with Jonathan Marc Sherman's Things We Want:

It's a dark comedy about three brothers who have to deal with the suicides of both their parents. The production will be part of New Group's 2007-08 season, with previews commencing on October 7.

Writer Monika Bartyzel is curious about how he'll handle directing the stage, but has a 'sneaking suspicion that he could whip up some great theater'. Me too.

• The links are up for BBC Radio 4's broadcasts of Albert's Bridge and Arcadia. They are only available for seven days after broadcast, taking us up to (depending on where you are) 5/6 and 6/7 July respectively. BBC listeners seem to be getting very excited about all the Stoppardian attention; one calling Arcadia 'the best thing Radio 4 has done for ages'. Happy listening!
  

• According to All That Chat, Catherine Zuber's Downstage Center interview will be available as streaming audio and podcast from www.americantheatrewing.org beginning Monday afternoon today, July 2.
  

Three-time Tony Award-winning costume designer Catherine Zuber talks about the process of costume design and the nature of the collaboration between designers and a director; explains how she chooses her projects -- and how many she takes on each year; recounts the challenge of creating 600 costumes for the Lincoln Center Theatre production of The Coast of Utopia; describes the development of the costumes for the multiple incarnations (and changing cast members) of The Light in the Piazza; shares how she made the career transition from photographer to designer; and dispenses some tips to aspiring designers about how to develop their skills.

• Should your rouble balance be on the high side at the moment, eBay is auctioning a package for the opening night of Rock'n'Roll in New York this Fall. The winner receives two tickets for the performance plus two cast party passes to the post-show shenanigans. The current bid is $985, but all proceeds do go to The Actors' Fund. You have until July 5 to get bidding.

• Last but not least, a very Happy Birthday to the genius that is Mr Tom Stoppard, who turns 70 tomorrow, July 3, and to the fabulous Billy Crudup, who turns 39 on July 8. S dniom roždenija!

Past, Present and Future

• Drama Desk Award winner Martha Plimpton shows off her lovely dress at the ceremony on Sunday (scroll down, 5th photo). Here is another photo of her with the winner of the other Actress in a Play category, Eve Best (scroll down, 7th photo). There are also a few of Ms Plimpton at the Drama Desk Cocktail Reception on May 3rd.

• Some Utopians have exciting things lined up for the coming days and months. Martha Plimpton will be hosting and taking part in the Tiny Smooshy Sunday on Fire event on June 3rd. Click here for a list of other performers and for ticket and location information.

• The promised further details for Ethan Hawke's plans have now been revealed. He is, once again, favoring directing over acting and will be working on Jonathan Marc Sherman's Things We Want for The New Group for the 2007-2008 season.

• Across the pond, Charlotte Lucas is swimming the Channel! Lucy Petrie (formerly Lucy Scott) who played Miss Bennet's friend in the 1995 Pride and Prejudice is undertaking this challenge with her husband to raise money for premature babies. "Maybe I'll swim across in a bonnet" she joked!

• For $15 on eBay meanwhile, you can get yourself a window card from the Broadway production of The Real Thing.

• Lastly, for all you American Austenites out there, PBS is planning to devote some serious screen time to Jane's works. In January 2008, the channel will start broadcasting a four month marathon on Sunday nights, called The Complete Jane Austen. It will include the adaptations of all six novels (including the 1995 Pride and Prejudice) as well as Miss Austen Regrets, a new programme based on the author's diaries and letters. Capital, capital!
  

A Few Little Extras...

• Firstly, a nice little photo of the former Mr and Mrs Macbeth at the Nominees' Brunch at the Marriott Marquis. (Scroll down, fourth photo).
• Mark Shenton of The Stage gives his opinions on the Tony situation, including notable omissions. He notes how Mr O'Brien is the sole American entrant competing for Best Director of a play.
• The Independent leads the British publications who have well-intentionally (if erroneously) tried to claim Ms Ehle as one of their own. (I apologise for my country!)
• Rexsteed ran the penultimate marathon and found it 'stunningly beautiful, awesome, intriguing' and 'thrilling'.
• Fan Sean meanwhile has decided that 'the world needs a lot more Martha Plimpton' and is rooting for her in the Featured Actress category.
• Here is an old interview with Ethan Hawke regarding his second novel, Ash Wednesday.
• All you Stoppardians out there, mark your diaries for October 19, the date Rock 'n' Roll is coming to Broadway! (as reported by Playbill)
• eBay has a Coast programme signed by five main Utopians. If you did not buy any memorabilia, there are still some window cards available. Or if you're free on June 10th, there are two Tony Awards tickets up for grabs! Playbill.com meanwhile is still selling opening night playbills for each part.

Wunderbar!

• MissSummerLee was present on the 24th and is glad she 'devoted a whole day' to Utopia. She says:

[...] The plays are...very well written and funny with that biting bit of dry sarcastic British humor that I adore ... The design is beautiful. Simple and striking and very well done. It was such an amazing experience and I would totally do it all over again. ... I don't have words for how amazing this was to see! [...]

She also spotted Nathan Lane and Eric Stoltz in the audience, aside from Sir Tom and Mr.O'Brien.

• Echoing similar sentiments, marathon runner Johnna was at the same performance and 'loved every second of it'. Even a little mental drifting didn't lessen the impact:

[...] I admit there was approximately 20 to 40 minutes in the combined show running times of nearly 9 hours where the script was way more intelligent than I was and I couldn't follow the political discussions. But I filled the time with stuff more on my level (admiring the pretty costumes, ... looking for the ventilated wig fronts and microphones.) ... I amused myself even during the cerebral parts. ...

I could have come back two hours after the final curtain and watched another installment if they were willing to present a part four at 1 in the morning. [...]

She isn't the only one contemplating a sequel - Snarksmith nominates The Coast of Realism as a possible title for a part quatre.

Meanwhile:

• Martha Plimpton meets up with singer/songwriter Feist.
• The Guardian has an interesting (albeit loosely related) piece on the current pre-eminence of British playwrights at the expense of their American counterparts. Sir Tom is mentioned briefly with regard to Utopia and Rock'n'Roll.
• Pairs-of-eyes wise, Utopia took silver for the week ending April 29th. (Utopia: 90.2%, The Year of Magical Thinking: 94.6%). For a comprehensive breakdown of Utopia's progress over the last seven months, click here.
• Only 14 plays now remain....if you're in the vicinity, you know what to do. If you're stuck, eBay has a ticket for the penultimate Salvage and the final Voyage. If you buy the latter....I might see you there!

The invisible elves!

This seems to be the week of recognising (quite rightly) the other half of the cause of Utopia's brilliance - namely, the behind the scenes geniuses/genii. When one only sees half of the goings-on, it can be easy to forget that there is another half, and what hard graft must be involved in it, too.

Brendan Lemon gives a round of applause to the costume crew this week, including a nice insight into the backstage world of outfits (and lots of them...). Ms Ehle's fab Shipwreck dresses are briefly mentioned, and there are some nice pics of where all these clothes reside when not on the backs of the actors.

But yes, I am sure there are more jobs and job descriptions involved backstage than us audience members have even heard of, and clearly they are all doing a practically flawless job every night to pull off such a fantastic show without a hitch.

In other news, Ms Ehle's The Real Thing co-star / London Utopian, the fabulous Stephen Dillane, is stepping foot on stage once again. Ms Plimpton meanwhile, kindly lends a hand to an animator friend.

On the goodies front...

• eBay has a The Real Thing window card up for grabs.
• The Hightide Festival auction has now closed. The signed trilogy went for £104 ($205) and the wonderful Utopia script was bought by one rouble-laden bidder for its staggering reserve of £1,050 ($2,072). Mr Stoppard's Utopia jumper unfortunately failed to sell, (as did the Shakespeare in Love screenplay, which amazes me!)

Why Utopia is like Marmite

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I have read quite a few reviews of this show over the past few months, and they have increasingly led me to one conclusion - that The Coast of Utopia is like Marmite: you either love it or you hate it.

While there are some drifters around the middle, the majority of people seem to fall into one of two camps - those who would happily set up home in the Vivian Beaumont, and those who wish they'd been sedated before entering it. Utopia critics are like the weather - you never know what they're going to do...

From the 'Love It' camp:

Terry Teachout of ArtsJournal.com gives a big thumbs up to the show and hits the nail on the head for me with this first paragraph:

I am in no doubt whatsoever about the merits of Jack O’Brien’s production. It is a sublime work of theatrical art, a commingling of play and performance so complete that no one lucky enough to see it will ever again read Mr. Stoppard’s words without remembering how Mr. O’Brien and his colleagues brought them to hot-blooded life.

Small wonder that Lincoln Center has carried off the dazzling trick of making a box-office smash out of a sequence of plays about a cabal of obscure intellectuals who talk at intimidating length about ideas of considerable complexity. “The Coast of Utopia” is many things, but first—if not foremost—it is a rattling good show….

I confess to wondering whether I would have been quite so impressed with “The Coast of Utopia” had I first seen it in a less memorable production, and it may also be that I responded to it so strongly because I share its author’s anti-utopian vision of the tragedy of modernity. But countless other viewers who feel otherwise have been no less deeply moved, suggesting that Mr. Stoppard has succeeded in transfiguring the unpromising raw material of politics and turning it into high art.

Markaley goes against the tide by proclaiming part three's superiority over the other two:

Tonight I saw the third (and final) part of Coast of Utopia at Lincoln Center. It was the only one of the three that I really enjoyed all the way through. The others I enjoyed parts of and could appreciate the rest, but this was definitely my favorite.

Clive Barnes meanwhile, of the New York Post, (very) briefly uses the words 'thrilling' and 'epic', before giving the show four big stars.

Nobody from the 'Hate it' camp seems to have voiced their opinions this week, so moving away from the Marmite analogy...

• Capacity last week was 90% - so slightly down on the previous week but still up on all other plays bar one. Yes, Ms. Redgrave eclipsed Utopia once again, but given the fact that it has been going since October, I would think coming a close numero deux is still pretty impressive...
  .
• There are several fantastic things up for grabs as part of the HighTide Festival this month. Lot 5, interestingly, is Mr Stoppard's signed Coast of Utopia jumper (words printed in Russian) while Lot 8 is the full trilogy also signed by the man himself. Lot 10 is the aforementioned annotated Utopia script, on which there is a reserve of £1050. (NB: Contrary to what we previously thought, this is actually the current New York script, and is dated 25th August 2006. Click here for details. Nobody has currently bid, so if you have considerably more roubles than me, it'd be a fantastically lovely thing to buy!) All these goodies are on auction at eBay.co.uk until Tuesday April 3rd.


• At eBay.com meanwhile, there are eight Coast of Utopia window cards available at more of a serf's budget. (serf = me)
  
  
• In other news, the fabulous Ms Plimpton will be appearing alongside a host of other well-known faces at P.S. 122's gala in honor of actor-playwright Eric Bogosian, on the day after life ends as we know it. (May 14th, that is...)
  


• Utopia co-set designer Bob Crowley meanwhile, talks about his use of "The Kabuki Drop" in the aforementioned play The Year of Magical Thinking, which opened this week. Another member of Utopia's ultra-talented creative cohort is also mentioned briefly. Mr Crowley went along to opening night with NY Times fashion critic friend Cathy Horyn. She talks about the night here.
  


• Photo-wise, USA Today has a lovely one of Mr Stoppard and the five leading men, while Playbill has a whole group - five of which I've never seen.

Incidentally, with the arrival of Frost/Nixon in New York yesterday from my side of the pond, there are now three members of the cast of Wilde appearing simultaneously on Broadway. Now we just need to get Mr Fry and Mr Law over here. Thoughts, anyone?!

Дженнифер Ель

• Babel the above and you get "Dzhennifer Fir Tree", how cool is that. It's from a photo-riddle comp at Jein Gallaher's blog (in Russian) with pics of Ms Fir Tree from the Tony anniversary days.
  
• Utopians on the town: Ethan Hawke, Billy Crudup and Brian F. O'Byrne will be hosting the Drama League lunch on May 11. Tix are available, call (212) 244-9494. Mr Hawke, Josh Hamilton and Amy Irving were also spotted at The Year of Magical Thinking.
  
• At BizBuzz, there's a long, enthusiastic chronicle from last week's Utopia marathon. Here's a description of one of my favourite scenes in Shipwreck:
  

  [...] Jennifer Ehle plays Herzens wife, who justifies an affair with Herzen’s best friend on the grounds that she has so much love for both of them, the love should be allowed to flourish freely. The ultimate disaster visited upon the Herzens and their friends brings about a stunning final scene in which philosophy and human drama seamlessly meld. It is truly transcendent. [...]

• More love for the marathon from David's blog. Verdict:

  [...] What can I say? Watching top actors at the top of their form, even Ethan Hawke was good (not great, but good…), it was a stirring day of theater I will never forget. If you have have a chance to see any of them, do, and if you can only see one, make it "Shipwreck". [...]

• Was everyone at that marathon? This is Clarence Carter for Reverse Shot.

  [...] This is not to say that his nautically inflected trilogy (Voyage, Shipwreck, and Salvage) about the exploits of the erstwhile crew of Russian thinkers and would-be revolutionaries circling around the lesser-known figure of Alexander Herzon doesn’t falter or lag across is nearly nine hours of length. This is largely to be expected. But even when the humor flattens out, the expository dialogue grows unwieldy, and historical accuracy jumps the shark, the entire project coasts (pun intended) on a forceful perspective and historical sweep that’s all too rare these days in any art form. I can’t imagine not seeing Utopia in a single afternoon—the bits that rhyme across plays would most likely be forgotten, and more importantly, the salvage act Stoppard performs on his group would be far less apparent, and less affecting because of it. [...]

• Broadway & Me laments the NY Times' grudge against Utopia/Stoppard as evinced by the reading list and Isherwood articles. But, um...what about this, this, this, this, this and this? Nevertheless, a nice defence of the show, and some more star-spotting: Lauren Bacall and historian Arthur Schlesinger were at the performance of Voyage that he attended. And there's this unusual analogy:

  [...] And yes, there are major philosophical issues to ponder like the role of literature in cultural identity and the role of rich men in proletarian revolutions, but there are also laugh out-loud jokes and who's-bedding-whom storylines that are as accessible as those on Desperate Housewives. [...]

• Leonard Jacobs of Backstage reviews Salvage. Positive overall.
  
• ALR of A Collection of Tomes gives The River King 3.5 stars and mentions the hair colour and accent thing.
• eBay has auctions for tickets to Shipwreck and the March 31st marathon at or below cost.
• Also up for auction is a script of Utopia annotated by Tom Stoppard, presumably from the London production.
  
• Terry Teachout of the Wall Street Journal names all three parts of Utopia in his list of Broadway recommendations.
  

Ehle: Even better?

So far, there seem to be two patterns emerging with regard to reviews of the long-awaited partie trois of The Coast of Utopia. Firstly, reviews of the last installment as a whole seem to be mixed, and secondly, wherever she is personally mentioned, Ms Ehle is highly commended.

Here are a few more exemplifications of these trends:

Irene Backalenick from All About Jewish Theatre considers Salvage the least good of the three, but implies this is just a necessary inevitability of the story's close. She is complimentary and appreciative of the trilogy overall and reserves high praise for the achievements of Stoppard and O'Brien.

Time Out's David Cote is much more negative overall. Being more descriptive than evaluative, he says:

Martha Plimpton and Jennifer Ehle offer fire and ice, respectively, as women in Herzen’s life.

Kirk Honeycutt from The Hollywood Reporter likewise holds his thumbs more down than up. He does however applaud O'Brien for his continued "striking" and "imaginative" direction.

Ordinary theatre-goers seem to be far less critical:

Utopia virgin Pitgeek considers Salvage praiseworthy and is now seriously contemplating a marathon.

The NY Times reader reviews of Salvage are unanimously laudatory. Lexical choices utilised include 'dazzling', 'superb', and 'very stirring'.

tpbland notes:

...Jennifer Ehle plays a different character from part 2 but is perhaps even better here. I did not want the evening to end--it is superb.

teresek makes no specific mention of Ms Ehle but can't throw enough nice words in Mr O'Byrne's direction:

I saw Salvage from the first row (unfortunately didn't see the first two plays) and was dazzled by the acting. Brian F. O'Byrne, in particular, was extraordinary. His performance was expressive but restrained, with nothing excessive or artificial. To watch him "age," for instance, through a subtle slump of his body, turning his head to listen, getting up stiffly from a chair -- was extraordinary. He was surrounded by other wonderful actors who gave him everything he needed to play off of. Aside from its other merits (the staging and directing are admirable), anyone who loves fine acting should see this play.

How nice! shmenkie continues the rapturous praise, considering him-/herself a better person for having witnessed this arguably once-in-a-lifetime event.

Meanwhile, sailing momentarily away from Utopia...

On the NY Times bios pages, Rebecca Flint from All Movie Guide describes Ms Ehle as

...an actress who infuses her characters with luminous strength and shrewd intelligence...

And, should you feel like perusing Ebay, you can buy a signed photo of Ms Ehle or a copy of Harpers & Queen from July 1999 which (according to the seller) has four-page feature. A Summerfolk programme is also still up for grabs.

Returning to the Lincoln, marathon numero uno is probably about mid-Shipwreck by now...fingers crossed it is all proceeding without a hitch...

Unordered list

• For Ruskophones in the audience, here's a Russian translation of English Coast of Utopia dialogue that is meant to be Russian at jakovlev's LJ, a review of the plays at good-boy's and discussion on the pronunciation of "Ehle" at an Austen LJ community. Babelfish em.
• At eBay, you can bid for a The Maitlands DVD and the Design for Living stagebill.
• Post-Tonys encounter.
• Reviewlets of Voyage and Shipwreck at OffTheStem by Barry, both given B's. Voyage is also reviewed by Jennifer who particularly dug her namesake:

  I saw The Coast of Utopia: Part 1, the Voyage this weekend at Lincoln Center. The rare cast consisting of Billy Crudup, Richard Easton, Jennifer Ehle (<-- my personal fave: Elizabeth Bennett from BBC's "Pride and Prejudice"), Ethan Hawke, Martha Plimpton , Brian F. O'Byrne (the priest in "Doubt"), and many others. The standouts in the cast were Billy Crudup (with the most ridiculous hairstyle), Jennifer Ehle, and Richard Easton. Richard Easton became infamous as he suffered a heart attack early on in the run during the play when he was offstage. Glad to see he's back in fine shape. [...]

• Voyage and Shipwreck reviews from the Epoch Times. From the latter:

  [...] After a shaky start with Voyage, Stoppard and director Jack O'Brien do a much better job here, thanks to a strong, through-narrative and wonderful performances by the two central characters; Alexander Herzen (Brian F. O'Byrne) and his wife Natalie (Jennifer Ehle). [...] In addition to the excellent Byrne and Ehle, the latter exuding sexuality, other standouts include Amy Irving, Bianca Amato and Jason Butler Harner. Another happy surprise is that the eternal believer Michael Bakunin (Ethan Hawke), one man who does accept responsibility for his deeds, is used to much better effect here than in "Voyage." [...]

  Couple of new reader reviews on Voyage at the NY Times, and another's up at Swarthmore's Phoenix student paper critiquing the play more than the staging.
  

• Possession music video of Christabel and Ash set to "I love you" by Fisher.
  
• Variety reports that while there's been a general post-holidays slump in Broadway box office sales, Utopia is an exception, still selling well.
• Wilde trivia from SX News:

  Jennifer Ehle won the part of Wilde’s wife Constance from Theresa Russell. Ehle was enjoying the recent popularity of her role as Elizabeth Bennet in TV’s Pride and Prejudice.

• From ICM the latest is that "as it stands" Ms Ehle will not be in Michael Clayton. Endeavor people explain that "the film was too long and they had to cut out her 2 scenes". So rend your garments, but praps not your Sunday best.